Category: Burgundy

Burgundy: 6 Questions, with a focus on Gevrey-Chambertin

6/24/2014

By Chad Arnold

Part I

1. Why Burgundy?

The great wines of Burgundy satisfy the body and the soul. This is not to say other wines, indeed many other wines, don’t; but the Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays of the Cote d’Or do so in a unique and inimitable way. But it’s not really about the varieties here; it’s about the specificity of the land. The song of the grapes is nowhere bettered than in the vineyards of Burgundy. The medium is the message here, and the medium is the earth.

And the wines sing with subtle gusto and a surprising finesse-filled force. It is, in some final analysis, the complexity and the generosity of the wines of Burgundy that makes them my favorite wines. The music enters the heart and mind simultaneously. The emotional and aesthetic commitment the best wines ask is stunning and it is precisely because they ask us to feel and speak that they reach so deeply into our hearts and minds. The parallel, of course, is that the old vines reach equally deeply into the limestone and marl to retrieve the inner harmonies of the land.

Whether notes or letters, Burgundy generates a dialogue, indeed it generates language.

Burgundy is a place, and its heart, the Cote d‘Or, is only thirty miles long and about half a mile wide. You could walk it in a day, though it might take longer because you would likely be; as I have been, happily distracted by the peace and the beauty of the vines lacing around the old stone houses like green and gold scarves.

And because of the power of the Burgundian terroir - the sun, slope, and soil, among other things - the earth’s soul as it were, is also in every bottle. And this is how we come to truly know Burgundy, or any wine, and that is by drinking it, by being open to its seductive and haunting pleasures: the place-ness of Burgundy is in every bottle, and while it is always best to visit the wine regions we love, Burgundy is shipped; thanks to all the gods, to the far reaches of the world, if in miniscule quantities, including Paul Marcus Wines.

Burgundy, it seems, allows us a bit of time travel.

2. Where in the world is Burgundy?

The Cote-d’Or is in central eastern France. If you happen to be driving from Paris, allow about three hours. If you’re going in the right direction, and have a hankerin’ for Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, you should be heading southeast through Auxerre, toward Beaune, the wine capital of the Cote-d’Or. If a steely Chardonnay is what you want then Chablis is the place for you and you need only go about two hours along the same route, this time exiting at Auxerre. The Cote Chalonnaise, Macon, and Beaujolais are all a bit farther south along the same route.

3. Is Burgundy difficult to figure out?

Yes. And no.

Its essential nature is easy, and the wines are complex, but Burgundy is the most complicated of France’s wine regions and it is also, in some ways, the most difficult to understand.

For example, Karen MacNeil, author of the very useful The Wine Bible, lists eight grands crus in Gevrey-Chambertin, but Allen Meadows, author of the Burgundy-only newsletter, Burghound, claims there are nine, while the long time Burgundy aficionado Clive Coates says; “There are eight or nine grands crus…” I’m going with nine because you will find nine different names out there in the market. To wit, you will find both “Charmes-Chambertin” and “Mazoyeres-Chambertin” in any (sensible) wine shop that deals in Burgundy, though they have been listed by Matt Kramer as “one and the same vineyard.”

Furthermore, a few of the premier Crus in Gevrey-Chambertin have alternate names, yes, alternate names; for example Petite-Chapelle can also be called Champitenois and Issarts, Plantigone.
This, in a region where there are over eighty growers of the famous 117 acre Grand Cru vineyard of Clos Vougeot. In theory we could have eighty wines in the shop that all say “Clos Vougeot” though some might be labeled, “Clos de Vougeot.”

Easy, right?

4. How do I drink Burgundy?

Fill your glass. Repeat.

Only slightly more seriously: drink your Burgundy s l o w l y.

It is vital to drink the best wines over time. You want to interact with a great bottle of wine for as long as possible. No good wine will show you everything in thirty minutes, let alone allow you to understand all it has to offer.

The better the wine, very generally speaking, the more complex the wine and so, the longer it takes to discover. I think it’s best to give the particular bottle of wine you’re drinking plenty of time to open up, and, if you like it, get a few more bottles to drink over the years.

5. Will Burgundy age?

I’ve heard it said, in wine classes no less; that Pinot Noir does not age. This is maddening because so many pinot noirs do age; indeed they do so fabulously well. I’ve had wonderful, even fruity Pinot Noirs from the 1950s that were stunningly complex while still offering primary flavors. Furthermore, many white wines from Burgundy can age effortlessly for decades.

6. Why are the wines of the Cote d’Or so dang expensive?

Because it’s a tiny region and the farmers who tend the vines have very little wine to sell and there is no (significant) way to expand production. A producer might only make one barrel or less (25 cases) of any one wine. That’s twenty-five cases, or fewer, for the whole world. Not a lot to go around. Here’s a breakdown of the various levels of Burgundy to give you an idea of the rarefied stratification of the Cote d’Or:

Burgundy that is simply labeled “Bourgogne” the lowest level of classified Burgundy (either red or white) makes up 52% of the total wine production. This is wine that can come from anywhere in the legally demarcated region of Burgundy. Village level Burgundy makes up a further 35% of the total production and the wines have only to come from within the village boundaries. That means 87% of all the Burgundy produced in the Cote d’Or is not even vineyard-specific. Which is remarkable because Burgundy is all about the relationship of the site and the bottle. Premier Cru Burgundy makes up another 11%, meaning the wines labeled Grand Cru make up a microscopic 2% of the total wine production.

Part II

Getting Specific: Gevrey-Chambertin

A name from Gallo-Roman times, Gabriacus, first noted in or around 640 AD, for the village of modern-day Gevrey-Chambertin, a wee tot of a village in the heart of the wine Mecca of Burgundy. Gabriacus, a town where vines have been grown, grapes harvested, wine made and drunk for many, many centuries. In fact 120 vine stocks were found in Gevrey-Chambertin in 2008 dating from the 1st century BCE. Now that’s history.

In 1847 Gevrey appended the name of its most illustrious vineyard, Chambertin, which is named after the monk Bertin (Champ de Bertin). It seems somehow fitting that over the past forty years the population of this village has only increased by about 100 people (the population in 2008 was 3,084 and in 1975 it was 3,001) because the practice of wine growing and winemaking has changed very little over the years.

So there are, depending on whom you ask, thirty-three or thirty-four Grand Crus in Burgundy’s Cote-d’ Or, 8 or 9 of those, again depending on who you ask, are in Gevrey-Chambertin.

Gevrey-Chambertin is the largest of all the Cote’s villages and is also the place where, again, depending on who you ask, the highest expression of Pinot Noir is reached on Earth.

So where can I get great Burgundy?

Duh. Paul Marcus Wines always has a great selection of world class and affordable Burgundy! To get more specific information about any of the following wines, come in and ask one of the staff members at the shop.

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Here, at a 30% discounted rate, is The Super Summer Six-Pack:

(a) 2011 Dom. Dominique Gallois Gevrey-Chambertin “La Combe Aux Moines,” 90.
(b) 2011 Marchand-Tawse Gevrey-Chambertin “Les Fontenys,” 100.
(c) 2011 Marc Roy Gevrey-Chambertin "La Justice," 83
(d) 2009 Dom. Bachelet Gevrey-Chambertin V.V., 90.
(e) 2009 Sylvie Esmonin Gevrey-Chambertin V.V., 80.
(f) 2004 Dugat-Py Gevrey-Chambertin “Coeur du Roy,” 125.

The full list price is $568.00, but for this offer you can have these gems for $395.00!
A huge savings for some of Burgundy’s best wines, so treat yourself!
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Further Offerings from the Rack & Cellar:

1. 2011 Dom. Dominique Gallois Gevrey-Chambertin “La Combe Aux Moines”
90. / 12 available
2. 2011 Dom. Dominique Gallois Gevrey-Chambertin “Petits Gazetiers”
85. / 6 available
3. 2011 Dom. Dominique Gallois Gevrey-Chambertin
55. / 6 available
4. 2011 Marchand-Tawse Gevrey-Chambertin “Les Fontenys”
100. / 12 available
5. 2011 Marc Roy Gevrey-Chambertin “Clos Prieur”
84. / 12 available
6. 2011 Marc Roy Gevrey-Chambertin V.V.
75. / 12 available
7. 2011 Marc Roy Gevrey-Chambertin “La Justice”
83. / 12 available
8. 2011 Dom. Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin
98. / 11 available
9. 2010 Sylvie Esmonin “Cote de Nuits-Villages”
40. / 4 available
10. 2010 Dom. Dominique Gallois Gevrey-Chambertin “Charmes-Chambertin”
180. / 6 available
11. 2009 Dom. Bachelet “Cote de Nuits-Villages”
60. / 2 available
12. 2009 Dom. Bachelet Gevrey-Chambertin V.V.
90. / 15 available
13. 2009 Sylvie Esmonin Gevrey-Chambertin
54. / 12 available
14. 2009 Sylvie Esmonin Gevrey-Chambertin V.V.
80. / 7 available

15. 2009 Bachelet Gevrey-Chambertin V.V.
90. / 15 available
16. 2006 Dugat “Charmes-Chambertin”
434. / 3 available
17. 2006 Dugat Gevrey-Chambertin
128. / 5 available
18. 2006 Dugat Gevrey-Chamberitn “Lavaux St.-Jacques”
287. / 3 available
19. 2006 Denis Mortet Chambertin
675. / 3 available
20. 2006 Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin “1er Cru”
248. / 3 available
21. 2006 Burget Gevrey-Chambertin “Mes Favorites”
75. / 12 available
22. 2006 Lecheneaut Gevrey-Chambertin
70. / 3 available

* The 2005 vintage deserves a special note. It is one of the all-time great vintages in Burgundy in the last two decades. Though you can enjoy them now, these wines will age gracefully for another twenty years - if you can wait that long! These are powerfully structured wines though they do not lack finesse or subtlety. The ‘05s are disappearing fast and this is a great collection of world-class wines. Don’t miss them!

23. 2005 Guy Castagnier “Charmes-Chambertin”
145. / 3 available
24. 2005 Guy Castagnier “Latricieres-Chambertin”
155. / 2 available
25. 2005 Confuron-Cotetidot “Charmes-Chambertin”
151. / 3 available
26. 2005 Confuron-Cotetidot “Lavaux St.-Jacques”
123. / 8 available
27. 2005 Confuron-Cotetidot “Mazis-Chambertin”
161. / 12 available
28. 2005 Dugat-Py Gevrey-Chambertin “Coeur du Roy”
189. / 2 available
29. 2005 Dugat-Py Gevrey-Chambertin V.V.
142. / 12 available
30. 2005 Guillard SC Gevrey-Chambertin “Platiere”
62. / 12 available
31. 2005 Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin “1er Cru”
218. / 3 available

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Fall Six-Pack: An Exploration of Burgundy and Piemonte

11/15/2013

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By Nikki Goddard

Fall is here, and that makes us crave rich, hearty comfort foods and the earthy, rustic wines that complement them so well. While we believe in drinking whatever you like all year round, there is something that just feels so right about the pairing of robust stews, risottos, and roasted meats with wines brimming with aromatics that could easily be described as 'autumnal'--from fallen leaves to fragrant herbs to holiday baking spice.

The regions of Burgundy, France and Piemonte, Italy are two producers of such wines--and they have more in common than meets the eye, as do their primary red wine grapes, Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo.

To start with, an overview of the grapes themselves:

Pinot Noir grapes

Nebbiolo grapes

Both of these ancient varieties have complex family trees. Because they have been around for so long, many clones of each variety have developed over time, through the natural process of mutation. Pinot Noir, in particular, is an ancestor to an astounding number of grape varieties, including Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Merlot, Malbec, Syrah, and Viognier--to name a handful. Nebbiolo's resume is a little less impressive, due in part to the fact that the cultivation of much of its progeny, such as Vespolina and Freisa, has not spread much beyond their birthplace of Piemonte.

On the vine, Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo almost look like they could be related, although there is no genetic connection between the two varieties. Both grow in tight bunches in a lovely shade of bluish-purple, are late to bud during harvest, very susceptible to disease, and extremely finicky about where they like to be grown. They even prefer the same type of soil--those that are calcareous, meaning that they are partly or mostly composed of calcium carbonate. These chalky soils, high in lime content, allow these difficult-to-grow grapes to reach their fullest potential. To grow Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo on the most suitable vineyard sites is like commissioning the work of a talented yet temperamental artist--at times it can be frustrating or infuriating, but the end result is a masterpiece well worth the hassle.

In ideal conditions, it is a widely held belief by wine lovers throughout the world that Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo produce the finest wines in their respective countries of France and Italy. Many would even say they are among the best in the world. In a good vintage, these grapes give highly expressive, hauntingly beautiful wines with excellent aging potential. In fact, while many of the best wines made from both Pinot Noir in Burgundy and Nebbiolo in Piemonte are ready to drink (and difficult to resist!) in their youth, given time to soften and mature they can often continue to improve up to a decade or even two. The patient oenophile will be rewarded handsomely with complex aromas and flavors: red cherry, raspberry, forest floor, truffle, game, and violets can be found in both, along with Nebbiolo's signature notes of tar and rose. Though the flavors can be quite similar, each wine provides a very different sensory experience. Pinot Noir tends to be soft and velvety, while Nebbiolo's surprising tannin and structure are masked by a light, pale appearance.

The growing regions of Burgundy and Piemonte themselves have much in common, as well. Both are highly fragmented, partially because there is great diversity in the terroir of each (and there are arguably no other red wine grapes more expressive of terroir than Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo). There is variance in soil composition, slope, sunlight exposure and more that makes each small pocket of land unique. This can make learning about these regions a bit overwhelming. This is further complicated by the fact that vineyard ownership in Burgundy is governed by the Napoleonic code: when a vigneron passes away, his land is divided equally between his surviving heirs, creating a system where some vineyard owners may posses only one row of vines. Many growers in both Burgundy and Piemonte tend to own parcels of vineyards in various districts within the broader appellation. Both regions have strict rules in place to ensure quality wine production. Pinot Noir is required to comprise 100% of Bourgogne AOC, while Nebbiolo is mandated to do the same for Barbaresco DOCG and Barolo DOCG, the highest quality wines produced in Piemonte.

Thanks to these venerable regions, we are able to enjoy an enriched autumn sensory experience. Let a Premier Cru Burgundy delight you with a whiff of damp fall leaves, or get inspiration for a hearty meal from the intoxicating truffle aroma of a great Barbaresco. This month's six pack will allow you to do just that, and you can see for yourself just how similar yet unique these two spectacular wine regions really are. The wines include:

2011 Lucien Muzard & Fils Bourgogne
Medium-bodied and eminently drinkable, this is Bourgogne AOC doing what it does best. Tart, juicy, and mineral with aromas of red cherry, violet, , and fresh earth, this wine is velvety on the palate with bright flavors of cranberry and rhubarb.

2010 Domaine Camus-Bruchon & Fils Premier Cru Savigny-Narbantons
With a Premier Cru Burgundy, things get a little more complex. Baking spice dominates the nose, particularly cardamom and anise, with an element of wet stone and forest floor. While red fruits like rhubarb and currant make an appearance here as well, the fruit is darker and more brooding than the Bourgogne. The beautiful, complex finish is seemingly endless. 2010 was a classic vintage in Burgundy, showcasing both the Pinot Noir grape and the regional terroir at their best. Camus-Bruchon's Narbantons comes from the Beaune side of Savigny and has a little more weight than his other Savigny wines, which makes this bottling so appealing right now. Camus Bruchon is a long-time favorite at PMW--one of the producers whose wines we carry year after year.

2011 Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo
It's hard to find a better deal on Piemontese Nebbiolo than this one. Classic tar aromas and flavors are balanced by high-toned, lively notes of bright red cherries and raspberries and pleasant acidity. The tannins are much softer and more approachable here than in many otherwise comparable wines. This wine could technically be classified as Barbaresco, but since the grapes come from the youngest vines, the winery chooses to label it as Langhe Nebbiolo in order to preserve the excellent reputation of their top-tier wines. 2011 is a year in which the Nebbiolo fruit really sings, and this example from one of the region's top producers truly exemplifies the finesse for which Barbaresco is known.

2007 Sottimano Barbaresco 'Pajoré'
Through consistent high quality, the Pajoré vineyard has rightfully earned its status as one of the most famous vineyards in the Langhe. This excellent example from Sottimano shows great complexity with elegant notes of violet, rose, tar, blueberry compote, clay, five-spice, anise, tobacco, and cedar. While it's drinking great now, this highly concentrated wine should continue to improve for years to come--if you can wait that long.

The whites of these regions are excellent as well:

2011 Domaine Romain Collet Chablis 'Les Pargues'
This is a great example of Chablis from a vintage that was more about elegance and purity than power and concentration. Light, refreshing, and mineral, this one is perfect for warm Bay Area autumn days with a hint of crispness in the air.

2012 Giovanni Almondo Roero Arneis 'Vigne Sparse'
Made from 100% Arneis, this medium-bodied, aromatic wine is brimming with white flowers, lemon, and fresh green pears, and a chalky minerality reminiscent of Chablis. The Arneis grape is often planted near Nebbiolo vines, in order to distract birds with its pleasing perfume so that they refrain from snacking on the higher-market-valued Nebbiolo grapes. With one whiff of this wine, it's easy to understand that logic.

This six-pack, available for a limited time only, includes a Paul Marcus Wines tote bag, tasting notes,
and suggested pairing recipes.

Discounted six-pack price: $160
Actual retail value: $208

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Burgundy: 6 Questions, with a focus on Gevrey-Chambertin

Fall Six-Pack: An Exploration of Burgundy and Piemonte

The PMW Wine Blog

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