Burgundy. It’s a word that for many came to be synonymous with red wine – as in, “May I have a glass of Burgundy?” – like “Champagne” came to refer to any sparkling wine. As with Champagne, though, Burgundy (Bourgogne in French) is a specific geographic reference and in the wine world, it is a term that is legally regulated.
Also, with a few small exceptions (notably the gamay-based wines of Beaujolais), it is only two grapes – chardonnay for the whites and pinot noir for the reds. Geographically, the province stretches from Chablis in the north south to Dijon and on to Lyon. The most celebrated growing region is the Côte d’Or (slopes of gold), referring the color of the vines in the fall just south of Dijon.
It is this small area that has made Burgundy the benchmark for the concept of terroir. Over centuries, growers (initially Benedictine and Cistercian monks) came to delineate ever smaller demarcations of vineyards. In recognition of differences in soils, weather, climate and vegetation, these two grapes are seen as the best vehicles of expression for each site. The winemaker, of course, is important but in this view secondary.
For the purposes of this column, my recent tasting of the wines of Maison Roche de Bellene is a good illustration. Maison Roche de Bellene is the négociant business (makes wine with fruit purchased from other growers) of Nicolas Potel, a highly regarded winemaker in Burgundy, who also owns Domaine de Bellene (all estate-owned vineyards). The emphasis is on old vines – usually 40-80 years old and the wines are labeled Vieilles Vignes – that are farmed sustainably, in some cases organically and some even biodynamically.
Three of the four wines in my tasting are what is known as “village wines,” meaning they were sourced from vineyards surrounding the designated village. Village wines are considered to be of higher quality and cost more that a regional wine (simply labeled “Bourgogne”). While not cheap by any definition, they represent relative good values compared to the next levels in quality – Premier Cru and Grand Cru – as those wines can reach a cost of several hundred dollars a bottle (which also explains why there were none of these in my tasting).
The first thing I noticed with all these wines was the relatively light, translucent color, especially when compared to California and Oregon Pinot Noir. The second was penetrating aromatics of mostly red fruits (mainly cherry, also strawberry) with brown spice and an earthy quality. Third, in tasting the wines, higher acidity gave a sense of fresher but drier fruit, while that earthy quality also was present, often with an enticing note of black licorice.
The first two wines came from prestigious communes in the Côte de Nuits, the name for the northern half of the Côte d’Or that many say produces the epitome of pinot noir. I found the 2011 Chambolle-Musigny ($86) typical of the area, balancing elegance and finesse with power and depth. The 2011 Gevrey-Chambertin ($64), from a nearby commune, had a more intense aroma with tea and tobacco notes. Surrounded by possibly the greatest collection of vineyards in all of Burgundy, its intensity and firm structure complimented a purity of fruit and loamy shadings.
But it was the 2011 Volnay ($64), from a highly regarded village in the Côte de Beaune, the southern part of the Côte d’Or that many prize more for its whites, that impressed me the most. It started out with dark fruit and spice notes, even cayenne followed by a round, lush palate with a solid structure finishing fresh. While the Volnay is immediately enjoyable, the Chambolle and Gevrey are more likely to improve over time.
If even these are too rich for you, seek out the 2012 Bourgogne ($21). It is the most affordable and accessible and delivered a lot for a wine for the money. It’s worth the search for a taste of real Burgundy.