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Burgundy wine unraveled

Did you know that red Burgundy is Pinot Noir?

In Burgundy, the wine labels say much about the terroir and little about the grapes. Burgundy is a complex area. Getting to know all its land takes a lifetime.

History

The Burgundy region evolved following its settlement by German tribes from the east and the boundaries were established in 1416. The region has been strongly influenced by its political importance (the Dukes of Burgundy) and the church.

Wine has been produced in the region since Roman times. After the fall of Rome, the church became the major focus for wine production. The Benedictines established the Abbey of Cluny in 910 and became the major vineyard owner in the region. Their vineyards extended to include some of today's most expensive names... La Tache, Romance Conti, Richebourg. The Benedictines were followed by the Cistercians who also became major vineyard owners across many parts of the region including Clos de Vougeot. The Cistercians were meticulous record keepers and noted the consistent differences in wine quality and characteristics from different vineyards. This laid the foundation for the focus in Burgundy on "terroir" and ultimately the classification system.

After the French Revolution in 1789 the power of the church in the region was broken by the confiscation and subsequent redistribution of the monastic lands. This meant that the vineyards were broken up and parceled out to the citizens. In later years, the Napoleonic inheritance laws (land is equally divided amongst the sibling heirs) meant that the small holdings were even more fragmented. Today, Burgundy is a mosaic of small holdings with a land owner typically owning strips in many areas. Clos de Vougeot (the 50 hectare old walled vineyard of the Benedictines) now has 90 growers each owning just a few strips: some producers only have enough grapes to produce one case per vintage.

For most people, Burgundy (Bourgogne in French) is understandably the most complex wine region in the world. Wines with similar looking label information can vary enormously in price...and possibly character and quality. "Best" Burgundy can be several thousand pounds a bottle. "Other" Burgundy can cost less than £10 a bottle. This note is intended as a simplified guide to Burgundy.

In 1861 certain areas were classified as Grand Crus. The classification system was further formalized in 1943 with the creation of a second tier, Premier Crus.

Modern Burgundy

The Burgundy area stretches around 300 miles north to south. There are 6 major sub regions: Chablis, Cote de Nuits; Cote de Beaune, Cote Chalonnaise, Maconnais, Beaujolais. Let us focus on the Cote de Nuits and Cote de Beaune....the two most complex areas.

Cote de Nuits and Cote de Beaune

The combined name for these two areas is Cote d'0r...an area stretching 30 miles. Both produce red and white wines. The southern Cote de Beaune is the heartland of white Burgundy (Meursault, Montrachet). The northern Cote de Nuits produces heavier, longer lived reds particularly from the Grand Crus (e.g. Vosne-Romane, Romanee-Conti, La Tache, Echezaux) and is the location of most of the Grand Crus.

The major red grape is Pinot Noir.
The major white grape is Chardonnay.

Smaller quantities of a white grape called Aligoté are grown in fringe areas and are labeled Bourgogne Aligoté. Appellation Passetoutgrain is a classification for a wine that is at least 33 Pinot Noir together with a blend of Gamay and perhaps Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris (the last 3 no more than 15 cumulatively).

The Cotes de Nuit and Cote de Beaune classification system

There are 4 basic levels or appellations: Grand Cru, Premier Cru, Village appellations, Regional appellations. All are based on terroir i.e. where the grapes are grown rather than on the grower/producer.

Grand Cru - 33 appellations representing 2 of total production. The label will state the name of the single vineyard but not the village.

Premier Cru -These represent 12 of total production. This segment is the most complicated in all of France. Within Premier Cru there is a recognition that there will be differences in character/quality depending on precisely where the grapes are grown. These precise areas are called "Climats"... and there are 635 of them. If the wine is made from a single vineyard the label will carry the vineyard name. If the wine is made from several vineyards in the same village the label will carry the village name only, not the individual vineyards.

Village -These represent 36 of production. The wine is produced from a blend of grapes from vineyards in one of 42 villages or from 1 individual vineyard in a non classified village. The label will state the village and sometimes the individual vineyard or climat.

Regional - These represent around 50 of production and there are 21 appellations. Unlike the above areas they can also produce rose and sparkling wine. Examples are AOC Bourgogne (sometimes further sub divided into sub regional areas such as Bourgogne Haut-Cotes de Beaune). It also includes wines from specific groups such as Bourgogne Aligote an Cremant de Bourgogne.

The vineyard/producer names can be confusing. Many names are hyphenated because of marriage of one owner to another and sound similar. The word "Corton" is used in the title by 21 producers.

The negociants

The average grower has only around 15 acres of vines often spread across many areas. A single climat or plot of land/vineyard can have many growers.This fragmentation means that most growers are unable to produce wines themselves economically (without mixing all the different sources of grapes). Burgundy is therefore characterised by "negociants" who buy grapes from similarly classified growers to produce wine. 65 of all wine from the region is produced by negociants.

The quality factor

A justifiable question is whether Burgundy is worth the price. Always a matter of personal opinion, of course, but the fragmentation in Burgundy does mean that top classified wines are produced in extremely small numbers. The small Domaine Vosne-Romanee has several very small vineyards.

Romanee-Conti produces 450 cases a year and La Tache around 1800 cases a year. Prices can be several thousand pounds per bottle. Each vineyard (climat) can claim individuality based on the soil and other local factors. A further factor is the grape itself. Although the red wine has to be made from Pinot Noir not all Pinot Noir grapes are the same. The variety is notably unstable and there are over 300 clones or mutations of the grape around the world. In the single small vineyard of Romanee-Conti there are 50-60 different mutations of PinotNoir each adding a different character.

Pinot Noir is a temperamental grape and will often not produce at its best. There is considerable variation between vintages in Burgundy. Vintage can therefore be important particularly.

It is often argued that the classification system, particularly for Premier Cm, ignores the role of the producer. There can be a wide range of "qualities" depending upon the particular producer. Burgundy experts will argue that some producers are far better than others.

There continues to be discussion/argument about whether Burgundy wines are as good as they used to be. A key factor in the argument is often the grape yield. After the second world war the vineyards were under nourished and growers used large quantities of potassium over many years to increase the nutrients and grape yields. In the past 30 years the yield has risen from 29 to 48 hectolitres per hectare and arguably the concentration of the fruit has been diluted. In recent years, yield concerns have achieved greater attention and the lower yields set for Grand Cm and Premier Cru are carefully monitored.

Prices

Whatever the arguments, prices for classified Burgundies remains high. Prices for the rarer wines have escalated mor than for any other wine in the world. In 1960 a bottle of Romance Conti Grand Echezaux 1952 would have cost very little. Today, a reasonably mature bottle would cost closer to two thousand dollars - or closer to two thousand euros, or one thouseand GBP - thatn to one thousand. If inflation was the only factor a multiple of 16 could be used.

Cote Chalonnaise

Extending southwards from the Cote d'Or is Cote Chalonnaise. The area is dominated by the Mercurey appellation which can produce reasonable reds in a good year particularly from the Premier Cru vineyards that are comparable with many lesser Cote d'Or wines. The Montagny appellation produces primarily white wines (from Chardonnay). Beware being over influenced by the designation Montagny Premier Cm. Premier Cm here means that the alcohol level is a minimum of 11.5 (ie nothing remarkable!)

Maconnaise

South of Chalonnaise is the bigger area of Macon. White wines (Chardonnay) dominate. The classification system seems to be a little loose and the designation Macon-Villages which should relate only to the better wine (from the better villages) seems to now relate to all white wine from the region. The particular sites/producers can be a guide to quality. Macon does not have the status of the Cote d'Or but the soil is limestone/marl and the climate is a little warmer than in the north....conditions that favour Chardonnay. Good Macon white can easily be confused with far more expensive Cote d'Or whites.

Beaujolais

Further south is Beaujolais. Almost all Beaujolais is red and made from the Gamay grape. The region has a hierarchy with the 10 individual Cms at the top followed by Beaujolais-Villages and simply Beaujolais. Beaujolais nouveau is far less important than when introduced in 1958. The Beaujolais region in total produces almost as much wine as the rest of Burgundy combined.

Chablis

To the northwest of the main north-south Burgundy area is Chablis. Although it is geographically nearer the Loire and Champagne it is classified as part of Burgundy. The grape is 100 Chardonnay. The region has Grand Cm Chablis, Premier Cm Chablis, Chablis and Petit Chablis.


Arthur Till has been interested in the fruits of the vine for many years and shares his enthusiasm for wine with others through wine appreciation courses, a wine group and the tours he organizes.

Have an overview to wine in Burgundy, or, if you have thirst for knowledge, unravel Burgundy completely, including details on Beaujolais wines and Chablis wine.

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