WHITE BURGUNDY
1¾ « k' R ] ] ^ _ ` a White Burgundy
Mark Fagan
WHITE BURGUNDY
© July 1991, Mark G. Fagan
White burgundy is one of the great glories of a region with a long and colourful history. It is, to my mind, the greatest dry white wine in the world. It is generally powerful wine, with a full body and aroma which come from careful attention to the individuality of the vineyard, the grape and the wine.
Burgundy is also a very complex region, with individual holdings smaller than perhaps anywhere else in the world. I have attempted to take information from a number of sources and present the essential information required to make intelligent purchasing decisions for white burgundy. I have placed these in a Windows 3.0 card file for easy reference. Printed out, them make a handy guide to take to your local wine merchant's shop.
Burgundy
Burgundy is a large region, extending from Auxerre in the north, through Dijon and reaching Lyon in the south. Books often include only the heartland, the Côte d'Or, which is roughly the area between Dijon and Chalon-sur-Saône. I have taken the broader view, though, and included Chablis, around Auxerre, and the Côte Challonnaise and the Maconnais in the far south.
These subregions are united by some fundamental similarities. Chardonnay is king in Burgundy and its here that some of the great ones are made. Originating in Burgundy and Champagne, chardonnay is now grown widely through the world. The best from other areas are made in the style of white burgundy, fermented and/or aged in small French oak barrels. The grands crus, such as Corton-Charlemagne or Le Montrachet, are famous throughout the world. Aligoté is popular for its lighter texture and pinot blanc, pinot gris (also known as pinot beurot), melon de bourgogne and sauvignon blanc are also grown, but these varieties are insignificant compared to chardonnay.
The other great characteristic of burgundy is the concentration on bringing out the individual quality of each wine. This of course reaches its highest expression in single vineyard wines, especially those from the premiers and grands crus. The burgundian concept of the"gout de terroir" , or flavour of the earth, can be an almost mystical concept to its extreme exponents.
The concept of terroir, is the fundamental difference between the way the best Burgundy is made and any other wine. It is the unique essence of each vineyard, or even a small part of a vineyard, which has been recognized and enhanced by hundreds of years of experiment. It is a combination of the mineral content of the soil, its physical characteristics (such as drainage), the amount of sun received by the grapes and many other factors.
Choosing the Wine
By far the most important aspect of choosing the wine is the maker. There are two kinds of wineries: those of the négotiants-éleveurs and those of the vignerons or propriétaires-récolants. The négotiants-éleveurs are merchants who buy grapes, must (juice) or finished wine from small growers and then finish them. Historically, the growers could not afford to invest in the cellars and oak barrels which were used to 'elevate' the wine or to inventory them for the number of years that was required to bring them to an age ready for market. Many of the propriétaires-récolants' holdings are too small to produce marketable amounts of wine.
The négotiants-éleveurs, including the village co-operatives, provide an outlet for these smaller growers. They are often growers themselves and the best of them produce wine of exceptional quality. Their chief drawback is that they sometimes blend their wines, mixing different vineyards and even villages, which loses the link between the wine and its origin that is unique to Burgundy. On the other hand, they may make the wine on behalf of an owner. For example, the exceptional Le Montrachet from the Marquis de Laguiche is made by the négotiant Drouhin. One also has to be wary of similar names and labels, such as the propriétaire Domaine Jean Chartron, which uses the same distinctive label as his négotiant house, Chartron et Trebuchet.
It is single variety wine which lets the uniqueness of each place come out. The propriétaires-récolants that bottle their own wines are the usually the truest to this concept. They are can concentrate on bringing out the utmost expression of the terroir using their knowledge of the vineyard and its grapes. A good vigneron can tell you the current condition of every vine in his property. At their peak, they are arguably the best wine makers in the world.
Within a price range, the most important element in choosing a wine is the maker. There are good ones at all price levels. Some wines are extraordinary experiences that are only available at a premium price, while others do not live up to expectations, despite the famous appellation on the bottle. This guide contains suggestions of exceptional and leading producers from each. Their wine should always be good, even if the vintage year may have a poor reputation. The best wine makers can make good wine in almost any year, while the worst never do. A wine from a great vineyard, a great maker and a great vintage can be an experience second to none.
Price
Lesser known appellations can often offer extremely good value for money. St. Véran is relatively new, but already known for wine which can be better than a Mâcon, but with a price lower than a Pouilly-Fuissé. St. Aubin has been described as a lesser Puligny-Montrachet, Pernand-Vergelesses as a baby Corton-Charlemagne. It is important not to confuse the reputations of red burgundies for the whites, though. A red Mercurey sells at a premium for a Côte Challonaise wine, but the white is not as good.
If you can afford it an occasional bottle from a good premier or even grand cru is not only a treat in itself, but can give you a bench mark from which to compare other wines. My first introduction to a fine white burgundy was a 1985 Dubreuil Fontaine Corton-Charlemage. I had never tasted a wine like that and it so impressed me that I immediately went out and bought the last bottle available for $60 as introduction to good wine for my family. I enjoy wine ranging from simple vin de table and up, but mostly buy village-designated wines for everyday. These can be very good and satisfying. It is nice to be able to savour something exceptional every so often, though.
It is often said that burgundy is too expensive, especially by those used to Bordeaux. There is some truth to this, though my experience is that top name wines are about equally expensive (very!). One should probably think of the finest burgundies as more akin to a Sauternes like Chateau Yquem. The problem is the extremely small supply. Burgundy vineyard holdings average one tenth the size of those of Bordeaux. Le Montrachet is only 8 hectares (19.8 acres) in size and produced only 30,000 bottles (2,500 cases) in 1986. The maximum production allowed under the A.C. laws is only 3,900 cases. Even this small piece of land is subdivided. The largest holding, that of the Marquis de Laguiche, is only 2 hectares (4.9 acres)! The 14 owners of Le Montrachet average only .533 hectares (1.32 acres) and the smallest holds only .0542 hectares (.134 acres) and makes only 43 cases at most. There are no economies of scale here. In contrast, Château Haut-Brion in Graves farms 43.71 hectares (108 acres) and produces 12,000 cases. Graves as a whole made 544,000 cases of wine in 1984. So it can be seen that a major Bordeaux appellation is more like the entire Côte de Beaune in size that any of the separate vineyards or appellations. The more exceptional small holdings are often contracted to large négotiants for vinification and marketing. Drouhin makes wine from the properties of the Marquis de Laguiche, while Louis Jadot now has a contract from the Duc de Magenta's domaine.
Spotting Faults
Any bottle of wine should be filled to just below the cork, neither too low a level (ullage) or with the wine pushed up past the cord (a sign of overfilling). If the level is low and there is wine in the neck, then there could be a problem. Overfilling is not in itself a sign of fault, but may indicate a hand-filled bottle, from a small holding.
Ullaged, or leaking, bottles may have become oxidized from air entering. Look for browning of the wine's colour, though exceptionally acidic wines may not be bad. Ullage and oxidation is normal for old bottles. Anything other than a premier or grand cru would probably be no good.
If there are bubbles in the wine this may be a fault. A few burgundies are bottled with some carbon dioxide added in the neck to prevent oxidation and give the wine a livelier taste. If a still wine fizzes after it is opened it is a sign of secondary fermentation in the bottle. This is caused by leaving the residual yeast alive to continue converting the remaining sugar to alcohol. This wine is ruined.
Cloudy white wine has either bacterial or chemical faults and should not be drunk. Deposits or floating particles are not as serious, especially in burgundy where many wine makers follow old methods and do not filter or otherwise treat the wine.
Organization of the Card File
The cards are arranged mostly by region within Burgundy: Yonne, Chablis (CHAB), Côte de Nuits (CDN), Côte de Beane (CDB), Côte Chalonnaise (CHAL) and Mâcon (MAC). Within each region their are listed alphabetically by village/commune or appellation. A village may be subdivided between grands and/or premiers cru vineyards and leading producers. Some exeptional producers are listed separately, along with their wines from different appellations.
There are other entries for vintages, recommended serving (bottle) age, price range, etc.
Enjoy!
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