Burgundy Wine & Food

WINE INFORMATION
Region: Côte d'Or
Explore: Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits
AOC Distinctions: Grand Cru, Premier Cru, Village, and Regional appellations
Grape Varieties: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

Pinot Noir (red):
• Multifaceted, totally magical with fragrance, finesse, and complexity. Big, round, and masculine in the Côte de Nuits, more elegant, delicate, and feminine in the Côte de Beaune. 
• Taste soft summer fruits: raspberries, strawberries, cherries, mulberries and currants. Tannins that mellow with age. 
• Noteworthy towns and vineyards: 
o Vosne-Romanée: Romanée-Conti, La Tâche, Richebourg, Romanée-Saint-Vivant
o Gevry-Chambertin: Chambertin, Clos de Bèze, Charmes-Chambertin 
o Chambolle Musigny: Musigny, Bonnes Mares
o Vougeot: Clos de Vougeot, Grands Échezeaux

Chardonnay (white): 
o Stylish, rich, round and mouth watering. 
o Taste opulent peach, butter, honey, lemon, white flowers and oak.
o Noteworthy towns and vineyards: 
 Chassagne-Montrachet: La Romanée, Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet 
 Chassagne/Puligny-Montrachet: Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet, Morgeot
 Meursault: Genevrières Les Perrières, Les Charmes 
 Aloxe-Corton: Corton-Charlemagne, Corton 
 
Côte de Beaune
The Côte de Beaune is the more southerly part of the Côte d'Or. The northernmost tip abuts onto the Côte de Nuits, and the region extends south to the Côte Chalonnaise. The geology is more variable than that of the Côte de Nuits. The region sits on a combination of Callovian, Argovian and Rauracian limestones, with much intervening marlstone. Obviously, the climate is the same as for the Côte de Nuits - continental, with a wide annual temperature difference. Spring rains and frost, and autumn rains, which may interfere with the harvest, can also be a problem here. The vineyards face south-east on the slope between the plain to the south-east, and the hills to the north-west, the easterly aspect aiding exposure to the sun.

Pernand-Vergelesses can be a source of some good value Burgundy, but no great wines. Nearby, however, we start to see some of the more serious wines of the Côte de Beaune at Aloxe-Corton. The wines of this village, as well as a number of other villages nearby, are red as well as white. Red Corton should be a muscular, savory wine, whereas the white is a rich, intense, buttery drink. Beaune, Savigny-les-Beaune and Chorey-les-Beaune are all best known for their red wines. The wines produced here are well fruited, tasty, sometimes quite elegant affairs, although they are somewhat lighter (and less expensive) when from the latter two villages.
Pommard can make wonderful red Burgundy, well structured and meaty, whereas Volnay is better known for its heady, perfumed and delicately textured wines.
Towards the southern end of the Côte de Beaune, however, are the Côte d'Or's most famous white wine villages. Meursault produces rich, complex, intense yet elegant wines, but it is Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet that lead the pack. The former bears a wonderful combination of richness with mineral complexities, the latter are sometimes broader and more open, although both are lovely, and words cannot really do them justice. Nearby are the villages of St-Romain, St-Aubin, Santenay and Auxey-Duresses. All are responsible for some value Burgundy.
 
The appellations of the Côte de Beaune are as follows:
Grands Crus: As with the Côte de Nuits, such wines are not required to bear the village name. The Grands Crus are as follows:
Aloxe-Corton: Corton (the largest Grand Cru in Burgundy, with a number of subdivisions, eg Corton-Bressandes), Corton-Charlemagne.
Puligny-Montrachet: Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet.
Chassagne-Montrachet: Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet, Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet.

As with the Côte de Nuits, some vineyards lie in more than one village. Here, the Grands Crus Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet lie in both Puligny and Chassagne-Montrachet. Most villages of the Côte de Beaune have no Grands Crus.
Premiers Crus: As with the Côte de Nuits, these are too numerous to name. As with Chablis and the Côtes de Nuits, a wine blended from several such sites will be labelled as Premier Cru, whereas a wine from an individual vineyard will bear the vineyard name, eg Pommard Premier Cru Les Petits Epenots.
Village Wines: The villages of the Côte de Beaune are Ladoix, Pernand-Vergelesses, Aloxe-Corton, Savigny-lès-Beaune, Chorey-lès-Beaune, Beaune, Pommard, Volnay, Monthelie, St-Romain, Auxey-Duresses, Meursault, Blagny, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, St-Aubin and Santenay. Blagny is a small hamlet close to the Premier Cru vineyards of Meursault.

Sub-Village Appellations: These include Côte de Beaune Villages (may be applied to declassified wine from fourteen villages of the Côte de Beaune not including Aloxe-Corton, Beaune, Volnay or Pommard), Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits (applies to a large number of communes to the west of the Côte d'Or), and basic Bourgogne. There is also the confusing appellation Côte de Beaune, which refers to wines from the commune of Beaune not deemed worthy of the appellation Beaune.

The Côte d'Or - top wine estates and producers include; Domaine d'Arlot, Simon Bize, Robert Chevillon, Bruno Clair, Michel Colin-Deléger, Drouhin, René Engel, Faiveley, Jacques Gagnard-Delagrange, Jean-Marc Blain-Gagnard, Richard Fontaine-Gagnard, Jean Grivot, Hudelot-Noëllat, Jadot, Jaffelin, Henri Jayer, Leroy, Méo-Camuzet, Albert Morot, Daniel Rion, Domaine des Perdrix, and Etienne Sauzet. There are, obviously, many, many more producers of interest, but there are simply too many to include here.

Côte de Nuits
The Côte d'Or is divided into two main viticultural regions, the Côte de Nuits being the more northerly of the two. The northernmost tip lies just south of Dijon, and the region extends down to the Côte de Beaune, onto which it abuts. Named after the town of Nuits-St-Georges, it is most widely renowned for its red wines, although there are a few worthy white wines made here also. Geologically, the region sits on a combination of Bajocian, Bathonian, Callovian and Argovian limestones, with some Liassic marlstone. The climate is continental, with a wide annual temperature difference. Spring rains and frost can be a problem, as can autumn rain, which may interfere with the harvest. This is true for the whole Côte d'Or. The vineyards lie on the slope between the plain to the east, and the hills to the west. Soils on the plain, to the east of the N74 (not illustrated), are too fertile for quality wine, and on the hills it is too sparse. The easterly aspect also aids exposure to the sun.

The most northerly village of note is Marsannay, an up and coming wine region for the production of value Burgundy. Next is Fixin, a village which can produce some good value wines, although they never achieve greatness.

Further south come the villages of the Côte de Nuits that produce some of the great wines of Burgundy. Firstly, Gevrey-Chambertin, which impresses with the combination of its muscular, weighty attitude and paradoxical perfumed edge. Morey-St-Denis is a meaty, intense wine which can be superb, but like many of these famous names overcropping and poor vinification techniques can result in some very weak wines. Chambolle-Musigny may be marked by a wonderful, floral, fragrant bouquet, whereas at Vougeot we have an unusual situation. Much of the wine is classified as Grand Cru as it lies within the walled vineyard of the Clos de Vougeot, but only a small part of this wine is truly of Grand Cru quality. At best it can be a tasty, full-bodied, richly fruited wine, although it is not one of the great Grands Crus.

Flagey-Echézeaux is unusual as it lies to the east of all the other vineyards. The wines can be quite fine. Next is Vosne-Romaneé, a fine set of vineyards which can produce some superb wines. Vosne-Romaneé can have a rich, creamy, sensuous texture, even in the village wines from a good producer. Other than Nuits-St-Georges, there are no other villages of huge significance.

The appellations of the Côte de Nuits are as follows:
Grands Crus: Such wines are not required to bear the village name. Thus wines produced, for example, from the Grand Cru Chambertin Clos de Bèze would not include the village name of Gevrey-Chambertin, where it is situated. These are as follows:
Gevrey-Chambertin: Chambertin, Chambertin Clos de Bèze, Charmes-Chambertin, Chapelle-Chambertin, Griotte- Chambertin, Latricières-Chambertin, Mazis-Chambertin, Ruchottes-Chambertin.
Morey-St-Denis: Bonnes Mares, Clos Saint-Denis, Clos de Tart, Clos de la Roche, Clos des Lambrays.
Chambolle-Musigny: Musigny, Bonnes Mares.
Vougeot: Clos de Vougeot.
Vosne-Romanée: La Romanée, La Tâche, Richebourg, Romanée-Conti, Romanée-St-Vivant, La Grande Rue.
Flagey-Echézeaux: Grands-Echézeaux, Echézeaux.
The Grand Cru Bonnes Mares straddles the villages of Morey-St-Denis and Chambole-Musigny. Nuits-St-Georges has no Grands Crus.
Premiers Crus: These are too numerous to name here. As with Chablis, a wine blended from several such sites will be labeled as Premier Cru, whereas a wine from an individual vineyard will bear the vineyard name, eg. Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Clos Saint-Jacques.
Village Wines: The villages of the Côte de Nuits are Marsannay (La-Côte), Fixin, Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St-Denis, Chambolle Musigny, Vougeot (although anything other than Grand Cru Clos de Vougeot is rare), Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-St-Georges. Village wines from Flagey-Echézeaux are sold under the Vosne-Romanée appellation.

Sub-Village Appellations: These include Côte de Nuits Villages (may be applied to wine from Corgoloin, Comblanchien, Prémeaux, Brochon, and declassified wine from Fixin), Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits (applies to a large number of communes to the west of the Côte d'Or), and basic Bourgogne.
Outstanding Vintages: 
• reds: 1996, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1985, 1978, 1971
• whites: 1997, 1996, 1995, 1992, 1990, 1989, 1985, 1978, 1971
Price Range: $7.00-$10,000+ per bottle

OH LA LA, ARE YOU READY TO EAT?
In Burgundy-the birthplace of the written menu- food and drink are primary. You will have time to sample it all. Start with a regional apératif: a kir or kir royal (aligoté or crémant with crème de cassis). Your palate is now ready for oeufs en meurette, escargot, jambon persillé, or foie gras. Next up: the famous boeuf bourguignon, coq au vin, sandre, canard, lapin, or andouillette. You'll find room for the chevre, époisses, bleu de Bresse, and the fabulous Citeaux cheeses. Dessert choices include crème brulée, poached pear, or pain d'épices. Don't miss the region's marc de Bourgogne or an aged Armanagnac digestif. Sweet dreams and bonne nuit!