The wine region of France which has the most appellations. With 84 AOCs, the vineyard extends over five sub-regions of production, including Chablisien-Auxerois in the Yonne, Mâconnais and Côte Chalonaise in Saône-et-Loire, and Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits in Côte-d'Or. The Burgundy 1er Crus and Grands Crus are legendary wines that are very popular with connoisseurs! Burgundy produces mainly white wines from the Chardonnay and Aligoté grape varieties, which give off buttery and nutty aromas. The red wines made from Pinot Noir and Gamay varieties are powerful and gourmet wines with red fruit aromas and a low alcohol content. Focus on THE gastronomic region par excellence.
THE SECRET OF GRANDS CRUS
The semi-continental and northern climate presents some variations due to the extent of the vineyards. That is to say, the Mediterranean influence is noticeable as far as the Côte de Beaune, whereas to the north of Dijon, the Burgundy threshold fixing the division of water between the Saône and the Seine, the relief and the altitude modify the climatic characteristics. It is mainly a hillside vineyard: the best exposures are to the east and south. The altitude varies between 150 metres in the valleys of the Serein and the Yonne to 400 metres and more in the Hautes Côtes de Beaune and in Saône-et-Loire. As for the rivers near the vineyards, they constitute a favourable thermal "buffer" in a soil where the mother rock is limestone.
Geologists agree that the Grands Crus of the Côte d'Or have certain points in common: a sloping exposure, a chalky soil and a stony terrain, as their names often indicate (the Cras, the Caillerets), where the small stones have the advantage of reverberating the heat well and not storing water when it rains.
The Grands Crus of Romanée-Conti are indeed the most expensive wines in the world. This red wine is a summary of the Pinot Noir palette: suppleness, richness, finesse, power and elegance. It must be said that the production methods are extremely rigorous: the vines produce only 20 hectolitres per hectare on average, i.e. three bunches per vine!
THE MAIN APPELLATIONS
HAUTE CÔTE DE NUITS
CÔTE CHALONNAISE
CHABLISIENS
THE HISTORY OF BURGUNDY WINE IN A FEW DATES
Wine spread in Gaul with the Roman invasions from 125 BC. First planted in Provence and near Narbonne, the vine gradually spread northwards. The history of wine in Burgundy can be summarised in a few dates:
312 marks the first written evidence of the presence of vines near the town of Beaune: the inhabitants of Autun sent a letter to the emperor Constantine complaining about the poor state of the vines and asking for a reduction in taxes.
In 630, the Duke of Burgundy gave the Abbey of Bèze a vast estate in Gevrey-Chambertin, better known today as the Clos de Bèze, which remained unchanged at the time. This was the beginning of the adventure of the monk-winegrowers who were to delimit the future Grands Crus of the Côte.
Although the quality of Burgundy wines owes much to the monks, they were not the only defenders: in the 14th and 15th centuries, the Dukes of Burgundy - who called themselves "Lords of the best wines of Christianity" - also watched over one of the finest jewels of their state, to the point of trying to ban the Gamay grape variety, which was considered "bad" and "disloyal". In 1395, an edict from Philippe le Hardi ordered the uprooting of Gamay in favour of Pinot Noir, which was considered finer. This established the notion of quality wine in Burgundy. From that time on, the pontifical court in Avignon enjoyed the wines of Beaune... and later, the court in Versailles was no less passionate: Louis XVI thanked God for introducing him to the wines of Romanée and Madame de Pompadour tried unsuccessfully to become the owner of the same wine. In short, few wines still enjoy such extraordinary prestige.
In 1790, with the revolution and the separation of the clergy and the State, the abbeys' vineyards were sold as national property. Clos Vougeot, Clos de Tart, Romanée Saint-Vivant: the jewels of Burgundy were bought by the local and Parisian bourgeoisie.
Between 1880 and 1890, phylloxera unfortunately arrived in Burgundy. All the vines had to be uprooted and replanted with an American rootstock. In 1944, the last diseased vine, that of Romanée-Conti, was uprooted.
But very quickly the reputation of Burgundy wines took over: in 1851, the first auction of the wines of the Hospices de Beaune and the first classification of Côte d'Or wines in 1861 marked this revival. The first appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) dates from 1936.
SHALL WE TASTE?
Eight grape varieties are authorised for the Burgundy appellations: Aligoté, Gamay, Pinot Beurot, Melon, Sauvignon Blanc and César, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Only the last two are both the most noble and the most widespread. The fragmentation of Burgundy makes its wine production unpredictable: the range of Burgundy wines is very wide, from the beginning of the range to the fine wines that will be opened at maturity. Grands Crus are wines to be drunk with refined dishes.
For the whites: Chardonnay is a white grape variety that is very easy to grow. It has been successfully planted in many countries, but its favourite soil is marly and fairly clayey. Its qualities: it is vigorous, productive and ages well in oak barrels. On chalky soils like in Burgundy, it gives pure, fine and intense aromas. Wait 10 years before opening a Grand Cru, while a Petit Chardonnay can be enjoyed much more regularly, chilled as an aperitif. A Grand Cru such as a Puligny-Montrachet is best served with lobster tail, fish with sauce or cheese with character.
For the reds: Pinot Noir is a white juice grape variety with extremely complex aromas. It is the typical grape variety of Burgundy and is only good at low yields: fruity aromas (blackcurrant, cherry) when it is very young and fine (wild strawberry), it also gives off more rural aromas (hay, mushroom). A red Grand Cru can be kept for up to 15 years. Grands Crus are fine wines with aromas that evolve on the palate as they are tasted. They are best served with meat with sauce, game and why not with grilled fish.
CHOOSING A GLASS
For reds, choose a balloon to capture the particularly delicate aromas of Pinot Noir. Be aware that this grape variety has fragile colour and aromas: an old Burgundy is much more sensitive to oxidation than a Bordeaux. If you decant it, you risk obtaining a wine that is cloudy and off. Finally, it should be served between 14 and 16°.
For whites, choose a narrower glass to bring out the acidity. Drink at an ideal temperature of 12° (not less, otherwise the aromas are masked by the richness).
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