Bow to Burgundy, prince of Pinot Noirs By Nancy Ross Ryan
Photo by Laurie Proffitt
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REGAL RED Bow to Burgundy, prince of Pinot Noirs By Nancy Ross Ryan Photo by Laurie Proffitt |
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Say "Burgundy" and bewilderment complication, confusion, and, to use the French term, derangement ensues.
Question: What is Burgundy:
Answer: All of the above. Burgundy is a French province containing the wine region called Burgundy. A once-popular and ubiquitous gallon jug of California red table wine was labeled "hearty burgundy." Burgundy, the wine region, produces some of the world's great long-lived white wines from 100% chardonnay grapes. Beaujolais, lots of it, is produced -- from red gamay grapes -- in the Rhone area of south Burgundy. Chablis (the real, 100% chardonnay Chablis, not the generic California by-the-glass wine) is produced in the northern Chablis region of Burgundy. And burgundy is used as a color descriptor for everything from lipstick and nail polish to sweaters and tights.
But for me, Burgundy has only one meaning: the great red wines, perhaps the world's greatest, made from pinot noir grapes grown in the narrow strip of land in Burgundy called the Cote d'Or. Burgundy defined itself the moment my lips touched a glass of 1998 Domaine Jacques Prieur Beaune Premier Cru Les Greves followed by another of Domaine des Perdrix Echezeaux Grand Cru, 1998. The wines were courtesy of Nadine Gublin, the Burgundian wine maker at Maison Antonin Rodet, who was in Chicago last spring for a tasting of her 1998 vintages. Ms. Gublin is among only 18% of women wine makers in France. "When I began my career in 1979, fewer than 12% of wine makers were women," she says. Ms. Gublin was named Best Wine maker in France in 1997, and also Oenologist of the Year (by the Revue des Vins de France), the first woman to receive this honor in the history of wine.
"In Burgundy behind every wine there is a man or a woman," she says, explaining that the parcels of land are so small, so close to one another, and yet each wine "tastes completely different -- very original, very complex. If you have 60 different persons making wine in Burgundy, you will have 60 different wines." And while in the Cote d'Or region of Burgundy can be found the perfect climate, soil, altitude and exposure for the pinot noir, that is no guarantee of happily ever after.
Like all extraordinary romances, the course of true love never runs smooth. The pinot noir can produce elegantly structured red wines with fresh, floral aromas, beguiling berry flavors and an extraordinary silky texture -- unlike any other red wine in the world. Or, the same grape can produce, at worst, thin, sour, "barnyard"-smelling wine. The grape is sensitive (thin-skinned), delicate (disease prone) and demanding: It requires a long but cool season in which to grow and mature -- exactly the climate found in Burgundy. The greatest Burgundy is produced from small vineyards. How small? About 52,800 acres planted in grapes are farmed by about 10,000 growers. And the greatest of the great are classified Grand Cru and Premier Cru. The Premier Cru wines of Burgundy (both red and white) account for only 10% of total production, and the Grand Cru only 2%.
Needless to say, these Grand and Premier Cru red Burgundies need somewhere between five to 15 years for drinkability, depending on the wine. Not surprisingly, they come to market at a price. Premier Cru Burgundies can be had for between $29 to $55 the bottle, and Grand Cru from $45 to $160 -- and up.
So what is the most prudent approach to red Burgundy that won't break the bank -- or your heart if you get a disappointing bottle? First, learn the names of the respected wine growers, producers and Negociants in Burgundy. If you don't feel research-prone, let your local wine merchant do the talking and recommend reliable labels that deliver consistent quality year after year, no matter what the vicissitudes of the vintage. As Ms. Gublin says, "When the climate disappoints and the harvest is difficult, it is our job to try to do the best. The wine maker must be very careful and attentive at these times and the rules that govern wine making must be even more strict."
Second, there are some eminently drinkable red Burgundies that are AOC classified but not as Grand or Premier Cru, and come at very attractive prices.The two lower classifications are Regional wines and Commune wines. Some regional wines may be labeled just Bourgogne (Burgundy) and can be blends, some can be labeled from a specific region and usually are made of better grapes. The Commune wines are made from grapes from a specific area, and are made following certain regulations about yields and alcohol levels.
Two very nice examples: Bouchard Pere & Fils 1997 Bourgogne Rouge and Bourgogne A. Rodet Pinot Noir de Vieilles Vignes 1998 -- both Regional appellation wines.
But why bother with French Burgundies when the pinot noir grape is now grown in California, Oregon and New York; in Marlborough, New Zealand; and Tuscany and Alto-Adige, Italy? Because although the wines produced in these locations from the pinot noir may be good, the wines are not the same. "It is very difficult to compare wines from the pinot noir grown elsewhere," says Ms. Gublin, "because the climate is not the same and the terroir is completely different. Each region, each country must keep its own personality. Each country must have its own style. For me terroir is the most important."
For me, exploring true French red Burgundy wines is top priority for the rest of this year. And then? Perhaps Chablis and the other great white wines of Burgundy. |
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Domaine de l'Arlot |
LIQUID ASSETS - January 2001