What follows in the coming reports and pictures is exactly what is includes in my previous blog http://wineworld.spaces.live.com/
The idea of bringing the reports to new space is mainly to keep the information in only one place.
I have not done any changes to the original posts, because I believe that every experience has its particular moment.
Perhaps, today I would have other opinion on some issues, but what I reproduce here belongs to that time.
In this Part 15, I report my experience in Bourgogne, on October 2007.
Please, click on the photos to see the slide show and double click to go Picasa and see the map location.
I ALREADY MISS IT
When I left Avignon, I headed for scariest part of my whole travel: the end of it.
The only thing I knew about the last part of this journey was that I wanted enjoy it, make the most of this unique opportunity. So, I took it easy and let things flow naturally.
Burgundy is another important wine region in France and producer of distinctive wines, I knew how significant this place could be to me and, the.JPG)
feeling of expectation before visiting it was a special thrill in the very end of my "round the wine world" trip.
MATTER OF FACT
Some information about the Burgundy is necessary to understand the dimension of it. The ones that follow were extracted from a "map-and-guide" of the region organized by Bourgognes - Bureau Interprofessionel des Vins de Bourgogne.
The Burgundy wines:
The vineyards lie in the north-eastern France, two hours from Paris and one hour from Lyon along the main route linking northern Europe to the Mediterranean. This is the most northern wine-growing region for the production of quality red wines and its semi-continental climate enables it to produce excellent whites as well.
There are 27000 hectares of vineyards in production, spread across three departments (Yonne, Côte d'Or, Saône-et-Loire) and divided into five wine regions. Bourgogne is only the fourth largest of France's AOC's in terms of area, but it is ranked first based on the number, variety and quality of its appellations.
There are four appellation categories:
a) Regional: 24 appellations - 53% of total production. Wines produced within the area if wine-growing Burgundy.
b) Communal or "village": 44 appellations - 35% of total production. Wines produced within the vineyard-area of individual named villages.
c) Premier Cru: 562 "climat" (named plots) - 10% of total production. Wines produced in precisely delimited and named plots within a given village.
d) Gran Cru: 33 appellations - 2% of total production. Wines produced in the favoured plots of certain villages.
5 wine-growing regions:
1) Chablis;
2) Côte de Nuits;
3) Côte de Beaune;
4) Côte de Chalonnaise;
5) Mâconnais.
A particular region:
Burgundy's southernmost wine region, the huge Beaujolais area, is devoted to the red grape Gamay. The region is often regarded as distinct form Burgundy in wine in terms as its soil and grape variety, and therefore its wines, are different from those found elsewhere in the region.
Millions of bottles:
Soils and growing conditions in Burgundy vary hugely from place to place. There are, as a consequence, no fewer that 101 distinct appellations. The "control" takes the form of very strict criteria which the wines must meet in order to qualify for their appellation.
This exceptional diversity is one of Burgundy's greatest treasures and the basis for its ongoing to uniqueness.
Burgundy's annual production amounts to 1.5 million hectoliters, or 200 million bottles.
Grape varieties:
a) Chardonnay: white wines, 45% of total plantings;
b) Pinot Noir: red wines, 35%;
c) Aligoté: white wines, 5%;
d) Gamay: red wines, 11%;
e) Others: 4%.
Some other important factors
Geologically, all parts of Burgundy derive from what was once a Jurassic sea-bed. But since then, faults, upheavals and erosion have created a very different landscape. As a result, the vineyards of Burgundy are divided and sub-divided to reflect variations in the nature of the soil, which can change significantly in a matter of yards. Some wine-growing plots, accordingly, are very small.
Bourgogne special skill lies in respect for the grape varieties which most fully express the richness and diversity of her soils. From the matching of soil to grape, the white wines derive their minerality and their notes of white or yellow fruits, and the reds spicy qualities with a hint of the earth. So here, unlike other wine-growing French regions, wines are made without blending or mixing of different grapes.
WINE CAPITAL
Beforehand I booked train ticket and accommodation in Beaune, which is known as the "wine's capital" in Burgundy.
As I was in the end of the voyage, I decided to treat myself to luxury and comfort, such as taking taxi (occasionally), staying in hotels (when hostels were not available) and eating in restaurants (when the local cuisine where a matter of study).
My only concern was to respect my limited budged what I managed to do using my skills as a former accountant - I knew my university degree was not in vain!
I arrived in town late morning of a cloudy day and accommodated myself in a low-cost hotel, not bad - I must say, and after leaving my luggage - that has being mysteriously increasing the weight while traveling; I went to my usual source of information: local tourism office.
I took long time to decided and choose among possibilities available what to do. The next day was of the one chosen to do all that I wanted. On my arrival day, I walked around and explored the town, not difficult to do so for the size of the place.
Beaune is a charming walled town, crammed with churches, wine shops, restaurants and tranquil squares. It is flanked to the west by slopes studded with substantial vineyards, many of premier cru status. They are little known since there are few independent producers and most of the wine is sold by the town's merchant houses.
I waked up early morning next day, a cold 10th of October, had breakfast and started what promised to be a very busy day.
My first pop in was Hospices de Beaune and Hôtel-Dieu, a must-to-visit place in the region. The place holds the famous annual charity wine auction, as part of a 3-day festival.
The former hospital played and important role when it was founded in 1443 as charitable sanatorium to look after the sick population that was dying of famine and disease.
It was developed to be a pleasant and beautiful place, where people where treated in the best way possible. Its building was an inspiration for the unique design with colorful toile roof, which was copied all around Burgundy and it is the style that the region is recognized for.
The hospice's charitable activities are financed by the profits from the 58ha of vineyards with which it has been endowed over centuries. Long time ago, aiming to rise founds, the hospice started the wine auction and began a tradition.
It stopped its hospital activities a little longer than 30 years ago, however it is even now a reference as aid organization, architecture and, the wine auction is still happening, year after year, always in November.
As I didn't have time enough to wait for the auction, neither funds, I left the place to my next visit.
Reine Pédauque* was the place I started to learn a little more about local wines. It was founded in 1681 and has the activities defined as négociant-éleveur**.
It buys the grapes and works "hand in hand" with growers. Their cellar master is alongside with the growers responsible for inspecting all of the vineyards, monitoring the cultivation of the vines, making technical decisions. Together they agree on the ideal date to harvests the parcels and pick the grapes at their ripest.
* The second buyer in volume and in value at the auction of the Hospices de Beaune is REINE PEDAUQUE.
**This sort of business selects and buys wines in bulk, care for them during the aging process (known as élevage), and when they are ready, bottles them and offers them for sale. Burgundy's négociants can offer a wide selection of wines from the many appellations Burgundy produces. Many also have vineyards of their own.
The Reine Pédauque label covers more than 100 appellations, 80% of those are in Burgundy, from Grand Crus to regional appellations, from Chablis to Beaujolais.
It is located in the heart of Beaune, in the ancient cellar, proclaimed by the company as the 'oldest public cellar in the world', which welcomes visitors since 1949.
In their cellar, where the tour is hold, some ancient bottles are stored, such as the Clos de Vougeot 1934 that is available for sale at the price of 1000. For wines antique as this, I learnt that the cork is replaced every 15 years, when it usually has its lifetime deceased. However, the majority of wines sold there is younger and has prices more modest:
AOC Regionales 9€ (white and red);
AOC Villages 12,50€ - 26€ (whites) and 13,50€ - 39€ (reds);
AOC 1er Cru 16€ - 42€ (whites) and 22€ - 46€ (reds);
AOC Gran Cru 55€ - 99€ (whites) and 79€ - 280€ (reds).
Unfortunately I didn't have the chance to taste wines older than me: all tastes were from 2005 vintage. Among the wines sampled I had some red:
Clos des Guetottes, Savigny-les-Beaune;
Clos du Roi 1er Cru;
Les Paulands, Aloxe-Corton;
and white ones:
Montagny 1er Cru;
Les Pellans, Mersault.
The last mentioned was my favorite. It was a rich, delightful white, that doesn't have the grade of 1er nor gran cru, but is a great wine.
It comes from the large village of Mersault that is renowned by its sumptuous white wines. There is no gran cru there, but Mersault does have some exceptional premier crus.
Close to midday I left the establishment planning to have a traditional lunch. So I did.
I traced a restaurant in a tourist guide, aiming for a reasonable priced "set menu".
The food was deliciously simple and, it was matched with a red Burgundy - of course. The service was good as well but, very slow and, in consequence, I was late to my next appointment.
The event scheduled was a 3-hours-wine-tasting at Vin Sensation the day before.
Late 15 minutes, I joined an American couple and the French wine expert in a large "tasting table".
We were briefly introduced to Burgundian classification that dates back to 1935 and the region particularities.
It was best explained at my "wine bible" Wines of the World:
"The vineyards of Burgundy lie mostly in a narrow strip running south from Chablis to the Suburbs of Lyon. Over the years they have been placed in a hierarchy, beginning with those that produce simple Bourgogne wines from the most basic soils, ascending to village sites whose wines bear the names of the many villages or communes, and continuing to the premiers and grand crus that invariably deliver Burgundy's finest, most long-lived wines.
It is not always easy to see why one vineyard should be designed grand cru while its neighbor may be a mere village, but these distinctions have stood the test of time. It comes down to terroir, a somewhat baffling combination of soil type, microclimate, exposure, susceptibility to frost, and countless other factors, each of which affects the performance of any given patch of earth. ... Burgundian estates tend to be small (just 5 to 15ha) and fragmented. Most producers vinify and sell wines from a dozen or more appellations. Some of the largest vineyard holdings are in the hands of négociants."
In these details viticulture in Burgundy is complicated. Furthermore, its wine's label rules are a brainteaser. For example:
• a 1er Cru is identified by its village followed by the plot's name (climat), as in Beaune Les Cras;
• on a Grand Cru label there is no mention of the village where the field is located. This is because the plot itself, no matter how small, is said to have its own, unique terroir. The village characteristics are no longer important - the grand cru field has its own personality, as in Charmes-Chambertin.
So, to decode the label you have to know a little of the AOCs geography.
The explanation was followed by an interesting way to taste the 12 wines presented: we first tasted, analyzed, commented, guessed their identity and after all had the wines revealed:
White
Poully-Fuissé, Clos Reissier, 2005
Marsannay, Jean-claude Basset, 2005
Chateau du Val de Mercy, 1er Cru, 2003
Santenay, Beaurepaire, 1er Cru, 2004
Mersault, Monthelie- Douhairet Porcheret, 2004
Puligny-Montrachet, Louis Jadot, 2002 (a very good year for Burgundians)
Red
Bourgogne, Nicolas Potel, 2005
Volnay, Nicolas Potel, 2004
Monthelie 1er Cru, Douhairet Porcheret 2004
Domaine Chanzy Mercurey, Clos du Roy, 1er Cru, 2004
Pernand-Vergelesses, Louis Jadot, 1999
Nuits-St-Georges, Forey Père et Fils, 2001.
The American couple was very keen on wine and showed good knowledge, what in addition to my enthusiasm made the French wine connoisseur put her nose a little down.
White wines represent 63% of Burgundy production (the great majority from Macon and Chablis), and among the merely 6 samples we tasted, my favorite white was, once again, a wine from Mersault. This version had some nut and truffle aromas and toasty bread on the palate; it had good acidity and was well balanced.
For red wines, the one that impressed me the most was the Nuits-St-George, which was spicy, earthy and had a trace of acidity, well balanced tannin and good structure. The finding made me happy, because I was exactly heading to there the next day.
Well, the day after was still far away and, subsequent to the guided wine tasting I went to the local wine museum, that displays many bits and pieces, tells facts related to the native wine trade and is located in a gorgeous building.
My day was not finished yet, after that and I took advantage of having a ticket discount to an Art Gallery and visited it and appreciated some paintings created by Beaune born artists and others.
That Wednesday's end was far away, however the sun was going down and, for safety measure, I decided to go back to the hotel. Because, as far as a solo backpacker is concerned, one has to be awake even in small towns, especially when one's hotel is out of the town centre and it is necessary to walk alone through a desert street.
Though, on my way to my accommodation, I stop at the local supermarket to buy my provisions for diner and next morning breakfast, since a traveler in my style is allowed to one "restaurant meal" a day.
CHARMED LITTLE VILLAGE
11th of October, late morning, I arrived to - what will be reveled as - my favorite place in Burgundy: Nuits-St-George.
The "Wines of the World" book mentions to be and anomaly that this famous village has no grands crus, and adds that possibly because its parsimonious growers back in the 1930s were reluctant to pay the higher taxes due from such sites.
There I felt like in the "Champs Èlyssés of Burgundy", as the area is usually cited.
This reference is easy to understand when you learn a little about the region's vineyard.
The Côte de Nuits
The vineyards of Côte de Nuits begin just south of Dijon, rising from the plains and continue in a sweep of vines until a few miles south of Nuits-St-George. There the vineyards continue, but the name changes to Côte de Beaune.
The Côte de Nuits consists of a narrow strip of land 20 km long, but only 2 to 3 hundred meters wide. Altitude varies from 230 to 300 m. Names famous for the quality of their wines are packed into a space of a few kilometers. All of Bourgogne's Grand Cru red wines (except Corton) come from this district. In the geology of it lies the explanation of its special aptitude for red wines. They grow on Middle-Jurassic limestone.
The Côte de Nuits is situated in a northerly position. The influence of a continental-type climate, the perfect adaptation of the grape varieties to local soil, good light and long hours of sunshine explain the presence of this high-quality vineyard.
I would say that it doesn't seem that the village of Nuits-St-George is surrounded by vineyards, it is more likely that the vineyards have a village in the middle.
I didn't waste time. Just after arriving in the village, I left my stuff in a hotel and I went straight to the tourism bureau and then, lost myself into the vineyards, literally.
The day was gorgeous, and the view was amazing. I walked up the slopes that face the little town, overlooking the vines that had the autumn colors showing off.
It was easy to found my way in, however to find it out was tricky or perhaps, I didn't want to do so.
Back in the village centre, after loads of pictures taken and a quick bite for lunch, I completed my day with visits, which I chose considering the tourist information, what can be very touristy, of course, but it is very convenient as well, because the best wineries to visit are the ones that welcome visits, obviously.
In a region that everyone is very hands on job, the visits will take place at the establishments that have structure to do it, as far as it doesn't interrupt what matter the most: wine making.
Firstly, I visited Caves Moillard-Grivot. It was founded by Symphorien Moillard and his wife Marguerite Grivot in 1850. Nowadays, their descendants manage the family property and their huge wine-cellars which cover an underground area of fourteen thousand square meters in the village.
The maison is also known as "The House of Mosaics", as reference to the beauty of the magnificent mosaic created to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the establishment. It is an eye-catching work that surrounds the top of the building.
The visit is all self-guided, however the staff welcome you and make you feel comfortable to explore the place and discover the wines.
All we have to do is to follow the instructions placed on the wall that guides you all the way through the old cave.
Downstairs, I felt like long-ago. The bottles full of dust and the barrels united by spider web gave a historical look to the depot. It was a spooky atmosphere, dark and humid with treasures resting in bottles and waiting the right moment to come alive again.
I don't believe that any sort of creepy method is used to produce wine here; however the maison has some unorthodox procedures for a range of its wines, such as the use of "lunar-organic cultivation", which is based on the idea of "respect for the environment and organic cycles".
This sort of winemaking, called in French "agriculture biologique" is a common practice and not just a fashion. It is taken seriously by many French winemakers and it is part of a whole process and tradition, in result most of the wines produced using this approach don't have any particular information stated in the label regarding organic, nor biodynamic, neither lunar techniques.
The wine from this range is actually from Côte de Beaune: Pommard-Épenots, 1er Cru, 2005 (a very good year all around France), 30,50€. It was deep in color, had some acidity and was very well balanced. Even thought it was a delight to taste, the wine can be kept for about 3 years more to show all of its potential - if you can wait.
Côte d'Or was well represented among the wines available for tasting, part of them from Côte de Beuane and other part from Côte de Nuits. The price range was between 11€ and 30,50€. The similarity of the best samples of them was the good potential for ageing. How I whish I had no weight limit on my luggage...
My next visit was like treasure hunting. To visit Dufouleur Père & Fils I entered in the yard of the establishment and had to explore on my own the place until I found a bell to ring calling for assistance, which came from the underground. A staff member invited me to join a tasting was being held in the cave, so I did.
A French couple was there, already busy trying the wines that the cellar door assistant poured one after another. I also tasted the 6 wines available and made some enquires, however, when it was clear that I wasn’t the potential buyer in the group, the assistant lost interest on me. Never mind, thus I could taste the samples in my own peace.
Dufouleur Père & Fils has tradition in the wine business. To illustrate it, on the room’s wall there is an old-fashioned advertisement poster from the time that they were the “supplier of exclusively reserved wines for the Emperor Napoléon 1st“.
They have great wines, one of them is Fixin 1er Cru Clos du Chapitre 2000, 22.50€, that had a lovely complexity and good balance.
The Clos du Chapitre is one of the five “premier cru” of the Fixin appellation, located at North of Côte de Nuits.
This is a monopole* and leading wine from Domaine Guy Dufouleur, its owner since 1995, when the domaine started a great deal of time and energy to improve the overall quality.
I would say that they achieved it, the wine is a great value for money and good investment.
* Monopole is term used for a vineyard completed owned by one individual or organization.
Another great value for money, in other range of wine, is from de the Côte Chalonnaise: Rully 2005, 12,50€. It is an 8- month-oak-aged wine, complex, with some minerality and flower notes.
I didn't buy any bottle, as the winery assistant quietly guessed, mainly for practical reasons. Although my wine tour was ending I still had some time of travel. I had to be rational, considering that my luggage was accommodated on my back.
It was a very special day that ended an important part of my trip, which was the greatest in my life, so far. Therefore, I had to celebrate.
To finish it in style, I had a traditional meal in the hotel restaurant, paired with an Aligoté. It was the first time I drank one, nevertheless, I don't think I have been missing much, as the wine is very ordinary. Any case, the food was homely good.
That evening, I went to bed reflecting upon my day, my trip and my future. As the future is uncertain, I decided to concentrate my thought of what was happening at that moment and I had been through recently and then, felt asleep happy.
After I left that pretty town, I still had some time left to explore other places before heading back to Brazil - I chose to visit Dijon and Lyon for many reasons, none of them directly related to wine. Then again, I practiced tasting it there.
Wine is still very important in my life and, it is the reason why I made many choices. To study, learn and understand the fascinating means of it, are my aspiration.
My "round the wine world trip" has finished, but the passion for the subject has no time to end. It is a long term relationship.
I would like to thank everyone that somehow shared this experience and, helped me to have the time of my life.
Cheers,
Marcia Amaral
The idea of bringing the reports to new space is mainly to keep the information in only one place.
I have not done any changes to the original posts, because I believe that every experience has its particular moment.
Perhaps, today I would have other opinion on some issues, but what I reproduce here belongs to that time.
In this Part 15, I report my experience in Bourgogne, on October 2007.
Please, click on the photos to see the slide show and double click to go Picasa and see the map location.
I ALREADY MISS IT
When I left Avignon, I headed for scariest part of my whole travel: the end of it.
The only thing I knew about the last part of this journey was that I wanted enjoy it, make the most of this unique opportunity. So, I took it easy and let things flow naturally.
Burgundy is another important wine region in France and producer of distinctive wines, I knew how significant this place could be to me and, the
.JPG)
feeling of expectation before visiting it was a special thrill in the very end of my "round the wine world" trip.MATTER OF FACT
Some information about the Burgundy is necessary to understand the dimension of it. The ones that follow were extracted from a "map-and-guide" of the region organized by Bourgognes - Bureau Interprofessionel des Vins de Bourgogne.
The Burgundy wines:
The vineyards lie in the north-eastern France, two hours from Paris and one hour from Lyon along the main route linking northern Europe to the Mediterranean. This is the most northern wine-growing region for the production of quality red wines and its semi-continental climate enables it to produce excellent whites as well.
There are 27000 hectares of vineyards in production, spread across three departments (Yonne, Côte d'Or, Saône-et-Loire) and divided into five wine regions. Bourgogne is only the fourth largest of France's AOC's in terms of area, but it is ranked first based on the number, variety and quality of its appellations.
There are four appellation categories:
a) Regional: 24 appellations - 53% of total production. Wines produced within the area if wine-growing Burgundy.
b) Communal or "village": 44 appellations - 35% of total production. Wines produced within the vineyard-area of individual named villages.
c) Premier Cru: 562 "climat" (named plots) - 10% of total production. Wines produced in precisely delimited and named plots within a given village.
d) Gran Cru: 33 appellations - 2% of total production. Wines produced in the favoured plots of certain villages.
5 wine-growing regions:
1) Chablis;
2) Côte de Nuits;
3) Côte de Beaune;
4) Côte de Chalonnaise;
5) Mâconnais.
A particular region:
Burgundy's southernmost wine region, the huge Beaujolais area, is devoted to the red grape Gamay. The region is often regarded as distinct form Burgundy in wine in terms as its soil and grape variety, and therefore its wines, are different from those found elsewhere in the region.
Millions of bottles:
Soils and growing conditions in Burgundy vary hugely from place to place. There are, as a consequence, no fewer that 101 distinct appellations. The "control" takes the form of very strict criteria which the wines must meet in order to qualify for their appellation.
This exceptional diversity is one of Burgundy's greatest treasures and the basis for its ongoing to uniqueness.
Burgundy's annual production amounts to 1.5 million hectoliters, or 200 million bottles.
Grape varieties:
a) Chardonnay: white wines, 45% of total plantings;
b) Pinot Noir: red wines, 35%;
c) Aligoté: white wines, 5%;
d) Gamay: red wines, 11%;
e) Others: 4%.
Some other important factors
Geologically, all parts of Burgundy derive from what was once a Jurassic sea-bed. But since then, faults, upheavals and erosion have created a very different landscape. As a result, the vineyards of Burgundy are divided and sub-divided to reflect variations in the nature of the soil, which can change significantly in a matter of yards. Some wine-growing plots, accordingly, are very small.
Bourgogne special skill lies in respect for the grape varieties which most fully express the richness and diversity of her soils. From the matching of soil to grape, the white wines derive their minerality and their notes of white or yellow fruits, and the reds spicy qualities with a hint of the earth. So here, unlike other wine-growing French regions, wines are made without blending or mixing of different grapes.
WINE CAPITAL
Beforehand I booked train ticket and accommodation in Beaune, which is known as the "wine's capital" in Burgundy.
As I was in the end of the voyage, I decided to treat myself to luxury and comfort, such as taking taxi (occasionally), staying in hotels (when hostels were not available) and eating in restaurants (when the local cuisine where a matter of study).
My only concern was to respect my limited budged what I managed to do using my skills as a former accountant - I knew my university degree was not in vain!
I arrived in town late morning of a cloudy day and accommodated myself in a low-cost hotel, not bad - I must say, and after leaving my luggage - that has being mysteriously increasing the weight while traveling; I went to my usual source of information: local tourism office.
I took long time to decided and choose among possibilities available what to do. The next day was of the one chosen to do all that I wanted. On my arrival day, I walked around and explored the town, not difficult to do so for the size of the place.
Beaune is a charming walled town, crammed with churches, wine shops, restaurants and tranquil squares. It is flanked to the west by slopes studded with substantial vineyards, many of premier cru status. They are little known since there are few independent producers and most of the wine is sold by the town's merchant houses.
I waked up early morning next day, a cold 10th of October, had breakfast and started what promised to be a very busy day.
My first pop in was Hospices de Beaune and Hôtel-Dieu, a must-to-visit place in the region. The place holds the famous annual charity wine auction, as part of a 3-day festival.
The former hospital played and important role when it was founded in 1443 as charitable sanatorium to look after the sick population that was dying of famine and disease.
It was developed to be a pleasant and beautiful place, where people where treated in the best way possible. Its building was an inspiration for the unique design with colorful toile roof, which was copied all around Burgundy and it is the style that the region is recognized for.
The hospice's charitable activities are financed by the profits from the 58ha of vineyards with which it has been endowed over centuries. Long time ago, aiming to rise founds, the hospice started the wine auction and began a tradition.
It stopped its hospital activities a little longer than 30 years ago, however it is even now a reference as aid organization, architecture and, the wine auction is still happening, year after year, always in November.
As I didn't have time enough to wait for the auction, neither funds, I left the place to my next visit.
Reine Pédauque* was the place I started to learn a little more about local wines. It was founded in 1681 and has the activities defined as négociant-éleveur**.
It buys the grapes and works "hand in hand" with growers. Their cellar master is alongside with the growers responsible for inspecting all of the vineyards, monitoring the cultivation of the vines, making technical decisions. Together they agree on the ideal date to harvests the parcels and pick the grapes at their ripest.
* The second buyer in volume and in value at the auction of the Hospices de Beaune is REINE PEDAUQUE.
**This sort of business selects and buys wines in bulk, care for them during the aging process (known as élevage), and when they are ready, bottles them and offers them for sale. Burgundy's négociants can offer a wide selection of wines from the many appellations Burgundy produces. Many also have vineyards of their own.
The Reine Pédauque label covers more than 100 appellations, 80% of those are in Burgundy, from Grand Crus to regional appellations, from Chablis to Beaujolais.
It is located in the heart of Beaune, in the ancient cellar, proclaimed by the company as the 'oldest public cellar in the world', which welcomes visitors since 1949.
In their cellar, where the tour is hold, some ancient bottles are stored, such as the Clos de Vougeot 1934 that is available for sale at the price of 1000. For wines antique as this, I learnt that the cork is replaced every 15 years, when it usually has its lifetime deceased. However, the majority of wines sold there is younger and has prices more modest:
AOC Regionales 9€ (white and red);
AOC Villages 12,50€ - 26€ (whites) and 13,50€ - 39€ (reds);
AOC 1er Cru 16€ - 42€ (whites) and 22€ - 46€ (reds);
AOC Gran Cru 55€ - 99€ (whites) and 79€ - 280€ (reds).
Unfortunately I didn't have the chance to taste wines older than me: all tastes were from 2005 vintage. Among the wines sampled I had some red:
Clos des Guetottes, Savigny-les-Beaune;
Clos du Roi 1er Cru;
Les Paulands, Aloxe-Corton;
and white ones:
Montagny 1er Cru;
Les Pellans, Mersault.
The last mentioned was my favorite. It was a rich, delightful white, that doesn't have the grade of 1er nor gran cru, but is a great wine.
It comes from the large village of Mersault that is renowned by its sumptuous white wines. There is no gran cru there, but Mersault does have some exceptional premier crus.
Close to midday I left the establishment planning to have a traditional lunch. So I did.
I traced a restaurant in a tourist guide, aiming for a reasonable priced "set menu".
The food was deliciously simple and, it was matched with a red Burgundy - of course. The service was good as well but, very slow and, in consequence, I was late to my next appointment.
The event scheduled was a 3-hours-wine-tasting at Vin Sensation the day before.
Late 15 minutes, I joined an American couple and the French wine expert in a large "tasting table".
We were briefly introduced to Burgundian classification that dates back to 1935 and the region particularities.
It was best explained at my "wine bible" Wines of the World:
"The vineyards of Burgundy lie mostly in a narrow strip running south from Chablis to the Suburbs of Lyon. Over the years they have been placed in a hierarchy, beginning with those that produce simple Bourgogne wines from the most basic soils, ascending to village sites whose wines bear the names of the many villages or communes, and continuing to the premiers and grand crus that invariably deliver Burgundy's finest, most long-lived wines.
It is not always easy to see why one vineyard should be designed grand cru while its neighbor may be a mere village, but these distinctions have stood the test of time. It comes down to terroir, a somewhat baffling combination of soil type, microclimate, exposure, susceptibility to frost, and countless other factors, each of which affects the performance of any given patch of earth. ... Burgundian estates tend to be small (just 5 to 15ha) and fragmented. Most producers vinify and sell wines from a dozen or more appellations. Some of the largest vineyard holdings are in the hands of négociants."
In these details viticulture in Burgundy is complicated. Furthermore, its wine's label rules are a brainteaser. For example:
• a 1er Cru is identified by its village followed by the plot's name (climat), as in Beaune Les Cras;
• on a Grand Cru label there is no mention of the village where the field is located. This is because the plot itself, no matter how small, is said to have its own, unique terroir. The village characteristics are no longer important - the grand cru field has its own personality, as in Charmes-Chambertin.
So, to decode the label you have to know a little of the AOCs geography.
The explanation was followed by an interesting way to taste the 12 wines presented: we first tasted, analyzed, commented, guessed their identity and after all had the wines revealed:
White
Poully-Fuissé, Clos Reissier, 2005
Marsannay, Jean-claude Basset, 2005
Chateau du Val de Mercy, 1er Cru, 2003
Santenay, Beaurepaire, 1er Cru, 2004
Mersault, Monthelie- Douhairet Porcheret, 2004
Puligny-Montrachet, Louis Jadot, 2002 (a very good year for Burgundians)
Red
Bourgogne, Nicolas Potel, 2005
Volnay, Nicolas Potel, 2004
Monthelie 1er Cru, Douhairet Porcheret 2004
Domaine Chanzy Mercurey, Clos du Roy, 1er Cru, 2004
Pernand-Vergelesses, Louis Jadot, 1999
Nuits-St-Georges, Forey Père et Fils, 2001.
The American couple was very keen on wine and showed good knowledge, what in addition to my enthusiasm made the French wine connoisseur put her nose a little down.
White wines represent 63% of Burgundy production (the great majority from Macon and Chablis), and among the merely 6 samples we tasted, my favorite white was, once again, a wine from Mersault. This version had some nut and truffle aromas and toasty bread on the palate; it had good acidity and was well balanced.
For red wines, the one that impressed me the most was the Nuits-St-George, which was spicy, earthy and had a trace of acidity, well balanced tannin and good structure. The finding made me happy, because I was exactly heading to there the next day.
Well, the day after was still far away and, subsequent to the guided wine tasting I went to the local wine museum, that displays many bits and pieces, tells facts related to the native wine trade and is located in a gorgeous building.
My day was not finished yet, after that and I took advantage of having a ticket discount to an Art Gallery and visited it and appreciated some paintings created by Beaune born artists and others.
That Wednesday's end was far away, however the sun was going down and, for safety measure, I decided to go back to the hotel. Because, as far as a solo backpacker is concerned, one has to be awake even in small towns, especially when one's hotel is out of the town centre and it is necessary to walk alone through a desert street.
Though, on my way to my accommodation, I stop at the local supermarket to buy my provisions for diner and next morning breakfast, since a traveler in my style is allowed to one "restaurant meal" a day.
CHARMED LITTLE VILLAGE
11th of October, late morning, I arrived to - what will be reveled as - my favorite place in Burgundy: Nuits-St-George.
The "Wines of the World" book mentions to be and anomaly that this famous village has no grands crus, and adds that possibly because its parsimonious growers back in the 1930s were reluctant to pay the higher taxes due from such sites.
There I felt like in the "Champs Èlyssés of Burgundy", as the area is usually cited.
This reference is easy to understand when you learn a little about the region's vineyard.
The Côte de Nuits
The vineyards of Côte de Nuits begin just south of Dijon, rising from the plains and continue in a sweep of vines until a few miles south of Nuits-St-George. There the vineyards continue, but the name changes to Côte de Beaune.
The Côte de Nuits consists of a narrow strip of land 20 km long, but only 2 to 3 hundred meters wide. Altitude varies from 230 to 300 m. Names famous for the quality of their wines are packed into a space of a few kilometers. All of Bourgogne's Grand Cru red wines (except Corton) come from this district. In the geology of it lies the explanation of its special aptitude for red wines. They grow on Middle-Jurassic limestone.
The Côte de Nuits is situated in a northerly position. The influence of a continental-type climate, the perfect adaptation of the grape varieties to local soil, good light and long hours of sunshine explain the presence of this high-quality vineyard.
I would say that it doesn't seem that the village of Nuits-St-George is surrounded by vineyards, it is more likely that the vineyards have a village in the middle.
I didn't waste time. Just after arriving in the village, I left my stuff in a hotel and I went straight to the tourism bureau and then, lost myself into the vineyards, literally.
The day was gorgeous, and the view was amazing. I walked up the slopes that face the little town, overlooking the vines that had the autumn colors showing off.
It was easy to found my way in, however to find it out was tricky or perhaps, I didn't want to do so.
Back in the village centre, after loads of pictures taken and a quick bite for lunch, I completed my day with visits, which I chose considering the tourist information, what can be very touristy, of course, but it is very convenient as well, because the best wineries to visit are the ones that welcome visits, obviously.
In a region that everyone is very hands on job, the visits will take place at the establishments that have structure to do it, as far as it doesn't interrupt what matter the most: wine making.
Firstly, I visited Caves Moillard-Grivot. It was founded by Symphorien Moillard and his wife Marguerite Grivot in 1850. Nowadays, their descendants manage the family property and their huge wine-cellars which cover an underground area of fourteen thousand square meters in the village.
The maison is also known as "The House of Mosaics", as reference to the beauty of the magnificent mosaic created to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the establishment. It is an eye-catching work that surrounds the top of the building.
The visit is all self-guided, however the staff welcome you and make you feel comfortable to explore the place and discover the wines.
All we have to do is to follow the instructions placed on the wall that guides you all the way through the old cave.
Downstairs, I felt like long-ago. The bottles full of dust and the barrels united by spider web gave a historical look to the depot. It was a spooky atmosphere, dark and humid with treasures resting in bottles and waiting the right moment to come alive again.
I don't believe that any sort of creepy method is used to produce wine here; however the maison has some unorthodox procedures for a range of its wines, such as the use of "lunar-organic cultivation", which is based on the idea of "respect for the environment and organic cycles".
This sort of winemaking, called in French "agriculture biologique" is a common practice and not just a fashion. It is taken seriously by many French winemakers and it is part of a whole process and tradition, in result most of the wines produced using this approach don't have any particular information stated in the label regarding organic, nor biodynamic, neither lunar techniques.
The wine from this range is actually from Côte de Beaune: Pommard-Épenots, 1er Cru, 2005 (a very good year all around France), 30,50€. It was deep in color, had some acidity and was very well balanced. Even thought it was a delight to taste, the wine can be kept for about 3 years more to show all of its potential - if you can wait.
Côte d'Or was well represented among the wines available for tasting, part of them from Côte de Beuane and other part from Côte de Nuits. The price range was between 11€ and 30,50€. The similarity of the best samples of them was the good potential for ageing. How I whish I had no weight limit on my luggage...
My next visit was like treasure hunting. To visit Dufouleur Père & Fils I entered in the yard of the establishment and had to explore on my own the place until I found a bell to ring calling for assistance, which came from the underground. A staff member invited me to join a tasting was being held in the cave, so I did.
A French couple was there, already busy trying the wines that the cellar door assistant poured one after another. I also tasted the 6 wines available and made some enquires, however, when it was clear that I wasn’t the potential buyer in the group, the assistant lost interest on me. Never mind, thus I could taste the samples in my own peace.
Dufouleur Père & Fils has tradition in the wine business. To illustrate it, on the room’s wall there is an old-fashioned advertisement poster from the time that they were the “supplier of exclusively reserved wines for the Emperor Napoléon 1st“.
They have great wines, one of them is Fixin 1er Cru Clos du Chapitre 2000, 22.50€, that had a lovely complexity and good balance.
The Clos du Chapitre is one of the five “premier cru” of the Fixin appellation, located at North of Côte de Nuits.
This is a monopole* and leading wine from Domaine Guy Dufouleur, its owner since 1995, when the domaine started a great deal of time and energy to improve the overall quality.
I would say that they achieved it, the wine is a great value for money and good investment.
* Monopole is term used for a vineyard completed owned by one individual or organization.
Another great value for money, in other range of wine, is from de the Côte Chalonnaise: Rully 2005, 12,50€. It is an 8- month-oak-aged wine, complex, with some minerality and flower notes.
I didn't buy any bottle, as the winery assistant quietly guessed, mainly for practical reasons. Although my wine tour was ending I still had some time of travel. I had to be rational, considering that my luggage was accommodated on my back.
It was a very special day that ended an important part of my trip, which was the greatest in my life, so far. Therefore, I had to celebrate.
To finish it in style, I had a traditional meal in the hotel restaurant, paired with an Aligoté. It was the first time I drank one, nevertheless, I don't think I have been missing much, as the wine is very ordinary. Any case, the food was homely good.
That evening, I went to bed reflecting upon my day, my trip and my future. As the future is uncertain, I decided to concentrate my thought of what was happening at that moment and I had been through recently and then, felt asleep happy.
After I left that pretty town, I still had some time left to explore other places before heading back to Brazil - I chose to visit Dijon and Lyon for many reasons, none of them directly related to wine. Then again, I practiced tasting it there.
Wine is still very important in my life and, it is the reason why I made many choices. To study, learn and understand the fascinating means of it, are my aspiration.
My "round the wine world trip" has finished, but the passion for the subject has no time to end. It is a long term relationship.
I would like to thank everyone that somehow shared this experience and, helped me to have the time of my life.
Cheers,
Marcia Amaral