The White Burgundy Issue
Dearest subscribers,
Burgundy, like any of the fine-wine producing regions of the world - Tuscany, Bordeaux, Champagne - can be complicated and intimidating. These wines demand an investment of our time, money, and attention. One cannot be a passive Burgundy lover.
At its best Burgundy is gripping, ethereal, addictive. To embark upon it is a multi-sensorial journey of discovery with nearly unparalleled joys in the realm of food and drink.
Whether you’re uninitiated or a seasoned wine-enthusiast, here are some key facts to keep in mind when shopping for White Burgundy:
White Burgundy is Chardonnay.
Conversely, Red Burgundy refers to Pinot Noir.
Oaked with restraint, if at all.
White Burgundy gets some of its nuances of oak flavour and aroma in part from malolactic fermentation (the conversion of naturally occurring malic-acid into lactic acid which is responsible for the round, soft, sometimes creamy and buttery texture, aroma, and flavours found in a finished wine), lees stirring or what’s called 'batonnage’ and, in some cases, the employ of oak barrels - but never the kind of bombastic, charred, vanilla-heavy American oak barrels commonly used in new world wine regions like California.
Best served cold but not well-chilled.
The flavours and aromas of fuller-bodied white wines like these can become dulled or muted if served too cold.
Naming Conventions:
Wine as an expression of terroir, a sense of place, is central to Burgundian winemaking. As such, all Burgundies take their name from the village, appellation, commune from which their grapes are grown.
It is customary for appellations to append their names with that of the most prestigious or well-known vineyard. For example Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet adopt the more well known Montrachet.
Burgundy Classifications:
Most wine regions of the world have some kind of classification system that attempts to establish a hierarchy of quality. In Burgundy wines are classified from highest to lowest as such:
Grand Cru: In order for a ranking of Grand Cru to appear on a bottle all the grapes used to make that bottle of wine must be from a vineyard that is classified Grand Cru.
Premier Cru: These wines must be from villages rated at least Premier-Cru but can also be blended with some Grand Cru wines.
Village: These wines simply state the name of the village. This village name will appear prominently on the bottle. These wines are made from grapes grown from any vineyard plot within the named village. For example, Meursault.
This is the bulk of what you’ll find in the the LCBO Vintages section. This is entry-level Burgundy and it is often sublime.
Regional: Simply labeled Bourgogne or Bourgogne Rouge or Bourgogne Blanc (Red or White Burgundy).
The higher the classification of a wine the more highly prized the vineyard site from which the grapes are grown. The grapes for these wines will be hand-harvested and sorted and the vineyards are commonly biodynamic and organic.
AOC
This is a geographical certification in French wine law which stands for appellation d'origine contrôlée.
Au Pied du Mont Chauvé Clos St-Jean Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
Origin: Chassagne-Montrachet AOC, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France
Classification: Premier Cru
Vintage: 2015
Grape(s): Chardonnay
Style: Dry, full-bodied, rich
Price: $107.00
Alc./vol: 13.5
The cuvées of Au Pied du Mont Chauvé are described by the Domaine as, “Biodynamic, haute couture wines… precise, pure, straight wines representative of their climates.” Climates referring here to specific plots of land, not weather patterns.
Clean and effortless, rich and nutty; but subtle. Chassagne-Montrachet, with its vein of transcendent, resplendent butteriness that runs through it is everything that California Chardonnay originally aspired to be. The Côte de Beaune is the heartland of Chardonnay and is home to Burgundy’s most prized and celebrated wines - both red and white - Pommard, Corton-Charlemagne, Romanée-Conti, Meursault, Santenay and Savigny-les-Beaune.
This gorgeous wine is opulent yet approachable. Mouthwatering acidity is met with grounding texture and full-body.
In an effort to bring forth the citrus notes lingering in the background of this wine I paired it with poached salmon topped with a horseradish-dill crema, served on a bed of pea-shoots alongside oven-roasted fingerling potatoes sprinkled with flakey sea salt and chives. The fatty, oily texture of the fish, by contrast, brings out the citrus- specifically lemon - notes of this wine.
Henri de Villamont Savigny les Beaune Le Village
Origin: Savigny les Beaune AOC, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France
Classification: Village
Vintage: 2017
Grape(s): Chardonnay
Style: Dry, full-bodied, rich
Price: $45.00
Alc./vol: 13.5%
Wonderfully fruit-driven, this Savigny les Beaune from Henri de Villamont also featured toasted, nutty notes. With great complexity all around, this wine begins with lemon meringue and freshly baked brioche on the nose, moving through to green apple, quince and under-ripe pear on the mid-palate. A touch of flint smoke, obvious malolactic fermentation and a touch of natural oak give the wine weight and body moving through to an elegant and persistent finish.
Pair with lobster pappardelle or, for a simpler weeknight meal, roast chicken legs in a lemon-butter sauce with a side of Brussels sprouts with a squeeze of fresh lemon.
Vins Auvigue Solutré Pouilly-Fuissé
Origin: Pouilly-Fuissé AOC, Mâconnais, Burgundy, France
Classification: Village
Vintage: 2018
Grape(s): Chardonnay
Style: Dry, full-bodied, rich
Price: $47.95
Alc./vol: 13.5
This Pouilly-Fuissé, [Pwee-Fwee-Say] from the Village of Solutré in the Mâconnais is lively, fresh and fruity. Classic Chardonnay notes of lemon and lime give way to headier aromas and flavours of yellow apple, hazelnut, melon and tropical fruits - mango, grilled pineapple.
A perfect example of restraint in winemaking with oak - 90% of this wine was vinified in stainless steel while only 10% saw oak treatment for a period of 11 months in old, French barrels. This, in combination with lees stirring is responsible for the subtle oakiness, nutty aromas and flavours and round texture on the palate.
Serve with a simple plate of mortadella and cornichons.
Domaine Laroche Vieilles Vignes Les Vaillons Chablis 1er Cru
Origin: Chablis, Burgundy, France
Classification: Premier Cru
Vintage: 2018
Grape(s): Chardonnay
Style: Dry, medium-bodied, rich
Price: $39.95
Alc./vol: 13%
This Premier Cru Chablis from Domaine Laroche is serene. More than taste it offers a soft, pillowy plushness on the palate that moves through to a prickling acidity that makes your tongue sweat, salivating for more.
Elegant and restrained on the nose with notes of yellow apple, Bosc pear, and steeped chamomile tea. A soft, creamy texture suggests malolactic fermentation.
At $40 I want to underscore just what a great deal this is for a 1er Cru Chablis. For Chablis lovers it’s definitely worth trading up from your typical Village-level Chablis.
Serve with chicken liver pâté and poached pears on brioche.
Note that Chablis is the only region in Burgundy with a 5th classification level, Petit Chablis. In terms of ranking, Petit Chablis is below Village.
Domaine Gilbert & Philippe Germain Les Vireuils Meursault
Origin: Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France
Classification: Village
Vintage: 2018
Grape(s): Chardonnay
Style: Dry, full-bodied, rich
Price: $63.00
Alc./vol: 13%
This Domaine Gilbert & Philippe Meursault was such a pleasure to smell and a dream to drink. The aroma and flavours just ooze with warmth on a cool Autumn day.
They say that smell is our strongest sense tied to memory. This explains why with just one whiff I am immediately transported back in time to 2013 to the day I first had the pleasure of tasting Meursault.
Consistent with everything I know and love about Merusault. This is in part what is meant by typicity in wine. Simply put, this wine just smells and tastes like Meursault should.
Stewed yellow apple, soft caramels, toffee, toasted almond, honey, and with lifted aromas of lemon pith - this wine is luxurious.
The creamy texture enfolds the tongue, gripping it through the long, discerning and stylish finish.
A household favourite pairing: whole roast chicken with root vegetables confit.
I love hearing from you. If you’re a Chardonnay or Burgundy lover, if you’ve tried these or other Burgundies, or have a question or comment about this issue, please, share your thoughts in the comments box below.
