15. Burgundy Flashcards
Burgundy - climate? rain challenges? temperature - where? other?
- wide area from cool continental in Chablis (north) to moderate continental further south
- rain: disrupt flowering early summer or harvest
- grey rot on Pinot Noir
- spring frosts impact Chablis until May
- hailstorms in summer
Burgundy - climate and location? why important? highest quality?
- location relates to quality level of vineyard
- basic village-level mostly located on flat sites or bottom of slopes
- premier and grand cru level mostly mid-slope as less prone to frost
- highest quality in south or east facing exposure, protecting from westerly winds
Burgundy - soils? hillside vs flat?
- soils are very varied
- can change significantly over small areas
- leads to subtle change although exact role subject of debate
- hillside: shallower with better drainage
- flat: deeper and more fertile
Burgundy - 4 grape varieties
- majority: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
- also: Aligoté (white) and Gamay (red)
Burgundy - Pinot Noir - of total vineyard area? character? techniques? ageing?
- about a third of total vineyard area
- mostly Côte d’Or
- flavours: red fruit (youth) to earth, game, mushroom (mature)
- acidity: high
- tannins: low to medium
- whole bunches become more popular
- ageing: 16-18 months, ideally a portion in new oak
Burgundy - Chardonnay - of total vineyard area? character? techniques (4) ? ageing? special ageing?
- half of total vineyard area
- great variety in character from lean, steely, high-acid wines in Chablis to very complex, expressive in Côte d’Or to more full-bodies, riper-fruited in Mâcon
- inventors of techniques: barrel fermentation, barrel ageing (6-9 months), MLF, lee
- new oak, toasting
- maturation in bottle for a decade or more
- 15 year ago it started that some Burgundian Chardonnays did not age as expected (i.e. premature oxidation). Now established problem but cause still unknown
Burgundy - other grape varieties
- Aligoté: neutral white with high acidity, rare high-quality wines, only when grown at site where it can reach full ripeness (usually reserved for more profitable Pinot Noir or Chardonnay)
- Gamay: early drinking red with ripe berry fruit, low tannins, some regional appellations
Burgundy - regions (6)
Chablis, Côte de Nuits (Hautes…), Côte de Beaune (Hautes…), Côte Challonaise, Mâconnais, Beaujolais
Burgundy - hierarchy of appellations (4)
Regional, Commune/Village, Single Vineyard (Premiers Crus, Grands Crus)
Burgundy - regional appellation - volume? generic? restricted (3)? Mâcon?
- Bourgogne Rouge, Bourgogne Blanc, usually Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
- Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits, B. Hautes Côtes de Beaune, B. Côte Chalonnaise
- Mâcon (red, white), Mâcon Villages (white only)
Burgundy - commune appellations - volume? naming?
- about a third of total production
- usually just name of commune (e.g. Chablis, Gevrey-Chambertin)
- rarely name of vineyard
- sometimes “village” instead of commune
Burgundy - Single vineyard appellations - monopole? number? label?
- monopole: vineyard belongs to just one owner (rare)
- 600 premiers crus, about a 10th of Burgundy production
- premier crus needs to be on the label, if from a single vineyard then name, but blending also possible
- 33 grands crus, 1% of total
- grand cru and only vineyard on label
Burgundy - Chablis - where? appellation? river? orientation (appellations)? climate challenge and protection? grape? characteristics? oak?
- north, river Serein, village appellation
- south-facing slopes
- less vineyards: Petit Chablis
- frost, sprinklers and heaters as protective measures
- only Chardonnay
- basic village: north-facing
- premier and grand cru: south-facing
- can be very austere with green fruit and high acidity
- better: riper, more concentrated fruit (citrus, rather than green apple), more body, still high acidity
- some grand cru and premier cru in old oak to give rounder texture and subtle flavours, others retain pure fruit by fermenting in stainless steel or concrete
Burgundy - Côte d’Or - geography?
- Massif Central in the west, providing favourable east and south-east facing slopes
- split in two: Côte de Nuits (Pinot Noir), Côte de Beaune (Chardonnay) –> all or red grands crus (except one) in C. Nuits, all white grand crus (except one) in C. Beaune
Burgundy - Côte de Nuits - 4 key villages (6 grands crus) from north to south
- Gevrey-Chambertin (Chambertin, Chambertin Clos de Bèze)
- Vougeot (Clos de Vougeot)
- Vosne-Romanée (Romanée-Conti, La Tâche, La Romanée)
- Nuits-Saint-Georges
