This
is essentially part 2 of my last review of Burgundy in which I provided notes
about the geography, climate, classifications, types of grapes and detailed
notes of 8 white wines from this
region.
On
the fourth day of Unit 2 in The Intensive Sommelier Training at the
International Culinary Center we studied the Côte de Nuits in the north
end of the Côte
d’Or in Burgundy.
To
some people this may sound like a lot of fun. While I do enjoy the class, keep
in mind that after spending 8 hours at work I then drive an hour to the class.
We then listen to 2 hours of lectures and just when I am ready to go home to
bed, we spend about 90 minutes to 2 hours going through the wines in a very
structured format in which we are required to verbally give our analysis of the
wine to the entire class in the form of tasting grid of the Court of
Sommeliers. It is a very different and more focused approach to wine than
tasting (and spitting) at home or at a winery. The entire time you have to take
detailed notes and keep in mind that any one of these wines may appear in a
Unit Exam or in the Certified Examination.
One
of the most important things to do when tasting many wines of the same varietal
or similar blend from the same region is to determine what they have in common
that is unique to their type and then learn what makes them distinguishable
from the same varietal or blend of grapes grown in other regions. It is only in
doing this can that we can understand the terroir that makes them unique and be
able to identify them in a blind tasting. But in order to recognize and
understand the cause of the
differences between Pinot Noir from Burgundy and other regions, we need to
understand the culture of Burgundy which includes its history.
The History of Burgundy: From the Roman Empire to
the Modern Era
Burgundy
has the most fragmented vineyards and is the most terroir focused wine region in the world. From a distance it seems
insane, but once you understand the history of Burgundy you begin to see why
the home of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is so complicated.
The
history of the development of wine in Europe is intrinsically tied to the
history of Europe’s politics and economics - the rule of its kings and the expansion
of the influence of the Christian Church. If you don’t have at least a
rudimentary understand of its history, you won’t be able make any sense of
Europe’s wines – especially those of
Burgundy.
Wine
has been made in Burgundy for 2,000 years and it is too long to go into all the
details, so I’ll just mention some of the most significant points in history to
remember.
The Celts and Roman Empire
Although
we don’t know exactly when viticulture began in Burgundy, the Celts were more
than likely growing vines when the Romans conquered Gaul in 51 BC. The Romans
then continued viticulture and winemaking in the region at least up until the fall
of the Roman Empire in 476 AD.
The Middle Ages (500- 1500
AD) - The Church and Kings of France
After
the fall of Rome winemaking continued in the region. In 591 AD Gregory of Tours
(30 November c. 538 – 17 November 594) a
Gallo-Roman historian and Bishop of Tours, recognized its quality and compared it to that
of the Roman wine Falernian (Aglianico), which was consider to be
a “first growth” in its time.
The
most important influence on winemaking in Burgundy, which is still seen today,
was accomplished by the Monks and monasteries of the Roman Catholic Church. In
587 King Guntram donated the first vineyard to the Church.[1]
Wine’s influence was then expanded with the ascension
of Charlemagne (2 April 742– 28 January 814), who is also known as Charles the Great. On Christmas day,
800 A.D., Pope Hadrian I. crowned Charlemagne Emperor by placing a gold crown
on his head.[2]
This event shifted the seat of power from the south of Europe to the north with
the Rhine as the center of his empire. This shift in trade and economic power
caused Europe’s fortunes and population increased with wine as a key commodity.
In
910 AD the Catholic Benedictine monks founded Abbey of Cluny which became the
first truly big and important vineyard in Burgundy for the following centuries.
In
1098, almost 2 centuries later, the Cistercians order founded Cîteaux, their
first monastery in Burgundy.
In
1336 the Cistercians created Burgundy’s largest wall-surrounded vineyard, the
Clos de Vougeot. The Cistercians were prolific vineyard owners and were the
first to notice the region’s terroir as they make distinctions between
different vineyard plots that gave consistently different wines. This was the earliest
foundation for the naming of Burgundy crus.
Whereas
Bordeaux has easy access to rivers and the ocean, Burgundy is land-locked so
very little of its wines left the region in Medieval times. During this time
wine was not bottled at a winery but was transported in barrels so waterways
provided the only practical means of long-range transportation. The only part
of Burgundy which could reach Paris in a practical way was the area around
Auxerre by means of the Yonne River. These wines referred to as vin de
Bourgogne and those from Côte d'Or would be referred to as (vin de)
Beaune.
In the
14th century, during the Babylonian Captivity of the Papacy in Avignon, Burgundy’s
wines first became famous as they were able to transport them over land to the
Saône River and the Rhône River. In the papal court, Beaune was
generally seen as the finest wine available in Rome at that time.
In
the 14th and 15th centuries the dukes had tremendous economic and political
power, more than the kings. The status of Burgundy wines then prospered in the
court of the House of Valois, which ruled as Dukes of Burgundy. From this era,
the first reliable references to grape varieties in Burgundy were made. Pinot
noir was first mentioned in 1370 under the name Noirien but it is believed to
have been cultivated in the land during the Middle Ages.
On
August 6, 1395, Duke Philip the Bold issued a decree concerned with
safeguarding the quality of Burgundy wines. The duke declared that the “vile
and disloyal Gamay”— a higher-yielding grape than Pinot Noir – was unfit for
human consumption and banned the use of organic fertilizer (manure), which
probably increased yields even further to the detriment of quality.
High-quality white Burgundy wines of this era were probably made from
Fromenteau, a mutation of Pinot Noir that is now called Pinot Gris.
Late 1700’s to Early 1800’s
- The French Revolution and the Napoleonic Code
The
first négociant houses of Burgundy were established in the 1720s and
1730s. During this time Burgundy and Champagne were economic rivals in the wine
market of Paris. The two regions has similar wine styles in this era as
Champagne was primarily a producer of pale red still wines rather than of
sparkling wines.
In
1728 Claude Arnoux wrote a major work on Burgundy wines in which he discusses
famous red wines of Côte de Nuits and the Oeil de Perdrix pink wines of Volnay, but he
only briefly mentions white wines.
After
Burgundy became incorporated in the Kingdom of France, and the power of the
church decreased and many of its vineyards were sold to the bourgeoisie (wealthy middle-class citizens) from the 17th century.
In
1789-1791, after the French revolution, the Church’s remaining vineyards were
broken up sold off. Napoleon Bonaparte
(August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a French military and political leader who
rose to prominence during the latter stages of the French Revolution and its
associated wars in Europe. As Napoleon
I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815. During this time he
established the Napoleonic Code (Code civil des
français) ‒ the French civil code that forbade privileges based on
birth, allowed freedom of religion, and specified that government jobs should
go to the most qualified. The principal cause for the complexity of
Burgundy’s land divisions and the presence of co-operatives and negociants in is found in the Napoleonic
inheritance laws, which give equal inheritance rights to all children of a
family. The
Napoleonic inheritance laws required that decedents of a land-owner each
receive an equal portion of land. So, if a landowner had 6 children, who then
each had 6 children this would result in the splintering of the most precious
vineyard holdings (a single vineyard in this formula would be divided into 36 parts)
with the result that some growers today hold only own a row or two of vines. This
led to a profusion of increasingly smaller, family-owned wineries, exemplified
by the dozen-plus Gros family domains. But many who only have a small
crop of grapes from only a couple rows of vines with little or no property on
which to build a winery. This gave rise to a need for a grape buyer (négociant)
who could then make wine by purchasing grapes from numerous vine owners within
the same vineyard. This is one of the key factors that make understanding
Burgundy wines so immeasurably complex.
The Early 1800’s - The Tier
System of Burgundy
While
awareness of the difference of quality and style of Burgundy wines produced
from different vineyards goes back to Medieval times, with certain climats
being more highly rated than others, it was not until the 1800’s that official
ranking system was developed.[3]
In
1831 Denis Morelot wrote La Vigne et le Vin en Côte d'Or. In which he
describes the quality of Burgundy’s wines and would influence later authors and
classifications.
In
1855, the same year as the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification, Dr. Jules
Lavalle published Histoire et Statistique de la Vigne de Grands Vins de la
Côte-d'Or. It was built on Morelot’s book and included an unofficial 5 Tier
classification of the Burgundy vineyards. In decreasing order, Lavalle's five
classes were hors ligne, tête de cuvée, 1ère cuvée,
2me cuvée and 3me cuvée.
In
1861 the Beaune Committee of Agriculture formalized Lavalle’s classification which
then consisted of three classes.
In
1936 the national AOC legislation made most of the “first class” vineyards of
the 1861 classification into Grand Cru Appellations d'Origine Controlees.
The Early to Mid 20th
Century – World Wars and The Decline of Burgundy
The
early 20th Century was a difficult time for the World of Wine. The
plague of Phylloxera of the late 1800’s followed by two world wars and the
Great Depression devastated France’s wine production. While they did not
experience Prohibition, as they did in the United States, the vineyards of
Burgundy were war torn as they became battlefields and the German occupation
depleted France of their most precious wine cellars.[4]
After
the War, the vignerons returned home to their unkempt vineyards. What
followed was an attempt to revitalize the vineyards through artificial means
which at first had some benefit but it eventually got out of hand and depleted
the vineyards of their health.
After
WW2 growers began to fertilize, bringing their vineyards back to health. Those
who could afford it added potassium, a mineral fertilizer that contributes to
vigorous growth. By the mid-1950s, the soils were balanced, yields were
reasonably low and the vineyards produced some of the most stunning wines in
the 20th century.
However
over the next 30 years they kept spraying their vineyards with chemical
fertilizers, including potassium. While a certain amount of potassium is
natural in the soil and beneficial for healthy growth, if excessive it is
harmful because it depletes the soil of its acidity, which dramatically reduces
the quality of the wine.
As
the concentration of chemicals in the soil increased, so did the yields. With
higher yields came wines became diluted of flavor and concentration as the soils
had been significantly depleted of their natural nutrients.
The 1970’s and The Decline
of the Vineyards of Burgundy
Then
in the 1970’s tons of chemical herbicides, pesticides and fungicides for
controlling vine pests and vegetation began to become widely used in Burgundy.
The relationship of a winegrower with his agricultural products supplier was
often akin to that of a junkie with his dealer. The more sprays they used the
more they needed. Soils bereft of natural micro-organisms strip the vineyards of
their natural defense mechanisms with the result that only more chemicals can
keep the larvae and weeds at bay.
The Late 1990’s - The Resurrection
of Burgundy’s Vineyards
The
period between 1985 and 1995 was a turning point in Burgundy. During this time,
many Burgundian domaines renewed efforts in the
vineyards and gradually set a new course in winemaking. The lutte raisonnée,
“reasoned fight” approach agricultural management calls for minimal treatments
if necessary in the vineyard. But this was not a new way of vineyard
management, but a very old one practiced by their great-grandfathers. This then
gave birth to introduction of organic vineyard management which has revitalized
the land bringing it back to being naturally healthy and the renewed focus on
the terroir of the wine.
Another
step taken by some is the use of “biodynamics”. This approach to viticulture
influenced by German philosopher Rudolf Steiner goes beyond organic. The
emphasis is placed on soil fertility and cosmic theories of astronomy. In this
system vineyard and winery operations are usually determined and arranged by
planet positions and phases of the moon. For some this requires a full belief
system rather than just a sustainable viticultural program while others may
follow the practice even if they don’t fully subscribe to the "voo-doo" semi-religious
aspects of its origins.
Whether
organic or biodynamic, the revitalization of Burgundy’s vineyards has led to
deeper, more complex wines. Today, the Burgundy wine industry is reaping the
rewards of those efforts and they are some of the most sought-after wines in
the world.
Learning Objectives of Unit 2 - Day 4: Côte d’Or Red Wines
At
the beginning of class lectures a list of learning objectives is provided to
the students. By the end of the class, the students should have a certain
degree of understanding from their own reading and the lectures and be able to
provide the answers to list of questions. I don’t intend to repeat these in
every review, but just so you get an idea of what is expected here are the
Learning Objectives for Unit 2 - Day 4. For the sake of my own study, I’ll
provide the answers.
By
the end of class, students should be able to:
(1)
Briefly discuss the history of the area: Monks, Napoléonic Law
Answer: See the above outline of
the history of Burgundy.
(2)
Name the portion of the Côte d’Or best known for reds
Answer: Côte d’ Nuit.
(3)
Name a red Grand Cru of Côte d’Or other than those given
Answer: Clos de Vougeot – As mentioned above, this was established in 1336 by the Cistercians.
(4)
State what is different about Corton and Musigny compared to the
other Grand Cru of
their respective districts.
Answer: Corton is the only Grand
Cru producer of red and white wine in the Côte d’Beaune (South) and Musigny is the only Grand Cru vineyard in Côte de Nuits (north) for
white wine as well as red.
(5)
Explain the background behind the hyphenated village names
Answer: Many villages have double barrelled names because they have
hyphenated the name of their most famous vineyard: thus Gevrey has added
Chambertin and Chambolle has added Musigny.
(6)
Name 3 villages in each sub-region of the Côte d’Or
Answer:
Côte d’ Nuit: Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St-Denis,
Chambolle-Musigny
Côte d’Beaune: Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Santenay
(7)
Discuss marl soil in the context of the growing of Pinot Noir.
Answer: While Burgundy white shows
its best on Kimmeridgian soil (a calcareous clay containing
this limestone), Pinot Noir is better suited for Marl soil (a mixture
of different clays as well as calcium and magnesium with fossilized
shells) as it will produce a light, elegant red or a
powerful, vigorous wine.
(8)
State the rules concerning production of Bourgogne
Passetoutgrains.
Answer: Passetoutgrains is a red wine although rosé wine may also be produced. Unlike other
Burgundy wines, which are primarily produced from a single grape variety,
Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains is an essentially a cuvée of Gamay and Pinot Noir.
Since Côte d'Or and Yonne have very little Gamay, most Passe-Tout-Grains are
produced from grapes grown in Saône et Loire (essentially the Côte Chalonnaise
subregion of Burgundy), where Gamay makes up almost half of the red grapes.
(9)
Suggest top vintages for your guests since 1990.
Answer: The top vintages since
1990 include 1996 (95 points) and 2009 (96 points)
(10) Describe the attributes
of any wine we tasted today.
Answer: See below
The Wines
On
the fourth day of Unit 2 we tasted the following red wines from the Burgundy:
1. 2011 Domaine Regis
Bouvier En Montre Cul, Bourgogne
This
is a clear day-bright red wine that is ruby at the core to pink at the rim with
low-medium concentration, moderate rim variation and moderate viscosity. On the
nose it is clean with aromas of fresh cranberries, pomegranates, fresh roses,
cinnamon stick, with subtle earth and mushroom notes. On the palate is has
fresh tart cherries, raspberries and under ripe strawberries, roses and a hint
of spice and an underlying note of chalk. It is dry, with medium+ acidity,
medium body, moderate alcohol and tannin and a medium length finish. This wine
sells for about $21 to $24. This is a very nice Pinot Noir for less than $25.
2. 2011 Domaine Pierre
Guillemot, Bourgogne
This
wine is a clear, day bright red wine that is ruby at the core with a tinge of
garnet at the rim with medium rim variation, concentration and viscosity. On
the nose it is clean with subtle aromas of fresh strawberries, ripe cherries,
dried roses, cinnamon stick and a hint of dried herbs and stems with just a
hint of mushrooms. On the palate it is clean with flavors of under ripe
strawberries, cranberries, a hint of pepper and an earthiness of decomposing
leaves with an under layer of chalk. It is dry with medium to medium+ acidity,
medium- tannin, medium finish and moderate complexity. This wine sells for
about $21.
3. 2011 Domaine Jean-Marc
Morey, Beaune Grèves, 1er Cru
This
is a clear day-bright red wine that is ruby at the core to garnet at the rim
with medium concentration, medium rim variation and moderate viscosity. On the
nose it is clean but with a mild hint of barn yard (Brettanomyces). It has moderate
aromas of ripe strawberries, cranberries and plums followed by dried roses,
potpourri, and dried cinnamon stick with a distinctive note of chalk and damp
earth and mushrooms. On the palate it has flavors of tart cherries and ripe
strawberries, definitive spice and dried herbs, earth and mushrooms. It is dry
with medium+ acidity, moderate alcohol, medium body, medium-chalky tannins and
a medium to medium+ length finish. The wine retails for about $40.
4. 2010 La Pousse d’Or,
Santenay 1er Cru, Clos Tavannes
This
is a clear day-bright red wine, ruby at the core to garnet at the rim of medium
concentration, low rim variation and medium viscosity. On the nose it is clean with aromas of dark
cherries, roses, violets and dried earth and mushrooms. On the palate it is
clean with aromas of fresh, tart cherries, plum skins, and raspberries, dried
roses, cinnamon, cloves, dried herbs and chalk. On the palate it is dry with
medium+ acidity, medium alcohol, low chalky-tannins, moderate complexity and a
medium length finish. The wine retails for about $49.
5. 2009 Ballot Millot,
Pommard Pèzerolles
This
is a clear day-bright red wine that is ruby at the core to garnet at the rim,
with medium concentration, medium rim variation and medium+ viscosity. On the
nose it is clean with ripe fresh plums, cherries and strawberries with notes of
spice and herbs and chalk. On the palate it is has flavors of ripe
strawberries, roses and hints of spice and chalk with subtle notes of green
stems. It is dry with medium to medium+ acidity, and moderate alcohol, tannins,
complexity and finish. The wine retails for about $65.
6. 2007 Hudelot-Noellat,
Chambolle-Musigny
This
is a clear day-bright red wine that is ruby at the core to garnet at the rim,
with medium concentration, medium rim variation and medium+ viscosity. On the
nose it is clean with ripe cherries and tart strawberries with notes of spice,
cinnamon, dried leaves, chalk and rusty nails. On the palate it is has flavors
of cherries, strawberries, roses and hints of spice and chalk. It is dry with
medium to medium+ acidity, and moderate alcohol, tannins, complexity and
finish. The wine retails for about $47.
7. 2011 Domaine De L’Arlot, Nuit
St. George, Les Petits Plets 1er Cru
This
is a clear day-bright red wine that is ruby at the core to pink at the rim,
with medium concentration, medium rim variation and medium viscosity. On the
nose it is clean with intense ripe cherries, pomegranates, beef-jerky, with subtle
notes of tart strawberries with notes of spice, cinnamon, hints of cedar, mint,
and chalk. On the palate it is has flavors of cherries, strawberries, roses and
hints of spice and chalk. It is dry with medium to medium+ acidity, and
moderate alcohol, tannins, complexity and finish. The wine retails for about $49.
8. 2009 Domaine Droughin-Laroze, Laticieres-Chambertin, Grand Cru
This
is a clear day-bright red wine that is ruby at the core to garnet at the rim,
with medium concentration, medium rim variation and medium+ viscosity. On the
nose it is clean with moderate aromas of strawberries, cherry-liqueur, dried
roses, cloves, dried meat, dried roses, potpourri, cinnamon, damp earth, autumn
leaves, damp earth and chalk. On the palate it is has flavors of cherries,
strawberries with hints of cloves, pepper, dried herbs, chalk and a hint of
cigar box. It is dry with medium+ acidity, and moderate alcohol, tannins,
complexity and finish. The wine retails for about $105-$110.
Observations
This
style of note taking is very different than what you will read in most wine
blogs and reviews in wine magazines. It is a bit technical and can seem like dry
and boring reading. But this is how you would describe these wines in a tasting
grid. My goal is to analyze the wine’s aromas and structure and then determine
what is common to all of them and is distinctive of the grape varietal and the
region.
All
of these wines have red fruit aromas and flavors, are light to medium in color
and intensity, are high in acidity, medium to low in tannin with earthy aromas.
Many of them also have a distinctive garnet-orange tint at the rim that is
indicative of the grape varietal and whole-cluster fermenting that is common
with Pinot Noir in Burgundy. If you are accustomed to fruity California Pinots
the minerality and dryness of these wine may be a pit of a shock. The chalkiness of these wines may make the tannins seem tighter or more intense. In fact, some may confuse the chalky minerality with tannin. The key difference is, fruit tannins are felt in the front of the mouth between the teeth and gums. Wood tannins are felt in the back between the side of the cheeks and tongue. The drying sensation of the chalky minerality is primarily experienced on the roof of the mouth. This,
when tasted blind, is what makes them distinguishable as an old world French
Pinot Noir from Burgundy.
[1] For more reading on the
influence of Christian monk on wine I highly recommend reading: Desmond Seward,
Monks and Wine (Crown Publishers; October 1979).
[2] He was the
King of the Franks from 768 AD, the King of Italy from 774 AD, and from 800 AD
the first emperor in western Europe since the collapse of the Western Roman
Empire three centuries earlier.
[3] A climat is a Burgundy-specific
synonym for “vineyard site”, which refers not just to the site itself, but to
its terroir.
[4] For more information, I
highly recommend reading: Donald Kladstrup, Petie
Kladstrup, Wine and War: The French, the Nazis, and the Battle
for France’s Greatest Treasure (Broadway Books, 2002)
