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Burgundy Wine Region Notes

Burgundy Wine Region Notes

Mâconnais

  • The Mâconnais region includes:
    • Couche Alnese
    • Mâconnet: The original home of Chardonnay.
    • Whites are made from Chardonnay.
    • Reds are made from Pinot Noir and Gamay.

Pouilly-Fuissé vs. Pouilly-Fumé

  • Pouilly-Fuissé: 100% Chardonnay.
  • Pouilly-Fumé: Made from Saint-Jean Blanc.

Beaujolais

  • Located in the Southern part of Burgundy.
  • Historically referred to as the "redheaded stepchild" because Gamay was moved south from northern Burgundy, which favored Pinot Noir.

Climate and Fragmentation

  • Burgundy has a continental climate with extreme seasons contributing to vintage variability.
  • Vineyards are fragmented due to :
    • The French Revolution: Vineyards were removed from the nobility and the church.
    • Napoleonic Code (laws of inheritance): Vineyards were divided among family members over generations, leading to smaller and smaller plots.
    • Example: Gio and his wife have two children. Upon their death, the vineyard splits in half. If those children have families, the vineyard continues to fragment causing the need for cooperatives and negotiations.

AOC Classification

  • The INAO (French government arm) dictates the overall classification of Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC).

  • Within the AOC, each region has its classification:

    • Grand Cru: Best vineyards
    • Premier Cru: Second best vineyards
    • Village: Classified by grapes coming from a specific town or village.
    • Regional: Broadest level, labeled as Bourgogne or Burgundy.

  • Pricing Examples:

    • Regional Bourgogne: 20-40
    • Village: 45+ wholesale, upwards of $$85-90
    • Premier Cru/Grand Cru: Hundreds of dollars

Burgundy Subregions

  • Northern Outpost: Chablis
  • Southern Outpost: Beaujolais
  • Classifications differ in these outposts compared to proper Burgundy.
  • Proper Burgundy includes: Cote de Nuits, Cote de Beaune, Cote Chalonnaise, and Mâconnais.

Grand Cru Details

  • Burgundy has 33 Grand Cru vineyards.
  • Chablis has seven Grand Cru vineyards, which count as only one within the 33 Grand Cru designation.
  • The remaining 32 Grand Cru vineyards are located in Cote de Nuits and Cote de Beaune.
  • Beaujolais has 10 crus, which are separate from the 33 Grand Cru vineyards of Burgundy; it's a separate classification.

Chablis

  • Always 100% Chardonnay.
  • Farthest Burgundian subregion in the North, experiencing an extreme continental climate with freezes and frosts.
  • Unlike Chardonnay from other regions, Chablis maintains intense acidity due to the cool climate.
  • Vinification: May undergo slight malolactic fermentation (MLF) and lees contact; new oak is rare, except in Grand Cru wines (stainless steel or old oak).
  • Focus: Restraint and elegance, creating subdued Chardonnay expressions.

Soil

  • Kimmeridgian Soil: 150 million years old, containing fossilized sea creatures from when the area was underwater.
    • Contributes wet stone aromas and flavors to the wines.

Chablis Classification

*   **Grand Cru:** (7 vineyards, counts as 1 in Burgundy's classification).
*   **Chablis Premier Cru**
*   **Chablis**
*   **Petit Chablis:** (Little Chablis)

Tasting Notes: Chablis and White Burgundy

  • Chablis:
    • High acid, light body
    • Fresh, tart, lean flavors
    • Stainless steel aging, lees aging for ten months.
  • Chablis Premier Cru:
    • More yellow color than basic Chablis.
    • Fairly aromatic, with slight toast, lees, and yeast notes.
    • More depth and weight.
    • 90% in stainless steel, 10% in old oak barrels (1-5 years old) for ten months.
    • 46-year-old vines.
    • Kimmeridgian soils.
  • Meursault (Cote de Beaune):
    • Village wine, no Premier Cru or Grand Cru designation.
    • Served as the blueprint for New World Chardonnay.
    • Medium-plus body, high acid.
    • Aged on the lees for 14-16 months, 20-30% in new oak barrels for 14-16 months.

Cote de Beaune

  • Specializes in white Burgundy (Chardonnay).
  • Meursault: A village and entry point to the greatest expressions of Chardonnay.
  • Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet: Villages with Grand Cru vineyards such as Montrachet, regarded as the most famous for Chardonnay.
    • Villages can add the name of their Grand Cru vineyard
    • Mersault has 19 premier crus but no grand cru vineyard

Beaujolais: Introduction

  • 98% of Beaujolais is Gamay.
  • The region runs north to south, divided into two areas: Haute (north) and Bas (south).

Beaujolais Designations

*   **Beaujolais:** Basic level.
*   **Beaujolais Village:** From 39 designated sites.
*   **Crus:** The 10 best vineyards, located in the North (Haute Beaujolais).
  • Gamay's full name: Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc (black grape with white juice).
  • Gamay is a natural crossing of Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc.

Beaujolais Designations and Beaujolais Nouveau

  • Beaujolais: Broadest designation.
  • Beaujolais Nouveau: A special type of Beaujolais released on the third Thursday of every November aka is released one week before Thanksgiving.
    • George Duboeuf: Key figure in popularizing Beaujolais Nouveau.
    • Inexpensive and fruity.

Winemaking: Carbonic Maceration

  • Commonly used for Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages.
  • Technique:
    • Whole clusters of grapes are placed in a sealed stainless steel tank with a little yeast.
    • The weight of the top grapes crushes the bottom grapes.
    • Fermentation begins at the bottom.
    • CO2 released causes intracellular fermentation within the berries.
    • The result is light-bodied, fruity, fresh wine with little tannin and high malic acid.

Beaujolais Crus

  • Located in the North, the Haute.

  • May use traditional fermentation methods or a portion of carbonic maceration.

  • Tasting Overview:

    • Beaujolais (Basic): Jolly Rancher, cherry flavor
    • Fleurie: Bright and fresh style with semi-carbonic maceration, aged in large oak foudres.
    • Brouilly: A more muscular expression with traditional fermentation in concrete vats; can be aged.

Tasting Notes: Beaujolais

  • Beaujolais (Basic):
    • Purple color, medium intensity.
    • Fruity, Jolly Rancher aroma.
    • Tart, simple flavor; made in stainless steel.
    • Red fruit, strawberry, and raspberry notes.
  • Fleurie (Cru):
    • Medium-plus, deep-minus color intensity.
    • Hints of leather.
    • Light-plus body.
    • Semi-carbonic maceration, aged in large oak foudres for eight months.
  • Brouilly (Cru):
    • Medium-plus, ruby-red rim.
    • A lot more depth
    • Light body, medium tannin.
    • Ageable with dark red fruit notes
      • Fermented in concrete vats from 40 to 70 years old vines.

Premier Cru

  • Premier Crus state the name of the vineyard, indicating higher quality grapes on the label.