Moving on from Bordeaux, we head west to Burgundy, and some of the most cerebral and sensual wines on the planet.

Burgundy

Burgundy is perhaps the single most confusing, and deeply sensual areas of wine.  Where as Bordeaux is massive, Burgundy is comparitively small, at only a fifth the size.  Despite this, Burgundy contains nearly a fifth of all of France’s Appellation d’Origine Contrôlèe (AOC), and almost all of this has to do with Burgundy’s terroir.  Indeed, almost no where has as many different soil types as Burgundy in as small a place.  As a result, the wines coming from Burgundy have a true sense of place.

In addition to the land, it’s worth noting that Burgundy is pretty far north, which means weather (the cool climate in particular) plays a role in the selection of grapes.

Major Grapes: Chardonnay & Pinot Noir

While Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are prevalent across the world today, only 50 years ago they were primarily grown to their best in Burgundy.  If you happen to be familiar with the new world versions of these varietals,  then Burgundian versions will seem significantly different to you with more terroir focus.  Unlike Bordeaux, this region isn’t about blends at all, but rather single varietals.

Classification Rankings in Burgundy:

As an important note, Burgundy is home to Grand Crus, a designation higher than Premier Cru in the region.  As Burgundy is structured differently than Bordeaux, these classifications shouldn’t be compared.

• Grand Cru – The highest designation
• Premier Cru – A top level vineyard in Burgundy
• Villages – Typically grown from one village, these wines tend to be more complicated
• Bourgogne Blanc / Rouge – Basic every day burgundy.

Major Regions

• Chablis – The farthest north region (it’s actually closer to Champagne than the rest of Burgundy), Chablis chardonnay are loaded with acidity, minerality, and freshness.
• Côte d’Or – The northern half, or Côte de Nuits, produces almost exclusively Red, while the southern half, Côte de Beaune, produces both, with wine dominating.   Reds from the region have incredible earthy flavors, minerality, exotic spices, and sometimes, truffles.  Meanwhile, whites are amazingly rich and elegant, with nuts, vanilla, truffle notes.
• Côte Chalonnaise – Located south of Côte d’Or, Côte Chalonnaise produces red and white.  The pinot from this region at it’s best contains cherries and spice.  The region also produces a sparkling wine, and can be good for bargain hunting given the price of Côte d’Or.
• Mâconnais –  Generally speaking, Mâconnais produces solid, dependable Chardonnay, but nothing as elegant as the other regions.  Poulliy-Fuissé is the go to here for the best quality.
• Beaujolais – While this is technically part of Burgundy, it’s completely different, and we’ll cover it in the next post.

Blason de Bourgogne Mâcon-Villages Chardonnay

Even though it’s not from one of the best regions, Blason de Bourgogne Mâcon-Villages Chardonnay should still have great potential given it’s location.  How does it do?

Sight:  A moderate gold, leaning toward the yellow side

Smell:  A creamy nose slowly gives up it’s charms, showing apple, pear, starfruit, and underripe peaches.   Pineapple joins in to give a slightly tropical feel.

Sip:  The palate is very bright for as heavy as it feels.  There’s a lot of grapefruit, lemon, and floral components bouncing around.  The creaminess to the body has a hint of spice and toast. Apple and pear round things out.

Savor:  The ending is short, and leans toward lemon pith and peach skin.  A bitterness runs the board.

Blason de Bourgogne Mâcon-Villages Chardonnay is slightly bitter, but has plenty of great flavors.  There’s a good amount of citrus throughout that despite the bitterness, and the creaminess keeps things balanced.  That said this is boarding on angular, not lean.  As bright Chardonnay goes, Blason de Bourgogne Mâcon-Villages Chardonnay is ready for rich foods and seafood.

Verdict:  Bright, Apple, Lemon, Full
Rating: 70
Price: $8
Burgundy, France