bourgogne – Fava Beans And Chianti

Burgundy: A Basic Lesson in Economics

Guess what? We’re not the only ones who think Burgundies are fabulous. To quote Michael Jackson, “you are not alone.”

It all comes down to the simple law of supply and demand. For good Burgundies, there is generally more demand than supply. French people like their wine, so there’s less to export to the non-Frenchies. Not everybody lives in Burgundy or is fortunate enough to have family to “visit” there, like me (muhahaha). By the time things are shipped out, we’re left with a smaller pool to choose from. Throw in the tariffs and shipping, and Burgundies can be pretty pricey. So, how do you get the best bang for your money?

I collected data from 5 highly regarded books on Burgundy, 8 websites where you can actually purchase wine from, 3 well respected wine tasting sites, my own experiences as well as those from some of my peers – whew… I then loaded it all into one massive spreadsheet. Voila… the beginnings of an optimization analysis. (I know, I am a complete freak show, but I can’t help it. It’s ingrained in me after all of those years in Investment Banking). You get to benefit from the fruits of my labor. Looking exclusively at wines that are either 100% Pinot Noir or 100% Chardonnay from the Côte d’Or, here are the questions I asked and then cross-referenced to produce the output below:

Who are some of the top producers – Maisons (grower and negociant) and then Domaines?
What terroirs allow me to find value?
Can I actually find these wines at a liquor store by my house?
Is the price of these wines between $20-40?

Drum roll please….

Top Producers:

Size Matters: Economies of scale… Take a look at a map of the Côte d’Or wine region. Now look at the following Maisons:

Maison Louis Jadot: Founded in 1859 with roots in the vineyards of Beaune dating back to 1826, this Maison is now owned by their previous US importer, the Rudy Kopf family. Their vineyards are scattered across 154 hectares (380.5 acres) in the Côte d’Or, Måconnais and Beaujolais.
Maison Bouchard Père et Fils: Their colorful history dates back to 1731. They are now owned by Henriot. With 129 hectares (321 acres) of vineyards (33 acres of Grands Crus and 183 acres of Premiers Crus), Bouchard is massive. I wrote an in depth article on Bouchard. To further illustrate my point above about the Frenchies keeping the goods for themselves, someone like Bouchard exports only 52% of their production. Bouchard produces between 3-3.5 million bottles per year. Um hello… that’s a little over 1.5 million bottles just for the Frenchies!
Maison Joseph Drouhin:In 1880, Joseph Drouhin founded his own wine company. Today, this domaine is comprised of 73 hectares (182.5 acres) of vineyards in Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise and Chablis. The majority of these vineyards are classified as Premiers and Grands Crus. I originally met some of the family members on a trip to their vineyard in Oregon, Domaine Drouhin. They are the absolute loveliest people. I was able to catch up with Véronique Drouhin-Boss who is in charge of wine making at both Maison Joseph Drouhin and Domaine Drouhin while she was in New York yesterday and hope to follow-up with an article on their wine making philosophy in the near future. (If you trek out to the Willamette Valley, their Vineyard was one of my favorite ones.)

That’s 202 hectares (884 acres)! A Maison acts in both the negociant and grower capacity, so it makes wine from grapes grown on premises as well as grapes of other growers. They have it all… region (for example, Bourgogne Blanc, Bourgogne Rouge), district (for example, Côte de Beaune Villages, Côte de Nuits-Villages), commune (for example, Saint-Aubin, Marsannay) and single vineyard (for example, Les Ruchots). (Here is an overview of the classification system of Burgundy:). If the wines are made from their own grapes, it is noted on the label as Domaine. You can find some really nice values at the region, district and commune levels of wines for each one of these maisons. They have their footprint in almost every commune. Do the math on that. We all know that there are economies of scale here as production, shipping and marketing costs are all kept down. You benefit and you can actually find these wines in many locations.

Own it: Do what you do and do it well. Some winemakers have a foothold in one or two communes. They know their family’s terroir like nobody’s business. Instead of hearing “Good Night Moon” or “Dr. Seuss” when they were 5 years of age, they were probably hearing bedtime stories about the terroir from their grandparents. Take advantage of that. Here are the communes and smaller producers where I found quality and availability (so decent volume and aggressive importers) within our set price parameters. Use these communes as guidance for the 3 maisons I mentioned above.

REDS

(north to south)

Marsannay-la-Côte (Marsannay): This commune has no Grands Crus or Premiers Crus, but it’s relatively easy to get a tasty Marsannay for anywhere from $20-35. Typically, expect black fruits and possibly some licorice. Sometimes, these wines can be a little fruity and lighter in weight. Here are some domaines of note: Domaines Joseph Roty, Jean & Jean-Louis Trapet and Bruno Clair.
Morey-Saint-Denis: This region is nestled in between Chambolle-Musigny and Gevrey-Chambertin. (Here’s an in depth look at Morey-Saint-Denis.) It’s tough having super famous neighbors, so some of the Premiers Crus (single vineyard) offer a value proposition. You’re going to have to search, but search you must. You can find some of these for under $40. Check out Domaines Hubert Lignier, Frederic Magnien, Pierre Amiot, Arlaud, Fourrier and Heresztyn.
Savigny-lès-Beaune: Roughly 85% of what they produce is red. There are no Grands Crus, BUT there are 22 Premiers Crus and many within a $23-45 price range. It’s relatively easy to find these with a $30 handle. LOOK for them. Expect to taste red fruits, mocha and/or coffee and possibly some dusty tannins. Domaines Joseph Roty, Bruno Clair and Lignier Michelet and Maison Nicolas Potel are names to track down for value and quality.
Santenay: Located at the base of Côte de Beaune, but one of the larger communes, Santenay is known for light bodied reds, many which can be found for between $16-40. Typically, their wines are considered to be rustic, gamey, possibly with some smoke on the palate. Look for the following producers: Domaines Joseph Roty, de la Pousse d’Or, Louis Latour and Vincent Girardin; Maisons Joseph Drouhin and Nicolas Potel.
Bonus Round: Here are a few other value propositions to look for in the Côte d’Or — Chorey-lès-Beaune, Ladoix, Nuits-Saint-Georges (loads of inexpensive 1er Crus here) and Monthelie. I know I said I would focus on wines from the Côte d’Or this time around, but I can’t help but add Givry from Côte Chalonnaise to this list.

SIDEBAR: 1er cru vs. Premier Cru – When grapes from two or more Premiers Crus vineyards are blended, the label will will not state the specific Premiers Crus vineyards the grapes came from AND “1er Cru” will appear on the label in lieu of “Premier Cru.”

WHITES

(north to south)

Saint-Aubin: Nestled right by illustrious Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Montrachet, this commune offers outstanding values, with decent wines for $14-36. Roughly 2/3 of their production is Pinot Noir, but I really enjoy their whites. One of the wine makers I met in Burgundy jokingly referred to Saint-Aubin as the “poor man’s Montrachet” (P.S. not derogatory in any regard as this wine maker ‘fessed up to Saint-Aubin being his daily, go-to wine). It’s fairly easy to track one down for $35. Expect citrus, white flowers, stone/flint and austerity on the palate. Look for Domaines Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Jean Marc Morey, Jean Chartron, Jean Rijckaert and Philippe Colin.
Chassagne-Montrachet: Right next to Saint-Aubin, but slightly southeast, Chassagne shares Le Montrachet and Båtard Montrachet with Puligny-Montrachet. Look for the Villages and Premiers Crus. You can find some for around $30. Expect floral tones, intermingling citrus, light yeasty notes and minerality. These wines tend to be more rich, rounded and succulent for the entry level. Search for Domaines Faiveley, Jean Marc Morey, Frederic Magnien, Bernard Morey, Chåteau de la Maltroye, Colin Deleger and Jean-Noel Gagnard.
Beaune: There’s lots of Pinot here and 3/4 are Premiers Crus, but there are some lovely whites. Be certain to look for Maisons Louis Jadot and Bouchard and Domaines Jean Marc Boillot and Chanson.
Bonus Round: Within the Côte d’Or, also check out Saint-Romain. Even though I am focusing on the Côte d’Or for this piece, I couldn’t help but include a few others, which are also in Burgundy. From Côte Chalonnaise – Rully, Montagny. From Måconnais – Måcon (and Villages – Comte Lafond makes a Macon Milly Larmantine that rivals any 1er Crus Puligny under $100; these sell for about $25-ish. And In between Måconnais and Beaujolais – Saint-Véran

ROSÉS

Marsannay Rosés: I love Pinot Noir. I enjoy Champagne made from Pinot Noir. I enjoy Burgundy made from Pinot Noir. And guess what… I enjoy rosés made from Pinot Noir. Marsannay rocks this genre out for $20-$30 (and sometimes under $20). Expect to taste strawberries with a bit of minerality. Some names to look for are Domaines Bruno Clair and Charles Audoin.

Source: Supply and Demand curve, Wikipedia. Used under the terms of their Creative Commons License.

Burgundy – Lunch in Beaune, Wines of Morey-Saint-Denis and Calling all Mustard Freaks

Lunch in Beaune

Alas, believe it or not, a girl cannot live on wine alone.
Ma Cuisine
Passage Sainte-Hélène
21200 Beaune, France
The restaurateur from La Cantine des Sales Gosses in Lyon who is a foodie, wine lover and my sister-in-law’s friend recommended this restaurant to us. It attracts wine lovers (producers and consumers) and is frequented by locals. Family run, the staff at Ma Cuisine was unbelievably warm and easy going. Reasonably priced, the food was delish, with a wine list to match. I started with traditional escargot, which is one of the delicacies of the region, followed by really lovely skate. My husband had the Andouillette AAAAA. I know… I had to look up what all of the A’s meant too. It means Association Amicale des Amateurs d’Andouillette Authentiques which translates in ‘merican to really outstanding Andouillette sausage. We were unable to make it to Chablis on this trip to Burgundy, so we attempted to compensate by waving in a 2007 Vincent Dauvissat Chablis. It was crisp, lemony, well balanced and gentle on the palate, with a hint of green tea.

Morey-Saint-Denis

To continue our whirlwind tour of the region, we headed north toward Côte de Nuits to taste the wines of Morey-Saint-Denis. Why Morey-Saint-Denis, do you ask? It is nestled perfectly between the coveted and pricey wines of Gevrey-Chambertin and Chambolle-Musigny, but wines from Morey-Saint-Denis can offer tremendous value.

Super famous neighbors – check… Gevrey-Chambertin and Chambolle-Musigny
a few Grands Crus – check… the nerve, only 4… Gevrey has 9 (obviously, I am being completely facetious here on all accounts)
Super tiny production – check

What’s a girl to do?

Au Caveau des Vignerons

3, Place de l’Eglise, 21220 Morey-Saint Denis
caveau-des-vignerons@wanadoo.fr

The wine growers from some of these smaller production vineyards are spread really thin with their workload and don’t always have the time or the facilities to receive guests for tastings. Au Caveau des Vignerons was initiated by the local government and wine growers to showcase the wines of this specific region. There is a selection of wines available to taste, with well over a hundred wines available to purchase. Au Caveau des Vigernons carries Grand Crus, four of which are from Morey-Saint-Denis (Clos de la Roche, Clos Saint-Denis, Clos des Lambrays and Clos de Tart). They also carry the Grand Cru Bonnes Mares, which is partially located in Morey-Saint-Denis. The remainder of their Grands Crus comes from Chambertain or Chambolle-Musigny (Chapelle-Chambertin, Chambertin, Griotte-Chambertin, Charmes-Chambertin and Clos Vougeot). Caveau des Vignerons also covers Premiers Crus from Morey-Saint-Denis, Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambertain and Chambolle-Musigny. This wine store offers a great sampling of what the area has to offer and all in one convenient location.

Our tasting included three of the twenty Premiers Crus from Morey-Saint-Denis – Aux Charmes (1.17 hectares/4.3acres), Les Ruchots (2.58hectares/6.37 acres, separated from the Clos de Tart and Bonnes Mares only by a narrow road, Route des Grands Crus – again value) and Les Chaffots (2.62 hectares/6.47 acres). Clearly, you can see how tiny and fragmented the land is.

A lovely, but brutally honest woman hosted our tasting. My father-in-law had selected a few bottles at random. When we went to check out, she put a few back, exchanging those wines for wines at the same price point (and even lower), of better quality and more in tandem with his palate. We tasted many wines, but we walked away with the following 4 Premiers Crus:

Prices below are prices paid at the store and are not inclusive of shipping, taxes, etc.

2006 Morey-Saint-Denis, Les Chaffots, Domaine Michel Magnien (36,00€) located right next door to the Grand Cru Clos Saint Denis; concentrated black fruits, perfume and velvet
2007 Morey-Saint-Denis, Les Charmes, Domaine Virgile Lignier (36,00€) finesse, feminine
2006 Morey-Saint-Denis, Les Ruchots, Jean Louis Amiot (25,50€) supple
2007 Chambolle-Musigny, Aux Combottes, Domaine Alain Jeanniard (32,00€) figs, stewed fruit, pencil shavings

For the Mustard Freaks like me…

I am a complete mustard freak, so we wrapped up our day by filling up any crevice of remaining space in our suitcase not already occupied by wine with mustards. In our home, we have a shelf in the refrigerator just for mustards. C’est vrai. The variety of exceptional mustards in France is unparalleled anywhere else in the world. Although I know there is a strong contingency on team Amora, we tend to favor Maille.

Maille D’Or
12, Rue Auxonne
21000 Dijon, France
+33 3 80 65 15 26
Here’s a little secret. If you can’t make it to Dijon, they also have a boutique in Paris (6, place de la Madeleine).
We are hopeful that Unilever will not alter the Maille recipes since their purchase of this company. Dear Unilever: Don’t fix what isn’t broke. I am convinced that Maille caters to the perceived palate of their client base by altering their base recipe from country to country. I guess I have more of a French person’s palate because their mustard tastes so much better in France than in the States. They also have amazing flavors that I have not found outside of France. Some of our favorites are – moutarde au vin blanc (with white wine), au poivre (with peppercorn), aux 3 herbes (three herbs) – we always walk away with the largest size we can get of these. For the moutarde au vin blanc, vat size is available and they fill up your vat for you at the store. We also love the moutarde au Chablis et morilles (Chablis and morel mushrooms), aux pruneaux et Armagnac (prunes and Armagnac), au bleu (blue cheese), girolles, échalottes et cerfeuil (chanterelle mushrooms, shallots and chervil – parsley family) and abricot sec et curry (dried apricots and curry).

Edmond Fallot
http://www.fallot.com
To hedge our mustard portfolio, we added this brand to the mix. We were able to find the Fallot brand in boutique shops all around Dijon.

Burgundy – Domaine Jean Chartron and the 2009 Hospice de Beaune Auction

Puligny-Montrachet is “the greatest white-wine commune on earth… The top Montrachet, Chevalier and Bâtard are wines to drink on bended knee with the head beared.” Alexandre Dumas

Le Montrachet… Everybody wants a piece of it, so what’s with all of the dashes?

Le Montrachet is probably the most famous white Grand Cru. The communes of Puligny and Chassagne share this beloved Grand Cru, so they both affixed their name to it, resulting in Puligny-Montrachet (as of 1879) and Chassagne-Montrachet. Puligny and Chassagne also share the Grand Crus Bâtard-Montrachet, which is located at the bottom of the slope, and, at the top of the slope, but still within Puligny, is the Grand Crus Chevalier-Montrachet. I am going to focus on Puligny-Montrachet.

Puligny-Montrachet is only about 575 acres (230 hectares), in total. It contains 4 Grand Crus (Le Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet and Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet) and 13 Premiers Crus. For Le Montrachet, “part of the secret lies in the limestone, part in its perfect south east exposition, which keeps the sun from dawn till dusk.” The Oxford Companion to Wine, edited by Jancis Robinson. Chardonnay thrives here.

Domaine Jean Chartron

Grande Rue, 21190 Puligny-Montrachet
+33 3 80 21 99 19
www.bourgogne-chartron.com
I visited Burgundy in the thick of the harvest. 2009 was shaping up to be an amazing vintage, but rainstorms were imminent. Rainstorms during a harvest have the potential to destroy a vintage by making the wines too flabby. The air was full of frenetic energy and the promise of a stellar 2009. The timing of my visit was not optimal since one of my missions was to spend as much time as I could with the producers. Despite the flurry of activity, wine maker Jean-Michel Chartron from Domaine Jean Chartron graciously welcomed us to his domaine. Fifth generation and not quite 40 years old, he is now at the helm of the family business. They have just shy of 30 acres (Puligny and neighboring villages), with the majority being Premiers or Grands Crus. They are very humble about the elegance and finesse of their wines and fly just under the radar for many. This Domaine is one to watch.

I caught up with Jean-Michel again at the New York Wine Experience in late October and chatted with him once more on the phone post the Hospice de Beaune auction (see below) this past weekend. Over the course of our conversations, we discussed various vintages, the vision he has for his domaine, the region of Côte de Beaune and the Hospice de Beaune auction. His enthusiasm for wine, for his profession and for the region was both palatable and infectious each time we spoke. Jean-Michel’s vision for his wines is “to emphasize the expression of the terroir.” First and secondary fermentation of Domaine Jean Chartron’s wines occur in oak barrels, with new oak usage ranging from 10-45%. Their average barrel gets 4 years of use. With the continued emphasis on the terroir, he conveyed, “Going forward, I expect this will mean less new oak to show the fruits and the terroir, and for the viticulture, an expanded focus on our organic philosophy although we are already at 90% of our target.”

Hospice de Beaune Auction

When I spoke to Jean-Michel regarding this year’s auction, he was still pumped with the exuberance of the past weekend. “This year’s auction was nothing short of amazing. The number of barrels auctioned off was much higher than last year. If I remember correctly, it was something like 799 barrels vs. 540 from last year. Prices were stable for some and higher for others. The newspaper came out this morning quoting prices up 20.38% for 2009 vintage, which is really quite amazing. It’s a combination of (1) the auction being for charity and (2) the vintage of 2009 being an exceptional year. This year’s auction involved more private collectors than auctions of years past where it may have had more negociants. People showed a willingness to be generous.”

Hospice de Beaune sidebar: The 100 years war left many in the areas around Beaune destitute. In 1443, Duke Philippe le Bon (literally Phillip the good) and his Chancellor, Nicolas Rolin, reacted by establishing a hospital for the poor – Hôtel Dieu. Make no bones about it, wine was and still is the industry of this region. People paid for services as (and if) they could with wine or donations of wine to the hospital. Over the years, the collection became immensely impressive. The Hospice de Beaune auction, which dates back to 1859, is conducted on the third Sunday of each November and benefits the Hôtel Dieu, which is now a museum, and the Hôpital de la Charité, which still serves the medical needs of those with lesser means and the elderly of the community. Until 2005, the length of the auction was dictated by the amount of time it took for a candle placed next the auctioneer to extinguish. When the candle burned out, the auction was over. Christie’s now hosts the auction.

Tasting Notes:

Please note prices below reflect those paid directly at the vineyard and are not inclusive of taxes, importing fees, etc. I chose to taste Domaine Jean Chartron’s whites this time. All of the wines below are 100% Chardonnay.

District

2007 Bourgogne, Clos de la Combe ( 10% new oak barrels / 90% barrels aged 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years. Maturing on fine lees for 6 months. 9.90€) apple and pear, minerality; really nice palate cleanser, suggest as an aperitif
2007 Bourgogne, Hautes-Cotes de Beaune (Higher in altitude with 100% Barrel fermentation – 10% new oak barrels / 90% barrels aged 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years. Matured on fine lees for 8 months, 12.80€) hazelnut, apples, apricot, citrus

Regional

2007 Rully, Montmorin (100% barrel fermentation – 10% new oak barrels / 90% barrels aged 1, 2 and 3 years. Matured on fine lees for 8 months. 13.90€) melon, white flowers
2007 Puligny-Montrachet (100% barrel fermentation – 30% new oak barrels / 70% barrels aged 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years. Matured on fine lees for 9 months. 31,90€) apricot, white peaches, hazelnut, gentle

Single Vineyard, Premiers Crus

2007 Saint-Aubin Murgers, des Dents de Chien (Situated 200 meters above the famous Grand Cru Chevalier-Montrachet, it is one of the best terroirs of Saint-Aubin. 100% barrel fermentation in 25% new oak barrels, with 75% barrels aged 1, 2 and 3 years. Matured on fine lees for 10 months. 24.50€) white peaches, apricots, white flowers, elegant
2007 Puligny-Montrachet, Clos du Cailleret (100% barrel fermentation – 40% new oak barrels / 60% barrels aged 1, 2 and 3 years. Matured on fine lees for 11 months. Solely owned by the Chartron family since 1917. 48.00€) floral, elegant, creamy, flinty with beautiful minerality and a hint of lime zest – this one lingered on my tongue forever

What did I buy, why and what would I pair it with?

Turkey day is coming up for those in the States; I’d pick any one of of these as a white-wine option. A deliciously baked, juicy herbed chicken would be so yummy too. Also, wave in any goat cheese to go with any one of the wines below.

2007 Bourgogne, Hautes-Côtes de Beaune
2007 Puligny-Montrachet: This was my second fav from this domaine we tasted.
2007 Saint-Aubin Murgers, des Dents de Chien
2007 Clos du Cailleret: This was my favorite one that I tasted from this domaine. I loved the finish, minerality and complexity. I make a mean scallop and pumpkin risotto. This would be an unbelievable pairing.

Burgundy – Les Domaines Bouchard Père & Fils

Les Domaines Bouchard Père et Fils

15, rue de Château – 21200 Beaune
+33 3 80 24 80 24
www.bouchard-pereetfils.com chateau
On a perfectly crisp autumn day, I visited Domaine Bouchard, which is located within the regal 15th century Château de Beaune. Domaine Bouchard includes 4,000 square meters (13,123 square feet) of cellars (yes, this is not a typo) and 321 acres of vineyards (33 acres of Grands Crus and 183 acres of Premiers Crus). Oui, c’est vrai mes amis, Bouchard Père et Fils is massive. Yet, as gargantuan as they are, they hosted each guest with the utmost warmth and intimacy. This also holds true for the care in which they craft their wines. Despite their historical contributions to wine as a whole and their Burgundian legacy, Bouchard exhibited nothing but humility and true passion for wine. If you plan a trip to Burgundy, a visit to Bouchard is mandatory.

History

Their colorful history dates back to 1731 when a family of cloth merchants, who used to sell wines as they were traveling to and from the north of France, realized that selling wine was by far more lucrative than their cloth trade. So in 1731, they packed up the cart and moved to Burgundy to focus on wine full time. They were extremely successful in their new wine venture and in 1810, the family was able to purchase the Château de Beaune, a castle that had been used by the King of France to monitor and establish control of Burgundy, a region which had been independent from France.

The château and all of its contents (including the massive cellars stocked with elegant wine) were seized by the Nazis during the occupation of France in WWII. The Nazis loved good wine and helped themselves to as much as they could get their hands on. However, someone had the foresight to put a fake wall in front of the older part of the cellar, so the great library of wines was preserved. How fantastic is that?

My husband’s grandfather Pépé Tin was in a Nazi camp during the occupation of France. Years later, whenever he would open a good bottle of wine, he’d smile, have a sip and say “that’s another one the Nazis won’t get.” As a result of someone outsmarting the Nazis, the museum section boasts of a decent volume of older wines, with 2 bottles dating back to 1846 (1 Chablis and 1 Meursault Charmes). Christie’s recently auctioned off one of these older bottles (1864 Montrachet) for 10,300€. These wines have been maintained in the proper temperature and handled gingerly, so, despite their age and fragility, they are indeed drinkable. Interestingly, for these older and treasured bottles of wine, to ensure the preservation, Bouchard changes the corks every 20 to 25 years. Isabelle Philipe, External Relations Manager for Bouchard, shared the following with me, “The oenologist tastes only one bottle (of the lot for that year) and uses it refill the other ones and then puts new corks. The bottle we use to refill the other ones is of course from the same appellation and same vintage. We carry out this changing of corks regularly the whole year long, which represents thousands of bottles each year.”

Presently, the château stores 2.5 million bottles. By the way, there’s another 2.5-3 million bottles stored in at their logistical plant in Savigny lès Beaune, which rotate quickly as orders get filled. At the plant, they bottle, label and ship, but it is not open to the public. Each year, Bouchard produces 3-3.5 million bottles of wine, with about 18% coming from their own domaines. The bulk of their production comes from acting in their capacity as negociant. Bouchard exports 52% of their production, with the residual 48% remaining in France. That’s 1.5 million bottles to the Frenchies each year! Clearly the French imbibe what Bouchard produces. Bouchard shared with us that typically, a winery in this region can export around 70% of their production. They just opened their tasting room in the château 3 months ago.

When you are established, you can do and say whatever you want. You’ve earned that right and if people don’t like it, who cares. Sometimes, you end up setting the standard. My friend Premila has a friend with a 96 year old grandmother. She keeps her garage stocked with liquor (just in case there’s another depression and she needs to barter). Everyday at 5PM, she has a cocktail. If she happens to be en route to someplace at 5PM, she packs a traveler for her daily ritual. (She is no longer able to drive – so don’t fret). Bouchard is one of the granddaddies of Burgundy. They are established can do whatever they want. That’s the way it is. I love wine, but like so many things in life, some get caught up in pompous and stuffy rules. Or, they blindly follow the leader instead of marching to the beat of their own drum. While there is often logic with many of the guidelines with wine, keep in mind, first and foremost, it is meant to be enjoyed. You can make your own rules sometimes. Tastings at Bouchard start with red wines and end with white (so reverse of convention). Our guide at Bouchard stated, “It’s the way we’ve always done it and we are determined to keep it this way.” They prefer for palates to end on a light and clean note, rather then “laden with tannins.”

Tasting Notes

(Please note, because Bouchard exports a significant volume of wine in countries all over the world with various import fees and taxes. As such, they have asked that I not display the prices for the wines we tasted at the site, so prices have been deliberately omitted below.)
Reds (100% Pinot Noir)

2003 Côte de Beaune Villages Rouge (negociant) strawberries, vanilla, minerality, fruity, tannins; heat of 2003 shows
2000 Beaune Marconets Premier Cru (Domaine Bouchard) cherries, decent tannins, freshly cut wood
2001 Corton Renardes Grand Cru (Domaine Bouchard) cherries, tobacco, slight hint of coconut and leather with some mushrooms; very pleasant color and finish; ready to drink now

Whites (100% Chardonnay)

2003 Beaune (Domaine Bouchard) melons, fresh, creme soda, minerality
2006 Meursault Premier Cru (negociant) hazelnut, creme soda; I wrote the word “love” next this one.
2003 Beaune du Château Blanc Premier Cru (Domaine Bouchard – a blending of various Premiers Crus from Beaune) creme soda, apples, honeysuckle
1997 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru (Domaine Bouchard) apples, honey dew melons, jasmine, minerality, elegant finish

What did I buy, why and what would I pair it with?

We purchased all of the wines at a very good price compared to what we’d pay in the States. Luckily, I have a father-in-law who happily offered to store our wine in France for us.

2001 Corton Renardes Grand Cru – I’ve always said Pinot Noir is everyone’s friend. It goes with almost everything and offends no one. Fish, chicken, duck, pork, red meat… it’s all good with all of the above. This Grand Cru had complexity with a silky finish.
2003 Côte de Beaune Villages – I just couldn’t beat the complexity and minerality for this price point. They already aged it for me. What can I say? With that fresh melon and minerality, shellfish and fish would go very nicely and it wouldn’t break the bank.
2006 Meursault Premier Cru – I am thinking a perfectly butter poached lobster for this guy, although I think it could hold its own paired with a juicy roasted chicken with savory herbs, duck (because of that bit of apple) and fish. We had this wine with a butter nut squash soup over the weekend. The rosemary and sage in the soup was spectacular with this wine. I did write the word “love” next to it while I was tasting… enough said.