Tag: savigny les beaune

Burgundy: A Basic Lesson in Economics

Supply-and-demand.svgGuess 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 – 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.comchateau
    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.”library

    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.