Bountiful Burgundy on a Budget
From everyday quaffers to the most expensive wines known to man
Burgundy stretches from Chablis (near Champagne) all the way to Beaujolais at the tip of the Rhone Valley. Between these two points lies an incredible diversity of wines, from everyday quaffers to the most sublime and expensive wines known to man.
Although the region has a reputation for overpriced and underwhelming wines, it is changing for the better. For the serious collector, there has never been a more diverse and exciting selection from the top villages, and the quality has never been so high. For the novice explorer, there have never been so many enticing and affordable examples to choose from. Here we will concentrate on the value priced category, exploring wines that deliver complexity and drinkablity, and are capable of competing with any in the world.
Chablis was once considered to be among the finest wine villages in France – so recognizable that the name was used by other countries such as Australia and the United States to help sell poor quality white wines. Abused by inferior products, the wines of Chablis itself began to lose popularity. Today, Chablis delivers great value as well as unique and exciting wines – you do, however, have to stick to the top producers. Petit Chablis or village Chablis offer fresh and un-oaked versions of Chardonnay with crisp acidity and distinct minerality. These wines are widely available and come at a price we can live with.
The Côtes D’or is home to the most expensive agricultural land in the world – despite this, there are many great values here from outside the more famous and cherished villages. In the surrounding hills lie the Hautes-Côtes, where some fabulous Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are produced. Although the exposures are not always ideal, in warm years these vines produce moderately complex wines that are exceedingly delicious. Other great values in this region include the simple Bourgogne or regional wines. The top producers often bottle some of their more famous village wines under this modest designation when the wines do not meet their rigorous standards. The result is excellent wine at a fraction of its typical price.
The Côte Chalonnaise is a small and often overlooked Burgundian phenomena squeezed between the Côtes D’or and the expansive Maconnais. Both the reds and whites offer good value, with a handful of producers making top quality wine. Givry can offer excellent Pinot Noir, delicious when young but often capable of improving with age. Chardonnay also thrives here, and the villages of Rully and Mercury are capable of rich and complex wines not unlike the more famous villages of Meursault or Puligny.
In the Maconnais, chardonnay is strewn about the rolling hills, producing some of the best value white wine in the world – oak is used judiciously and the true nature of the grape is allowed to shine through. A simple Macon Blanc or Saint Veran can offer soft but very drinkable wines, perfect for everyday consumption. Pouilly-Fuisse in its more favourable post provides denser wines, full and rich with more complexity and usually a little oak aging. Red wines are also made here, but generally lack the style and generosity of the more popular whites.
There has been great effort to reproduce the wines of Burgundy throughout the vine-growing world. California, Oregon and even Canada have planted thousands of acres dedicated to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, each seeking to reproduce the magic of Burgundy in their own land, yet few have managed to capture the essence of what makes Burgundy great, and those who have tend to price their wines accordingly. There is another side to Burgundy which people seldom explore. In the more obscure and remote areas, we can discover affordable expressions of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir rarely duplicated outside of this legendary land.
Burgundy on a Budget
· 1998 Château de Daveney ($14.95) – ripe raspberry and clove dominate a soft, delicious texture.
· 1999 Brocard Portlandian Chardonnay ($19.95) – Fresh with ripe pear and subtle mineral notes.
· 1999 Domaine Henri Naudin-Ferrand Hautes-Côtes de Beaune ($19.95) – a soft plumy wine with bright fruit and soft tannins.
· 1999 Château de Beauregard Pouilly-Fuisse ($25.75) – Rich, spicy texture with vanillin flavours. |
