An exploration of the renowned wines of Burgundy

Transcription

1 An exploration of the renowned wines of Burgundy November 23 rd, 2013 Worcester Chapter

2 Agenda Greeting wine/introductions Wine education/discussion Wine tasting with appetizers AWS announcements Exchange dollars for wine National Tasting Project results Mystery wine Wine and friendly discussion

3 NV Charles Duret Crémant de Bourgogne Brut The appellation Crémant de Bourgogne created on October 17 th, 1975 Pre-selected vines within Burgundy region Strict hand-sorting of the grapes before de-stemming and light pressing La méthode traditionnelle Second fermentation (in the bottle over 9 months), aged on the lees, riddling, disgorging, dosage de départ and the final corking 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay Delicate, long-lasting bubbles, fresh fruity flavors with a hint of hazelnuts on the finish

4 French Wine Regions

5 Côte d Or In the heart of Burgundy Literal translation: golden slope, but actually an abbreviation for Cote d Orient: east slope Route des Grands Crus stretches for 35 miles

6 Pino Noir Ancient varietal, may be only one or two generations removed from wild vines Probably originated in the Cote d Or Patriarch of the Pinot family of grape varieties Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Meunier, Aligoté, Chardonnay and Gouais Blanc Primarily planted in cool climates Plantings: Burgundy, Champagne, Western Germany, Northern Italy, Chile, Australia, California, Oregon, Argentina, New Zealand Thin skins, susceptible to fungal diseases and rot Sensitive to frost Pruning important for low yields Terroir has a strong influence on this grape Ferments violently, often "boiling" up and out of its container

7 Chardonnay One of the most widely planted varietals Traced from the Middle Ages to the small village of Chardonnay in the Maĉon region Best expressions of the grape: Burgundy, Champagne, Alsace, Australia, California Very neutral, flavors influenced by terroir and oak Easy to cultivate and adapts to different conditions Highly vigorous vines

8 Burgundy Wine Classifications 60 appellations in the Côte d Or Appellations were finalized in the 1930s, but closely follow the 19 th century map Some producing only a few thousand bottles a year Levels of quality, strictly defined by AOC (Appellation d'origine Contrôlée) laws: 51.1% Regional/Subregional Wines 37.3% Villages Wines 10.2% Premier Cru 1.4% Grand Cru

9 Regional Classification AOC Bourgogne, blanc and rouge Grapes can be from anywhere in Burgundy Immediate consumption, within three years after the vintage date Often supplementary labeled Pinot Noir or Chardonnay Bourgogne Aligoté Bourgogne Passe-tout-grains blended with the Gamay Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire Sub-regional, cover a part of Burgundy larger than a village: Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Hills to the west of Nuits-St-Georges: Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits

10 Villages Classification Côte de Nuits Villages 5 villages: Fixin, Brochon, Comblanchien, Corgoloin and Prissey Côte de Beaune Villages 14 villages excluding Aloxe-Corton, Pommard, Volnay and Beaune Côte de Beaune Higher altitude than Côte de Beaune Villages Not necessarily better than Côte de Beaune Villages Distinct notch above regional classification Blended from multiple vineyards Best bang for your buck

11 Individual Villages Classification Some Beaune Premier Crus are less well regarded than the best village wines of Côte de Nuits Individual Village wines can sell for 10x the price of regional More complex than general villages classification Named after a town near to where the grapes are sourced Label: village name, and sometimes the single vineyard if applicable

12 Premier Cru Classification Broad range of quality among the premiers crus Special vineyard areas within a village; climats or named plots Some are just inches away from a Grand Cru vineyards Label: the village, the Premier Cru status, and usually the vineyard name

13 Grand Cru Classification The epitome of both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay Aged a minimum of five to seven years, the best more than 15 There are a total of 33 Grand Cru vineyards in Burgundy, all of which are in the Côte d Or Label: name of the vineyard, the Grand Cru status, but not the village name

14 Terroir The Land 200 million BC vast, tropical sea which created limestone soils Limestone escarpment forms million years ago Sandy limestone base with marl and clay in Côte de Nuits Solid limestone subsoil with flinty clay in Côte de Beaune Chardonnay grown where limestone comes to the surface Pinot Noir grown where clay, iron and marl are at the surface The greatest wines are made from the sites with the best east facing exposure and drainage

15 Terroir Continental climate strong temperature variations from day to night and between the seasons Shorter growing season than Bordeaux, cooler temperatures in September and October, ripening can sometimes be difficult No significant river influence The Climate Warm, humid air from the south in the late summer/early fall can cause rot problems La Bise a dry, cool north wind that blows in and dries the vineyards Main weather problems: winter freezing, spring frosts, summer hail

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18 History 300BC The Celts had vineyards and produced wine 51BC The Romans conquered Gaul and improved the viticulture and wine making 775 Charlemagne donated land to the St. Andoche Abbey to grow grapes for wine 10 th 14 th centuries Benedictine Monks and the Cistercian Monks 14 th century Valois Dukes governed Burgundy Burgundy wines were a status symbol Philip the Bold issued a decree in 1395: Gamay was harmful to human beings and contrary to Burgundian practice 1789 French revolution Religious and aristocratic estates broken up and sold off 1791 The Napoleonic Law of Succession Equal inheritance for every son; the start of vineyard fragmentation 1861 Beaune Committee of Agriculture creates a 3-tier classification system 1870s and 80s phylloxera crisis destroys the vineyards grapes replanted onto disease resistant rootstock 1919 Appellations d origine system was created 1930 AOC laws go into affect

19 Domaine vs. Négociant Burgundy s land ownership is extremely fragmented due to the Napoleonic Law of Succession Only a small proportion of vineyard owners make and bottle their own wine Label: mis en bouteille au domaine ('bottled at the domaine') The majority, sell their grapes or unfinished wine to négociants

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21 2006 Louis Jadot Meursault Vineyards spread over gentle slopes, between 750 and 1200 feet above sea level Eastern orientation, allowing maximum sunlight Chalky soils with white marl 100% fermented in wooden barrels and aged 15 months in the barrels before bottling Fragrant, ripe, full fruited bouquet with hazelnut and spice nuances Pairs with foods like fish in a cream sauce, shellfish, poultry with cream and white meat Can be aged for 8 to 15 years

22 2007 Domaine Marc Morey & Fils Chassagne-Montrachet Tasting notes: A beautifully crisp, steely wine, initially delicate, then revealing depths of citrus and green plum flavors with light toast and the freshest acidity. There is a final spice from wood and tight structure from the fruit.

23 2007 Domaine Matrot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Chalumeaux" Average age of the vines: 30 years Indigenous yeasts Fermentation in one- to five-year-old barrels Temperature control (65-70 ) Duration of the fermentation 8 to 10 weeks Maturing on lees for 11 months Complete malolactic fermentation Bâtonnage (stirring up of the lees) Bottling after one racking Characterized by: finesse, subtleness and floral aromas, underlined by an elegant minerality Should be aged for a minimum of 3 to 5 years in order to reach its full expression

24 2005 Domaine Vincent Girardin Pommard "Les Vignots" Les Vignots plot Soil: clay and limestone soils, marl and gravel Biodynamic vineyard since 2009 Hand picked Temperature controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks Indigenous yeasts Gentle pressing Aged in small French oak barrels (15% new oak) Malolactic fermentation (indigenous bacteria) 14 months on the lees No filtration or fining

25 2005 Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur Volnay 1er Cru "Les Aussy" Vincent Bitouzet winemaker Great-grandfather was mayor of the village in 1802 Grandfather won metals for his wine in 1860 Vineyard is 2.5 acres Vines planted in A supplemental planting was done in 1998 Organic compost No herbicides or pesticides Sexual confusion to reduce insect infestations Harvest is done manually Only indigenous yeasts are used Brief cold maceration Grapes are completely destemmed Bottled between 20 and 24 months after harvest This vineyard yields a wine that is strongly spicy with background notes of earth and truffle; its firm tannic backbone supports excellent round, generous, red berry fruit

26 2005 Domaine de la Vougeraie Gevrey-Chambertin Soil: Red loam over marlstone and limestone sub-strata Harvest date: September 22 nd, 26 th and 29 th, 2005 Hand-sorted in the vineyard and on arrival in the winery De-stemmed, not crushed No yeast addition Cold maceration at 59 Length of maceration: 22 days Cap-punched and pumped-over once a day until mid-fermentation Aged 16 months in barrels Percentage of new barrels: 30% Barrel toasting: long and gentle heat, without charring Source of wood: Nevers, forêt de Bertranges New barrels racked once in July 2006 Light and soft filtration and no fining Bottled January 9 th, 2007 Limited to 775 cases and 54 half bottle cases

27 2005 Domaine Chauvenet-Chopin Vougeot Hubert Chauvenet winemaker Married into the Chopin family Both families own vineyards, now they are combined Hand picking Total destemming A few days cold maceration Fermentation at 85º to 90º 30% new oak Barrel aged 18 months Winemaker notes: Deep and bright color, aromas of violets and berries (cherry, blackcurrant...), delicate tannins. A rare and captivating wine

28 2002 Domaine Pierre Amiot & Fils Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru "Aux Charmes" Pierre Amiot is a short, rotund man with a luxuriant moustache 5th generation sons Jean-Louis and Didier took over after Pierre s retirement Aux Charmes is adjacent to the Charmes-Chambertin and Mazoyeres- Chambertin Grand Cru climats No synthetic fertilizers or pesticides Vines range in age from years Fruit fully destemmed 20 day maceration Aged in new barrels Wine kept on its lees until the only racking before bottling No fining or filtering The racking and bottling are done by hand

29 AWS Announcements Next meeting Wine and Chocolate! Wine/chocolate pairings December 7 th Wine dinner Jerry Special Events Coordinator People s Kitchen Tuesday, November 26 th January meeting Bubbly! January 11 th Remote tasting: Getting to Know Veneto with Banfi: The Wines of Romeo & Juliet Monday, February 10 th, 8 pm Wine and materials provided at no cost AWS will select the chapters that will participate

30 Exchange Dollars for Wine Cost per person 18 people: $25 17 people: $26 16 people: $28 15 people: $30

31 Mystery Wine The challenge: what is this wine? Old world/new world? Old world terroir, minerally, earthy New world varietal, wine maker influence, fruit, oak Age? Color What varietal? Aroma/bouquet Taste/texture What region/country? Cold climate/warm climate? Acidity?