2008 ~ No. 12    

A Convoluted History

In one key respect, Burgundy is a very simple wine region. Virtually all of the wines there are produced from one of two grapes: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

The exceptions to this rule are glaringly obvious. The “other” red is Beaujolais, crafted from the Gamay grape; and Aligote, a white grape whose name also appears on the bottle.

But – and you knew this was coming - everything else about Burgundy is maddeningly complex. To understand it better, it’s important to know the area’s fascinating history.

While vines were cultivated in Burgundy as early as the 2nd century AD, the important tradition of wine growing in the monasteries began in 587 at the abbey of St. Benignus and the monastery at Beze (near Gevrey) in 630.

By 1098, the Cistercian Order was systematically promoting the culture of winegrowing, and monks were using the Clos de Vougeot (pictured) to explore the different aspects of growing vines and making wine. As the Order grew, so did their learnings, which spread through Europe.

At this time, Gamay was the primary red grape grown in Burgundy. This changed in 1395, when a decree was made to drive the grape from the region and pave the way for Pinot Noir to become the dominant grape and Burgundy one of the world’s best wine regions.

The French Revolution played another pivotal role in shaping Burgundian wine. In the anti-feudal frenzy, the vineyards were seized, broken up and sold to the workers who tended them.

They were further fragmented due to the Napoleonic Laws of Succession, which mandated that property had to be divided equally among all children in a family. Thus, ownership of vines became more and more splintered.

As a result, a single vineyard can have scores of owners, each having perhaps only one or two rows of vines. Today, for example, Clos de Vougeot, which is a tiny 125 acres/50 hectares, has over 80 proprietors.

This unique ownership structure gave rise to the region’s network of negociants and cooperatives.

Because many owners have just enough vines to make a relatively small amount of wine, many sell their production (as either grapes, juice or wine) to a negociant who blends and bottles the wine under his/her own name.

Similarly, cooperatives are a group of growers who put their product together and sell it under the name of the cooperative.

Domaine bottling is where the grower produces his/her own wines and sells them under the domaine name.

There are not necessarily any quality difference between any of these organizational styles. In Burgundy, this elusive trait depends on the care that is taken in the vineyard, in grape selection and in the winemaking techniques.

And this is what makes Burgundy is so challenging. With such a tangle of ownership, quality can vary considerably even with grapes from the same vineyard site. And while Burgundy wines are rightly deemed among the best in the world, knowing the vineyards and producers (not to mention the vintage) goes a long way towards insuring that the bottle you select will live up to this billing.

Understanding the Appellations

Further adding to the complications of understanding a Burgundy wine is the way the wines are labeled. Burgundy has a higher number of AOCs (appellation d’origine controlees) than any other region in France – slightly under 700. Unlike Bordeaux, where a classification is given to an individual chateau, Burgundy’s wines are divided regionally, with the names of villages and vineyards key.

The simplest and broadest appellation is Bourgogne, which makes up some 54% of production. Any white or red wine produced from grapes harvested in Burgundy can use this appellation. It may be supplemented by other appellations, such as broad village names (which are not one specific village, but a collection thereof) like Hauts-Cote-de-Nuits.

Next up are the communal or “villages” appellations. These can be a blend of wines from several vineyard sites within an individual village or from an individual, unclassified vineyard. The name of the village, such as Pommard or Volnay, appears on the label and, if applicable, the name of the vineyard from which the grapes were sourced.

Several villages also append the name of their most famous vineyard to the village name, as in Gevrey-Chambertin or Puligny-Montrachet. This is a tradition that dates back to 1848, allowing humble village wines to be sold on the backs of their most famous properties. These communal appellation wines make up 34% of production.

Next, Premier Cru wines represent 10% of production. The label will still say, for example, Puligny-Montrachet, but also includes the premier cru vineyard name, such as Les Pucelles. The distinction “1er Cru” typically appears on the label.

At the top of the pyramid are Grand Cru wines, representing a mere 2% of Burgundy’s production. This designation is reserved for the 33 best vineyards in the Cote d’Or and the seven best in Chablis. These wines only list the name of the vineyard – such as Montrachet or La Tache – as the appellation, and the words Grand Cru appear on the label.

One easy way to keep this all straight is to remember that the more specific the label, the better its provenance is considered to be. A good comparison is Manhattan real estate: the better the location, the more precise a resident will be about that address.

For example, someone who lives in Hoboken, New Jersey might say, “I live just outside the city,” while someone who resides in Manhattan’s upper reaches will declare, “I live in Manhattan.” And someone who lives on, oh, Fifth Avenue, will tout that prestigious address.

It’s a simple but useful way to make these wonderful wines just a little more approachable!

Lovely Burgundy Discovery

Given that the fourth generation is currently helming the estate, “discovery” may be a bit of a stretch. But with its small size (4 hectares) and production (less than 1,700 cases), it is little wonder that Domaine Marc Roy falls outside of the mainstream.

Alexandrine Roy (pictured), the only daughter of Marc Roy, runs the estate and does much of the work herself, including pigeage by foot! The wines are very pure, in the classic style of Pinot Noir. She uses a very light touch in the winery: the fruit is destemmed 100%, oak is used conservatively, elevage is brief (typically only one year in wood), and nothing is done by rote.

The character of each vintage guides her hand, resulting in remarkably supple and silky wines. Here are some that I’ve tasted recently. Prices are estimated retail. Ratings are A to F for quality, 1 to 3 for value.

Marc Roy Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 2006: Crafted from 70 year old vines, this wine is soft and elegant with notes of forest, mushroom and dark cherry sprinkled with hints of spice. Rating: B1 $60

Marc Roy Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Prieur 2006: The vines in this vineyard are not designated as premier cru, though their 50 year age helps give this wine its character. Very earthy and peppery with hints of tar and rose. Very easy and fresh on the palate. Rating: C2 $75

Marc Roy Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvee Alexandrine 2006: Production is tiny, as the wine is made from millerandaged grapes – small, thick-skinned, ultra-concentrated berries that occur with greater frequency in excellent vintages. The wine itself feels cool and lifted with less fruit and more dark floral notes. Hints of forest and mushroom abound. Rating: B1 $90

Marc Roy Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 2005: Very nice. More rustic than fruity, with peppery notes on the finish. Quite savory as well. From an excellent vintage. Rating: A1 $52.50

Marc Roy Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvee Alexandrine 2005: Oddly, given the vintage, this wine struck me as a little bland. It had the earthy hallmarks of the wine and was good, just not great. Rating: C3 $82.50

A California Treasure

If your head has started to hurt thinking of Burgundy’s complexity, ease the tension with some excellent California Pinot Noir.

Ken Brown Wines is a small, family owned estate dedicated to producing Pinot Noir from select vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills. Most lots are 250 cases or less, allowing Ken (pictured) to focus on carefully teasing out the best each wine has to offer.

Gentle processing, gravity-flow movement, and minimal fining and filtration are all techniques he uses to craft wines that have extraordinary texture and flavor. Here are some that I’ve tasted recently. Prices are estimated retail. Ratings are A to F for quality, 1 to 3 for value.

Ken Brown Wines Pinot Noir Santa Barbara 2006: Lovely, ripe and bright, this wine has juicy cherry flavor saved from overfrutiness by soft hints of earth. Rating: B2 $35

Ken Brown Wines Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills 2006: Clean and fresh with tremendous flavor. Rating: B2 $40

Ken Brown Wines Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict 2005: Made with fruit grown in sandy loam soil on 30 year old vines, this wine shows its pedigree. Very flavorful, juicy and savory. Rating: A2 $47.50

Ken Brown Wines Pinot Noir Clos Pepe 2005: The vineyard is farmed using hand labor and sustainable agricultural methods. The resulting wine boasts lovely aromas wafting from the glass as well as classic Burgundian flavor. Rating: A1 $52.50