Burgundy…my love

Inside the AGO

This past March, I attended the annual Vintages Burgundy Taste & Buy event. I look forward to this event every year. It’s like Christmas for me. Every delicious glass I smell and taste is like a gift from Santa himself. I was curious to see what this year would bring. The event is normally held at the King Edward Hotel but this year the venue had been moved to the Art Gallery of Ontario. Although the venue this year was more modern and spacious, I missed the catered food from the King Edward. The wine agents were all very nice and once we proved that we were serious wine tasters, they were quite eager to talk to us about their wines. So with the coiled wine list booklet, I was off to do some tasting!


I love Burgundy

If you’re a lover of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, then look no further than the region of Burgundy France. It’s amazing to taste the differences in wines that the region offers. Two wines from across the road can taste completely different from one another. This is the nature of Burgundy – diversity between wines made with the same grape.

Whenever I attend a wine tasting, I know that I’m not going to make it through all the wines. Even with all that spitting. After I taste, I jot down a few brief points that are of interest and then I give it my own personal score. I use a five point scoring system so when I refer back to my notes, it’s easy to see what wines really stood out. Three and above is what I give a wine that I consider to be good. Three usually means “decent for the price”. Four and above is for a wine that I really enjoyed. I rarely give a five. A five would mean that the wine is soooo good, I’d be an idiot not to just run out of the room with the bottle – opened or closed. Wouldn’t matter. 🙂

Stephane Charreyron

The winemaker, Stephane Charreyron, from Domaine D’Ardhuy and myself. He was so much fun to talk to! He had a passion and enthusiasm for wine that just made me smile. His wines were absolutely delicious. This table was one of the highlights of my night.

www.ardhuy.com

Here are some of the other producers that I enjoyed at the show. Look for them at your local wine shop:

Domaine Jacques Prieur www.prieur.com
Daniel Rion & Fils www.domaine-daniel-rion.com
Chanson Pere & Fils www.vins-chanson.com

Burgundian wines can be quite confusing. The region has over a thousand years of history and with some time, you’ll begin to taste the differences between the villages and producers. You’ll then find the ones that suit your taste. Here are some key facts that should get you going:

The main grapes used for winemaking are Pinot Noir for red and Chardonnay for white.
Burgundy wines are all about expressing the land from which the grapes originate.
There are five sub-regions in Burgundy to know: Chablis, Cote de Nuits, Cote de Beaune, Cote Chalonnaise and Maconnais – each of these regions have key villages and vineyards
Wine from the Chablis region will generally be white (Chardonnay) and un-oaked.
If the wine has a designation of AC Bourgogne (Appellation Bourgogne Controllee) then the fruit sourced to make the wine could have come from anywhere within the Burgundy region. These wines are often a good introduction to the area for not very much money.

Enjoy your next bottle of Burgundy! I know I will. 🙂

http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649

Tasting Notes – Feb 16, 2010

Hello wine lovers! Things have been quiet on the blog lately as I’ve been preoccupied with my new hobby of figure skating! My attention to wine has been a bit diminished but don’t worry, I’m still tasting as often as I can…after skating that is. I should try a tasting before I skate, maybe I’ll get in some good jumps!

Caves des Vignerons de Buxy Montagny Les Chaniots 1er Cru 2007 $23.95
This is a Chardonnay from Montagny in Burgundy. The picture here is from the 2004 vintage. I tried the 2007 vintage and it was lovely. This wine is crisp with great minerality and citrus flavour and aroma. The tasting note says that this wine will only improve within 2-3 years. As we’re now in 2010, this wine should be coming close to its prime! Yum yum give me some! Actually, just give me the entire bottle. 🙂

Louis Max Beaucharme Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2007 $19.95
When I first saw this bottle on display, I thought “how cute”! I just love the label design. It’s definitely not your typical Burgundian label. When I tried this wine I thought, “mmm mushroom risotto”. It has a wonderful aroma filled with red berry and earthy notes. It’s a simple wine, offering great flavour and value. I think for a wine just under $20, this is a wonderful find.

Burgundy on a Budget

When a person thinks of Burgundy (France), dollar signs start dancing in their heads (not enough money to buy the sugar plums!). Every visit I make to my favourite wine shop (for those in Toronto, it’s Summerhill), I always find myself in the Burgundy section, never remembering how I got there! I think it’s a gravitational force. Looking at the beautiful wall of Volnay, Gevry-Chembertin, Aloxe-Corton, Pommard, Meursault (I’ll just stop now because I feel my mouth salivating), my eyes start to glaze over as I think about how yummy these must be. These are all regions that I’ve read in books or heard people talk about when discussing “fine wines”. I suddenly get very depressed because these wines often start at $40 and go up and up…and up. Once in a while I’ll splurge and purchase something a tad out of my price range. However, as soon as I bring the bottle home, I don’t dare open it because I know how much money was spent! I just stare at the bottle, day-dreaming of the glorious elixir that’s inside. Funny, the definition of “elixir” is: a sweetened, aromatic solution of alcohol and water containing, or used as a vehicle for, medicinal substances. Yes! This is totally what I believe in. Using an “elixir” to help oneself get through the work week could be considered medicinal, or a problem. But I digress. =)
Tonight, I got together with a couple of girlfriends and we headed to a small wine bar called Carens Wine and Cheese located in Yorkville, here in Toronto. It was a small, intimate place with a decent wine list that didn’t cost a lot of money (a glass of wine cost anywhere between $8-$15). What really impressed me this evening was a glass of the Louis Jadot Bourgogne Chardonnay. It was a fantastic “elixir” to have on a Wednesday evening. Normally, a wine from the “old world” (Europe basically) won’t state the grape variety on the label because the wine is supposed to express the region itself. Lately you’ll see a lot of old world producers put the varietal names on their wines for the “new world” countries (like the US, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia).

Louis Jadot Bourgogne Chardonnay $19.95

This wine was simply delicious! There was a hint of oak, but not too much. There was still a lot of fruit both on the nose and on the palate. The finish was nice and longer than what I expected. A beautiful expression of how oak and Chardonnay work together as a team. I think I have found my new “house” wine. Those that are ABC (Anything-but-Chardonnay) should give this wine a try…it just might pleasantly surprise.

Two things to keep in mind when looking for a Burgundy wine:
1) If it’s white, it’s Chardonnay
2) If it’s red, it’s Pinot Noir

Of course, there’s Beaujolais which is in Burgundy but considered a separate region when talking about wines from this part of France. The primary grape grown in Beaujolais is Gamay.

Here’s another tip:
If looking for a wine from Burgundy but don’t want to pay a whole lot, look for a label with the word “Bourgogne” on it. Bourgogne is the French word for Burgundy and it means that the grapes used to make the wine can come from anywhere in the Burgundy region.

If ever in doubt about what to buy, whether it’s Burgundy or Beaujolais, keep Louis Jadot on the mind. It’s a very reputable producer with lots of different wines to offer. They have a pretty nice website too.

http://www.louisjadot.com