France’s Burgundy wine region produces some of the world’s greatest and most requested wines. Red or white, the best Burgundy wines offer finesse and elegance, a velvety texture on the palate, a marvelous balance of tannin and fruit and a unique reflection of the terroir in which they were produced.
France’s Burgundy wine region produces some of the world’s greatest and most requested wines. Red or white, the best Burgundy wines offer finesse and elegance, a velvety texture on the palate, a marvelous balance of tannin and fruit and a unique reflection of the terroir in which they were produced.
Burgundy – Bourgogne in French – is in eastern France, beginning with the Chablis region in the north and stretching south along the Sâone River to include the historic winemaking areas of the Côte d’Or, the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais.
Video: Burgundy Demystified
In all, the Burgundy wine region includes some 100 separate appellations, from the largest covering the entire Burgundy region, to smaller appellations of single villages and even individual vineyards. The theory behind this system is, the smaller and more precise the appellation, the higher the general quality of the wine, and the easier to pinpoint its style. A separate classification organizes Burgundy’s highest-ranked sites as Grand Cru, and the next level as Premier (or 1er) Cru.
How are the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines of Burgundy different from those of California? Burgundy’s value-oriented red wines are produced in an intensely fruity, soft-tannin style with nuances from the Burgundy terroir not found in the California Pinot Noirs. And Burgundy’s higher-end Pinot Noirs possess finesse and complexity not found anywhere else in the world. Their lovely acidity, depth of fruit and aromas are like no others’.
The most acclaimed California Chardonnays showcase new oak used to age the wine. These California Chards are rich and buttery, with oak’s associated flavors of vanilla, cream and spice. White Burgundy traditionally allows the fruit to speak for itself: These wines are lush, complex and creamy with a refreshing crispness.
In all, the Burgundy wine region includes some 100 separate appellations, from the largest covering the entire Burgundy region, to smaller appellations of single villages and even individual vineyards. The theory behind this system is, the smaller and more precise the appellation, the higher the general quality of the wine, and the easier to pinpoint its style. A separate classification organizes Burgundy’s highest-ranked sites as Grand Cru, and the next level as Premier (or 1er) Cru.
How are the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines of Burgundy different from those of California? Burgundy’s value-oriented red wines are produced in an intensely fruity, soft-tannin style with nuances from the Burgundy terroir not found in the California Pinot Noirs. And Burgundy’s higher-end Pinot Noirs possess finesse and complexity not found anywhere else in the world. Their lovely acidity, depth of fruit and aromas are like no others’.
The most acclaimed California Chardonnays showcase new oak used to age the wine. These California Chards are rich and buttery, with oak’s associated flavors of vanilla, cream and spice. White Burgundy traditionally allows the fruit to speak for itself: These wines are lush, complex and creamy with a refreshing crispness.