Cote d' Beaune- Burgundy Flashcards
Santenay
Somewhat forgotten village and spa in the Côte de Beaune district of Burgundy. red wines from Pinot Noir and occasional whites. The soils in Santenay are a little richer in marl than most of the Côte d’Or, producing red wines tending to the rustic more than the elegant. This is largely the fault of a poor selection of Pinot Noir vines whose vigour has often been tamed by the cordon de royat training system in place of the usual guyot. Most of the best vineyards, the premiers crus La Comme, Clos de Tavannes, and Les Gravières, form an extension from Chassagne-Montrachet. Also reputed are La Maladière, situated behind the main village, and Clos Rousseau on the far border of Santenay, beyond the casino and thermal waters of the higher village.
Chassagne- Montrachet
Village in the Côte de Beaune district of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or more famed for its white wines from the Chardonnay grape than for its equally plentiful red wines from Pinot Noir. Until the mid 1980s, the village produced more red wine than white, but the significant premium for white Chassagne led to considerable planting of Chardonnay, even on relatively unsuitable soils. The better soil for Pinot Noir, limestone marl with a red gravel content, lies mainly on the south side of the village towards Santenay and incorporates most of the village appellation, although La Boudriotte and Morgeot, among the premiers crus, make excellent red wines, as can Clos St-Jean closer to the village. Red Chassagne-Montrachet tends to be somewhat hard and earthy when young, mellowing with age but rarely achieving the delicacy of truly fine red burgundy. The fame of Chassagne rests with the white wines at village, premier cru, and especially grand cru level. Chassagne shares the Le Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet vineyards with neighbouring Puligny and enjoys sole possession of a third grand cru, Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet (see montrachet for more details). Among the premiers crus, the best known are Les Chenevottes, Clos de la Maltroie, En Cailleret, and Les Ruchottes. Suitable white wine soil tends to have more oolitic limestone and less marl in its make-up. The white wines of Chassagne are noted for their steely power, less rounded than meursault when young, sometimes similar to puligny-montrachet if less floral. Good vintages from good producers such as Ramonet and the extended Colin, Gagnard, and Morey clans should age from five to ten years. In 2011, some 3,935 hl of red wine and 10,805 hl of white were produced from 304 ha/750 acres of vineyards. This 75:25 ratio in favour of white wines is an inversion of the position 40 years earlier.
Montrachet
The most famous grand cru white burgundy, the apogee of the Chardonnay grape produced from a single vineyard in the Côte de Beaune district of the côte d’or. Claude Arnoux, writing in 1728, could find no words in either French or Latin to describe its qualities, though he noted that it was very expensive and that you needed to reserve the wine a year in advance. Dr Lavalle’s view (see burgundy, history), expressed in 1855 and not necessarily valid today, was that whatever the price for a good vintage of Le Montrachet, you would not have paid too much. Le Montrachet covers a whisker under 8 ha/20 acres straddling the borders of Puligny and Chassagne, two communes which have annexed the famous name to their own (see puligny-montrachet and chassagne-montrachet). Part of the secret lies in the limestone, part in its perfect south east exposition, which keeps the sun from dawn till dusk. Curiously, the vines in the Puligny half of the vineyard run in east–west rows, those in Chassagne north–south, reflecting the contours of the land. The principal owners and producers of Le Montrachet are the Marquis de Laguiche, Baron Thénard, domaine de la romanée-conti, bouchard Père et Fils, Domaines Lafon and Prieur in Meursault, and Domaines Ramonet, Colin, and Amiot-Bonfils in Chassagne. In 1991, Domaine Leflaive of Puligny purchased a smallholding. The largest slices belong to the Marquis de Laguiche, whose wine is made by Joseph drouhin and Baron Thénard, some of whose wine is distributed by négociants. Four more grands crus are associated with Le Montrachet: Chevalier-Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet, and Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet. Chevalier-Montrachet (7.36 ha) is situated directly above the Puligny section of Le Montrachet, on thin, stony soil giving wines which are not quite as rich as the latter. Particularly sought after are the Chevalier-Montrachet, Les Demoiselles, from Louis latour and Louis jadot, and Chevalier-Montrachet, La Cabotte from Bouchard Père et Fils. Bâtard-Montrachet (11.86 ha), on the slope beneath Le Montrachet, also spans the two communes, producing rich and heady wines not quite as elegant as a Chevalier-Montrachet. In the Puligny section of Bâtard is a separate enclave, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet (3.68 ha), while an extension of the Chassagne section is the rarely seen Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet (1.57 ha).
Puligny- Montrachet
Village in the Côte de Beaune district of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or producing very fine wines from chardonnay and a tiny amount of less exalted red. Puligny added the name of its most famous vineyard, the grand cru Le Montrachet, in 1879 and has benefited from the association ever since. Puligny contains two grand cru vineyards in their entirety, Chevalier-Montrachet and Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet, and two which are shared with neighbouring Chassagne: Le Montrachet itself and Bâtard-Montrachet. Below this exalted level, yet still among the finest of all white wines of Burgundy, are the premier cru vineyards. There are at least 13 of these, more if subdivisions are counted. At the same elevation as Bâtard-Montrachet lie Les Pucelles (made famous by the excellence of Domaine Leflaive’s version), Le Clavoillon, Les Perrières (including the Clos de la Mouchère), Les Referts, and Les Combettes, which produces the plump wines to be expected of a vineyard adjacent to Meursault-Perrières. A little higher up the slope, at the same elevation as Le Montrachet, lie Les Demoiselles, Le Cailleret, Les Folatières (including Clos de la Garenne), and Champ Canet. Part of Les Demoiselles is classified as grand cru Chevalier-Montrachet but a very small slice remains as premier cru, being regarded, along with Le Cailleret, as the finest example. Further up the slope, where the terrain becomes rockier and the soil almost too sparse, are Le Champ Gain, Les Truffières, Les Chalumeaux, and the vineyards attached to the hamlet of blagny, which are designated as Puligny-Montrachet premier cru for white wines, and Blagny premier cru for reds. The village wines of Puligny-Montrachet are less impressive, perhaps because the water-table is nearer the surface here than in neighbouring meursault, for example. This phenomenon also means that the deep cellars ideal for ageing wine are rare in Puligny, and few of the village’s growers can prolong barrel maturation for more than about a year. Although the Leflaive and Carillon families can both trace their origins as vignerons back to the 16th century, there are surprisingly few domaines in Puligny and a substantial proportion of its produce is contracted to the négociants of Beaune. Sauzet is a third fine family producer. In centuries past, Puligny, though less noted than Chassagne for its red wines, grew a significant amount of Pinot Noir grapes. Little is now grown.
St Aubin
Village in the Côte de Beaune district of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or tucked out of the limelight between Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet. White wine production had increased to 80% of the total by 2013, an inversion of the situation a generation before. A high proportion, two-thirds, of the vineyard area is designated premier cru, notably Les Charmois, La Chatenière, En Remilly, and Les Murgers Dents de Chien, part of a swathe of mostly south west-facing vineyards lying between the borders of Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet and the hamlet of Gamay, which is included in the St-Aubin appellation. The remaining vineyards have the ideal south and south easterly exposition but are less favourably situated further up the cooler valley. White St-Aubin is a fresh, energetic wine, which has some of the character of Puligny-Montrachet, especially in the warmer vintages; the reds resemble a more supple version of red Chassagne-Montrachet. Hubert Lamy is one of several fine producers based in St-Aubin.
Cote de Beaune
Generally lighter bodied Pinot Noir and fine dry whites from Chardonnay. All grand cru whites except Musigny Blanc are found on the Cote de Beaune. Key villages (and key grand crus) of the Cote de Beaune are: Aloxe- Corton AC (Corton AC, Corton- Charlemagne AC), Persaud- Vqergelesses, Savigny- Les Beaune, Beaune, Pmmard, Volnay, Merseault, Saint- Aubin, Auxey- Duresses, Puling Montrachet (Le Montrachet, Batard- Montrachet), Cassagne- Montrachet (Le Montrachet, Crists- Batard- Montrachet), Santeney. All (except Volnay and Pommard) produce both red and white. Puligny- Montrachet, Chassagne- Montrachet, Aloxe- Corton produce Grand Cru status white wines. Take up to 10 years to reach maturation. Low yields, perfect soils, drainage and exposure, complex secondary characters from fermentation, baronage and ageing in French oak produce intensely complex wines.
Auxey- Duresses
A village in Burgundy producing medium-priced red and white wines not dissimilar to neighbouring volnay and meursault respectively, although more austere in style. The vineyards, which include those of the hamlets of Petit Auxey and Melin, are located on either side of a valley subject to cooler winds than the main Côte de beaune. pinot noir vineyards, including such premiers crus as Les Duresses and Le Climat de Val, are grown on the south east slope of the Montagne du Bourdon. White wines, made from chardonnay, account for just above a quarter of the production, covering the slopes adjacent to Meursault. Some vines, atypically for Burgundy, are trained high. In the past, wines from Auxey-Duresses were likely to have been sold under the names of grander neighbours. Some are now labelled as Côte de Beaune-Villages, although the village appellation is becoming more popular.
Meursault
Large and prosperous village in the Côte de Beaune district of Burgundy’s côte d’or producing mostly white wines from the Chardonnay grape. Although Meursault contains no grand cru vineyards, the quality of white burgundy from Meursault’s best premiers crus is rarely surpassed. The finest vineyards are Les Perrières, Les Genevrières, and Les Charmes. Between them and the village of Meursault are three more premiers crus, Le Poruzot, Les Bouchères, and Les Gouttes d’Or. Another group by the hamlet of blagny are sold as Meursault-Blagny if white or Blagny premier cru if red. while, at the other end of the village, Les Santenots is sold as Meursault Santenots if white and Volnay Santenots if red, as it usually is. Apart from Les Santenots, and the lean but fine red wines of Blagny, the other red wines of Meursault tend to be grown low on the slope and do not feature among the best of the Côte de Beaune. Les Perrières was cited as a ‘tête de cuvée’ vineyard in the original classification of 1861 and might well have been classified as a grand cru. Its character derives from the quantity of stones, which reflect the sun back onto the vines. If Les Perrières is regularly the richest wine in Meursault, Les Genevrières comes close, producing particularly elegant wines. Les Charmes is the biggest of the three major vineyards and produces the most forward wines, seductive even in their youth. Meursault also enjoys a wealth of good wines from other named vineyards such as Chevalières, Tessons, Clos de la Barre, Luchets, Narvaux, and Tillets. These are frequently more interesting than the village wines of puligny-montrachet, where the water table is higher. Furthermore, it is possible to dig cellars significantly deeper in Meursault, which enables many growers to prolong barrel maturation through a second winter, which improves the depth, stability, and ageing potential of the wines. Meursault comprises 316 ha/780 acres of village appellation and 132 ha of premier cru. A tiny fraction of both is red. Comte Lafon remains one of the finest producers of Meursault, alongside Boisson-Vadot, Bouzereau, Coche-Dury, Ente, Fichet, Javillier, both Jobards, Mikulski, Prieur, Roulot, and others in a village rich with individual domaines.
Volnay
Attractive small village in the Côte de Beaune district of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or producing elegant red wines from Pinot Noir. The wines of Volnay were celebrated under the ancien régime for their delicacy: Claude Arnoux describes them as partridge-eye pink in colour, and the finest of all the wines of the Côte de Beaune, although they had to be drunk very young. Since then they have alternated in fame with those of neighbouring Pommard depending on whether fashion dictated wines of breeding or of power. More than half Volnay’s vineyards are of premier cru status, stretching in a broad swathe from Pommard to Meursault, continuing into the latter village. Because Meursault is renowned for its white wines, its single really fine red wine vineyard of Les Santenots is sold as Volnay Santenots, which has its own appellation. The best part of this vineyard is Les Santenots-du-Milieu, although it is not as typical of Volnay as Le Cailleret, which it abuts, or Champans. These two vineyards express the astonishing, velvety finesse of Volnay. Clos des Chênes, just above Le Cailleret, is also very fine but a little lighter as the soil is even thinner. Excellent vineyards close to the village include Taillepieds, the Clos de la Bousse d’Or, monopole of Domaine de la Pousse d’Or, which also owns an excellent enclave within Le Cailleret known as the Clos des 60 Ouvrées, and the Clos des Ducs of the Marquis d’Angerville, whose father pioneered domaine bottling in the 1930s. Volnay’s finest producers include Michel Lafarge, Pousse d’Or, de Montille, d’Angerville, and most of the best producers in meursault who also have vineyards in Volnay.
Pommard
Prosperous village in Burgundy producing the most powerful red wines of the Côte de Beaune district of the Côte d’Or, from the usual Pinot Noir grapes. The pendulum of fashion tends to swing between Pommard and Volnay, currently favouring the latter. However, a fine Pommard will be darker in colour than neighbouring volnay, deeper in flavour, more tannic in structure, less charming when young but capable of developing into a rich, sturdy wine of great power after ten years in bottle. Claude Arnoux noted in 1728 that Pommard lasted longer than Volnay, only in those days he meant 18 months rather than 12. Pommard stretches from the border of Beaune to the edge of Volnay. On the Beaune side, the finest vineyards are Les Pézerolles and Les Épenots, including the Clos des Épeneaux monopole of Comte Armand. Towards Volnay, the most impressive premier cru vineyards include Les Chanlins, Les Jarolières, Les Fremiers, and, in particular, Les Rugiens. The lower section of the latter, Les Rugiens Bas, has the potential to make the richest wines of all in Pommard, and is frequently mentioned as being worthy of elevation to grand cru status. Clos de la Commaraine, Le Clos Blanc, and Les Arvelets have also been cited in the past as good sources for Pommard. Particularly high achievers are de Courcel, Comte Armand, and many of the best growers in Volnay such as de Montille and Pousse d’Or.
de Montille- Region of Production
Cote d’Or
de Montille- Winery Location
Volnay
de Montille- Year Established
1863
de Montille- Summary
In 1947, Hubert de Montille took over the family domaine at the young age of 17. Although the domaine had been considerably larger in the 19th century, by this point, the family owned just three hectares of vineyards, the rest of the parcels (the likes of Musigny, Bonnes-Mares, Chambolle Les Amoureuses and others) having been sold off through the years by family members who were in need of cash. Working with such a small domaine then, Hubert continued practicing law, gradually using the profits from his successful, Dijon-based firm to buy up vineyard parcels bit by bit. In 1990, his son Etienne (who had worked as a lawyer in banking), began assisting Hubert. Etienne transitioned the family vineyards to organic farming in 1995, then converted to biodynamics in 2005. In 2003, he and his sister, Alix, also began a négociant company called Deux Montille, which is almost wholly dedicated to producing white wines from purchased grapes; Deux Montille is overseen by Alix, whose background with white wines included stints as winemaker for Alex Gambal and Ropiteau Frères. In 2005, Etienne negotiated a complicated purchase of the Domaine Thomas-Moillard, splitting that house’s vineyards with Domaine Dujac and thereby increasing the de Montille holdings in both the Côte de Beaune as well as the Côte de Nuits. The expansion continued with the purchase of the Château de Puligny-Montrachet in 2012, which Etienne had managed since 2001 for the bank that owned the property. At the time of writing it is unclear how much of the new vineyards’ production will be bottled under the Château de Puligny-Montrachet label, so all facts and figures below are for Domaine de Montille alone.
de Montille- Key Vineyard Holdings
20 ha
Corton Clos du Roi Grand Cru: 0.84 ha Pinot Noir
Corton Pougets Grand Cru: 0.5 ha Pinot Noir (young vines); 0.5 ha Chardonnay
Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru: 0.29 ha Pinot Noir (from the Thomas-Moillard purchase)
Vosne-Romanée Aux Malconsorts Premier Cru: 1.37 ha Pinot Noir (from the Thomas-Moillard purchase)
Pommard Rugiens Premier Cru: 1.02 ha Pinot Noir
Pommard Grands Epenots Premier Cru: 0.23 ha Pinot Noir
Volnay Taillepieds Premier Cru: 1.51 ha Pinot Noir
Volnay Champans Premier Cru: 0.96 ha Pinot Noir
Volnay Mitans Premier Cru: 0.73 ha Pinot Noir
Puligny-Montrachet Le Cailleret Premier Cru: 0.85 ha Chardonnay
de Montille- Average Total Production
8,000 cases
de Montille- Top Wines Produced
Corton-Charlemagne: from the Chardonnay in Peugeots
Corton Clos du Roi Grand Cru
Vosne-Romanée Aux Malconsorts Premier Cru
Vosne-Romanée Aux Malconsorts “Cuvée Christiane” Premier Cru: a special bottling named after Hubert’s wife; from the 0.48-ha parcel surrounded by La Tâche on two sides.
Pommard Rugiens Premier Cru
Pommard Grands Epenots Premier Cru
Volnay Taillepieds Premier Cru
Volnay Champans Premier Cru
Volnay Mitans Premier Cru
Puligny-Montrachet Le Cailleret Premier Cru
de Montille- Inaugural Vintages
domaine-bottling began in 1947
de Montille- Description of Vindication Techniques
Etienne has shifted in style from his father’s wines, which were known for their delicacy and ability to age, but which could be extremely hard and austere in youth (particularly in more challenging vintages). In the vineyards, Etienne lowered yields and picks later, while in the winery he has backed off on extraction, with only two or three pigeages per day during maceration. The red grapes are generally vinified as whole clusters (subject to vintage conditions, e.g. not in 2004). No new oak is used for the regional and village wines, while the premiers crus see up to 30%, and the grands crus and Malconsorts are aged in 50% new oak. The wines are aged in oak for 14-18 months and are generally bottled without fining or filtration
Jacques Carllion- Region of Production
Côte de Beaune
Jacques Carllion- Winery Location
Puligny-Montrachet
Jacques Carllion- Year Established
1520
Jacques Carllion- Summary
Carillon is a venerable name in Puligny-Montrachet, with documents dating back to 1520 that reference Carillons farming vines in the village. In 2010, the domaine known as Louis Carillon was divided between Louis’s two sons, Jacques and François, and both brothers now produce excellent wines under their own labels. The care in Jacques Carillon’s vineyards is evident; plowing is preferred to the use of herbicides, vines are re-planted by selection massale, and systemic fungicides are rarely used. This is an excellent name for reserved and elegant Puligny-Montrachets.
Jacques Carllion- Key Vineyard Holdings
5.25 ha total
Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru: 0.12 ha Chardonnay; 48-year-old vines
Puligny-Montrachet Les Champs Canet Premier Cru: 0.55 ha Chardonnay; 42-year-old vines
Puligny-Montrachet Les Perrières Premier Cru: 0.61 ha Chardonnay; 38-year-old vines
Puligny-Montrachet Les Referts Premier Cru: 0.24 ha Chardonnay; 45-year-old vines
Chassagne-Montrachet Les Macherelles Premier Cru: 0.2 ha Chardonnay, planted in 2003
Jacques Carllion- Average Total Production
unknown
Jacques Carllion- Top Wines Produced
Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Puligny-Montrachet Les Champs Canet Premier Cru
Puligny-Montrachet Les Perrières Premier Cru
Puligny-Montrachet Les Referts Premier Cru
Chassagne-Montrachet Les Macherelles Premier Cru
Jacques Carllion- Inaugural Vintage
2010 under the Jacques Carillon label
Jacques Carllion- Brief description of style/ vinification
Jacques’s wines are known for their focus and reserve. After pressing, the juice is settled and transferred to barrel for fermentation and aging in a maximum of 10-25% new oak for 12 months. The wines are then racked and blended in stainless steel, where they rest on their fine lees for six months prior to bottling.
Bonneau du Martray- Region of production
Corton
Bonneau du Martray- Winery Location
Pernand-Vergelesses
Bonneau du Martray- Year Established
1790s
Bonneau du Martray- Summary
The property that is now the Bonneau du Martray estate was originally part of a larger parcel deeded to the Abbey of Saulieu by Charlemagne in 775CE, then sold to the Bonneau-Véry family when the Church’s lands were confiscated after the French Revolution. Today, Jean-Charles le Bault de la Morinière (whose mother inherited the domaine from her uncle, René Bonneau du Martray) runs the domaine. Jean-Charles returned to plowing the vineyards and converted to organic farming. He began experiments with biodynamics in the mid-2000s, farming one third of the estate’s Chardonnay biodynamically so as to gauge wine quality against organic plots. The entire estate is now biodynamic (Ecocert certified in 2012; Demeter certification to follow). Jean-Charles also worked to improve the estate’s previously underperforming Corton Rouge by replacing some of the vines with Chardonnay and preserving only the oldest Pinot Noir vines for the cuvée. Bonneau du Martray has the unique distinction of being the only domaine in Burgundy to sell only grand cru wine.
Bonneau du Martray- Key Vineyard Holdings
11 ha
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru En Charlemagne: 4.5 ha Chardonnay; soil is thin, rocky marl over hard, white limestone base
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Le Charlemagne: 5.15 ha Chardonnay, 1.35 ha Pinot Noir; soil is rocky marl with flint over hard, white limestone base; the lower slopes have more iron and clay and are planted to Pinot Noir
Bonneau du Martray- Average Total Production
4,500 cases
Bonneau du Martray- Top Wines Produced
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Corton Grand Cru (not imported into the U.S. currently)
Bonneau du Martray- Inaugural Vintages
Domaine-bottling began in the early 1970s.
Bonneau du Martray- Brief Description of Style / Vinification Techniques
The domaine’s holdings are divided into 15 white blocks and two red blocks, all of which are hand-harvested and vinified separately. The whites are whole-cluster-pressed, and after 24 hours of settling, fermentation takes place in one-third new barrels without inoculation. Bâtonnage is performed carefully, the frequency and duration of which are determined by constant tasting of the young wine. After 12 months in oak the wine is racked to stainless steel for several months’ aging prior to bottling. On occasion, the domaine also holds quantities of wine back for aging and later release.
Bouchard Pere et Fils- Region of production
Cote d’ Or
Bouchard Pere et Fils- Winery Location
Beaune
Bouchard Pere et Fils- Year Established
1731
Bouchard Pere et Fils- Summary
Bouchard Père et Fils is a historic name in Burgundy, tracing its history back to Michel Bouchard’s first purchase of vines in 1731. In 1775, Joseph Bouchard purchased vines in the Caillerets premier cru in Volnay—fruit from that plot is now the foundation of their famous “Ancienne Cuvée Carnot” bottling. The family continued to grow their holdings, adding vineyards in Beaune Grèves for their iconic “Vigne de l’Enfant Jésus” at the auction of biens nationaux after the Revolution in 1792, and purchasing the Château de Beaune in 1820, where they now house a large library collection of their wines in extensive underground cellars. The winery was revitalized in 1995 when the Henriot Champagne house purchased the business from the Bouchard family. Henriot has invested extensively in both the vineyards and the winery: Holdings in Meursault were expanded with the 1996 purchase of the Ropiteau domaine, and the following two years saw purchases in Bonnes-Mares, Clos de Vougeot, Gevrey-Chambertin, Les Cazetiers and others. In 2005 the winery was moved to a new gravity-flow facility outside of Beaune, where the number of fermentation tanks nearly doubled to 146, enabling greater precision for separately fermenting parcels. The wines at Bouchard have improved dramatically in the last two decades, restoring the reputation of this historic house.
