For those of you who know me, my favorite wine is Pinot Noir closely followed by my favorite white wine…Chardonnay. These two wines hold a great deal of love and respect when you’re speaking of the Burgundy region of France.
Pinot and Chardonnay from the Burgunday region of France are two of the finest varietals ever made by the skilled winemakers of this region. Burgundy is a historical region in east-central France, in the region of Saone.
The area is criss-rossed by a network of canals and studded with grand chateau’s, and the most interesting mosaic of vineyards in the world. Unlike Bordeaux which has whole vineyards dedicated to a specific brand, Burgundy is a collection of seperate dedicated rows of grapes.
My favorite Chardonnay from a specific vineyard is Batard-Montrachet. The origin of its winemaking culture dates back to the Middle ages when the Cisterian abbey of Maizeriers and Lords of Chagny was proactive in the region. The wines of Montrachet came into the limelight only in the 17th century.
Batard-Montrachet is a Grand Cru vineyard. Grand Cru refers to the quality of a particular vineyard and the terroir in which the grapes are grown. It is the highest and most respected wine classification within the Appellation d’origine controlee (AOC), which is the governing board over the wines produced in Burgundy and Alsace, France.
Batard-Montrachet is an appellation in the Cote de Beaune of Burgundy, granted for white wines in 1937. The appellation is limited to a single Grand Cru vineyard which is located between the picturesque communes of Puligny Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet , in the Cote D’Or escarpment.
The beauty of this wine and those in this region is the terroir. Terroir means a sense of the place the grapes were grown. The earth, the trees, flowers, wind, water, but especially the soil. You completely taste the region where the wine is made and that is a gift so rare to be savored with every sip.
The description of a Batard Montrachet: Fragrant white blossoms, crisp pear, lemon curd laced with a stony mineral underbelly which lingers on the finish.
While I love the white wines of Burgundy my favorite wine in the world are the Pinot Noir wines from the DRC. DRC stands for the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti. It’s history began in the 13th century when the vineyard was operated by the local monastery. The Abbey of Saint Vivant in Vosne. The vines are thought to have been cultivated by the Romans before that, giving them their name of “Romanee”. My favorite Pinot Noir is La Tache.
At this time, the vineyard was only a fraction of the size it is now. In the 1600’s, it passed into the hands of the Croonembourge family, who also expanded it by purchasing the land known as La Tache (from the DRC’s famed La Tache wine takes its name).
In the 1700’s, the vineyard was bought by the arrogant Prince of Conti. Not only did he add his name to the land and the wine it produced, but he refused to share a single bottle of the Romanee Conti vintages, even with close friends and family.
SInce the mid 1800’s, the Duvault-Blochet family has been operating the winery. They purchased additional lands that make up the current eight vineyards owned by DRC and transformed the business into the world-renowned winery it is today. Domaine de la Romanee-Conti’s vineyards are all designated Grand Cru, but their vineyards are UNESCO World Heritage Sites also.
Domaine de la Romanee Conti has set the record twice for the most expensive wines sold at auction. Two bottles of the 1945 vintage sold for $496,000 and $558,000 in 2018. Now, the famed Romanee-Conti goes for just over $21,000 a bottle.
The decription of a 1945 La Tache pinot noir: The wine is very deep, dark, and richly coloured. It has notes that are unique and exotic to the nose with oriental spice, and black truffles. The wine is very intense with ripe berries and extremely tannic with great aging potential.
To breath in this region as you would breath in the ocean’s salty air for the first time is a bucket list goal. The sense of history and the depth of character passed down from each wine-making generation is so rare. Each family member treasures their place in history as they consistently produce the finest wines in the world.