BUR GON YE - for 'Wise Owls'

BOURGOGNE

The word 'Bourgogne' means Burgundy and is pronounced BUR GON YE.

In vinous terms it means red or white Burgundy made exclusively from Pinot Noir or Chardonnay (depending on whether it is red or white Bourgogne). The word 'Bourgogne' will be written on the label. So what does Bourgogne denote and what category or quality of wine should it be? In the hierarchy of the Burgundy quality chart, this is where it falls:

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Grand Cru (e.g. Chambertin)
Premier Cru (e.g. Volnay 1er Cru 'Mitans')
Village wine (e.g. Vosne-Romanée)
BOURGOGNE

Bourgogne Haute Cotes de Nuits / Beaune

Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire

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We dont see much of the last category these days, though there are some decent examples. The wines of the Hautes Cotes (Nuits / Beaune) often offer good value. Hautes Cotes means 'outer slopes' and here the soils are thinner and the vines need to go deeper to reach the water table. Given the distance the vine root may have to go (bringing back essential nutrients to the grape bunches), you would imagine that it is difficult to make quality Burgundy from such vineyards? But there are plenty of good addresses in Burgundy making lovely, soft, juicy, raspberry-scented red Hautes Cotes. Likewise some mineral, citrus, buttery white Hautes Cotes. As Hugh Johnson MW says, "do not overlook!"

This brings us to Bourgogne. Generally speaking, wine labelled as Bourgogne is made from vines that fall into one of two categories. The first category is vines planted in soils / plots which the appellation controée authorities deem sub-standard to village quality Burgundy (it can be a fine line sometimes - as 'Wise Owls' know).

The second category, is young vines planted in village AC soils / plots but bottled as Bourgogne (this is where the 'Wisest Owls' shop)!

Let us consider the first category - 'sub-standard soils'. These vineyard plots, more often than not, border village AC plots. The soil may be poorer, less porous, thinner, have low clay content, too much marl, or any combination of these. In qualitative terms, the difference between these plots and village plots may be small and the resulting wine may well be close in quality to village AC wine. Furthermore, if the vines are old the gap in quality between the Bourgogne and the village AC wine may be very small indeed. This raises the question of value. You may well ask 'how does a customer know what the quality of the soil is'? Indeed, how is any consumer expected to know whether a bottle of Bourgogne might be good value? Or even potentially a disappointing bottle? Read on.

Lets consider the second category - 'young vines'. In this instance the soil has the potential to produce village AC wine but it is the vines that are the limiting factor. Young vines are planted in village AC plots but the average age of the vines might be quite young. Quality driven winemakers decide that the wine they produce is not (in their opinion) quite up to the quality of a village AC wine. They consequently label the wine as Bourgogne. This protects / enhances their reputation. However, as the vines age the gap between the two categories closes. 'Wise Owls' often know whose vines or soils produce the best Bourgognes. Admittedly, most consumers are not in the know and so the question remains, 'which, or whose Bourgogne to buy?'

Importantly, in category one, it is the appellation controlée authorities who decide that the vineyard has sub-standard soil and therefore does not have the potential to make village AC wine. In category two however (young vines), it is the winemaker who decides whether he / she will produce a wine that is village AC standard or not. Remember, the best addresses are very, very particular about what their wines say about the Domaine.

(I haven't mentioned de-classified wines in difficult vintages as they may only complicate matters - though it is another category)


For the most part, Burgundys' best examples of Bourgogne come from the second category of growers. Simply, the best addresses are by far and away the most likely source of fine Bourgogne. The labels you are viewing on this Blog are excellent examples of Burgundys' finest Bourgognes. Arnaud Mortet and Christian Serafin, both in Gevrey-Chambertin, produce different Bourgognes. Mortet's is made from village AC soil. Sérafins vines are planted in 'sub-standard' soil but the vines average 29 years and the quality is impressive. Arguably, both growers Bourgognes are not up to Gevrey village standard (you would hardly know mind), but at half the price of a bottle of Gevrey they are not half the quality. They are still not cheap but they offer value by comparison.

In fact, the best examples of Bourgogne are often as good as other growers village AC wines. This is true in both red and white wines. My advice is to stick with reputed growers in each appellation (their names are well documented). Expect to pay €15 - €30 but you can expect high standards. The caveat is, Bourgogne from some addresses may disappoint. Good wine merchants will advise.

Several years ago Burgundy Direct Wines listed two Bourgognes. Today we list nine. Unfortunately, allocations may be small and as a result the wine(s) in question may be sold out before the new vintage is produced. The six red Bourgognes featured in the photgraphs in this Blog emanate

from six of the best addresses in the region and are highly regarded. They are as follows:

Domaine Vincent Dancer - vines are planted in Pommard
Domaine Jean Grivot - vines are planted in Vosne-Romanée
Domaine Denis Mortet - vines are planted in Gevrey-Chambertin
Domaine Michel Lafarge - vines are planted in Volnay
Domaine Christian Sérafin - vines planted in Gevrey-Chambertin
Domaine Anne Gros - vines are planted in Vosne-Romanée

A bottle of each of all six wines is on offer @ €135.00