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Burgundy, Burgundy and Burgundy
Burgundy is one of the most celebrated names in the world of wine, yet
it remains a paradox.
It can boast a few of the greatest names on Earth and produces a good number of truly world-class wines, but it is also home to too many nondescript ones. There is no simple answer to the question 'What is Burgundy?' - other than white or red wine from within a large winemaking region that stretches 130 miles, from Chablis in the north to the Maconnais in the south. In precise terms, the Beaujolais region is officially part of Burgundy, but for the sake of this article we will restrict ourselves to areas that grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
To further complicate the issue, many Burgundy experts say the most important characteristic of the region is to identify the finest wines with individual vineyard appellations, such as white Corton
Charlemagne or red Vosne-Romanée.
Because of inheritance laws introduced under Napoleon, the vineyard holdings in Burgundy have been repeatedly divided as they have been handed down from generation to generation and shared amongst all members of the owning families. As a result there are many fractional holdings. Sometimes these are shared by families who work together or, another regular business practice, a negoçiant purchases wines from a number of small growers and blends them to sell under its own appellation.
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Cuverie de Corton-Grancey, Maison Louis Latour
Much of Burgundy's reputation for fine wines has been built in this manner, i.e. around
the names of trusted negoçiants (merchants) like Louis Jadot, Joseph Drouhin, Faiveley or Comte de Vogué. Houses such as these blend wines from a range of
vineyard regions, and for generations have done it with such skill that they have largely been responsible for the region's world-wide fame.
So when considering investment in Burgundy, the less experienced would certainly be wise to follow a favoured vineyard from a highly reputed negoçiant. In White Burgundy
a wine such as Louis Latour Puligny Montrachet Les Referts 1995 at around £23 a bottle could be recommended, or in red Chassagne Montrachet 1997 from Louis Jadot
at £18. On the other hand the knowledgeable realise that during the last 15 or 20 years there has been a rise in the fame, fortune and finesse of many estate producers of Burgundy.
 The great wines include names like the
incomparable Domaine de la Romanée-Conti which can cost in the region of £2,500 a case for current vintages, or £1,800 for a single bottle of its finest wine of the 1985 vintage. It has existed as
an estate for centuries, but nowadays new names are emerging like Jean Chauvenet who shares his small winery and vineyard with his son-in-law Christophe Drag, who has attracted some very
favourable press for his meticulous winemaking. Through Burgundian specialists, Seckford Wines, www.SeckfordWines.co.uk Jean Chauvenet is able to bring his Nuits-Saint-Georges 1998 to the UK market at £125 in bond, which for the appellation is
extremely good value for money. It should peak at around 2004-7. In other words, the modern myth that you have to be extremely wealthy to drink good Burgundy can be
disproved by going to a specialist merchant. Seckford have several strong US connections and are usually able to ship their wines to North America.
Four Golden Vintages in a Row
Seckford's Burgundy expert Marcus Titley telephoned Wine on the Web from the heart of the region, which he was visiting to re-taste a wide range of wines. He could hardly
contain his delight at the superb quality and character of the 1998 vintage. He strongly recommended the white Chassagne Montrachet La Romanée 1998 at £160 a case in
bond from the family-owned winery of Morey Coffinet, describing the wine as 'sublime with subtle fruit and mineral flavours' and forecast that it would be quite delicious
around 2003-5. He enthused about the wonderful run of four outstanding consecutive vintages from 1995-98, years which have proven fairly consistent throughout the region.
Marcus also drew attention to the name of Francois Lamarche, stating that two of the family's great red Burgundies were particularly fine in the 1998 vintage. La Grande Rue,
which is their monopole or exclusive single vineyard in Vosne-Romanée, was described as 'very big and structured with creamy fruit and raspberry and brambly
flavours.' He forecast that it would peak around 2008-10. However his greatest accolades were retained for Francois Lamarche Echezeaux 1998, which is in very
small production. Marcus said the wine is 'beautifully concentrated and very silky, and at £290 a case in bond, is a better buy than any Grand Cru Classé from Bordeaux.
You simply won't get a Bordeaux equivalent,' he assured us.
It seems to Wine on the Web that this last estate has substantial investment potential
, as the family have continually up-graded their quality during recent years and yet still appear under-priced. Burgundy still offers fascinating possibilities for investors, who
should show a return of around 100% over 10 years on many leading wines, and in some instances could achieve a much higher figure. The emphasis needs to be on
estate producers rather than negoçiants and by careful reading and studying of the names and reputations of smaller growers, investors can quickly develop some specialist knowledge.
For the sake of argument, take a wine like Volnay and read and absorb all you can find amidst a wide range of wine books, then compare the examples available from
specialist merchants both on the Internet and in one's locality. Begin to buy small volumes from the best vintages. With those 4 golden years from 1995-8 there are
plenty of opportunities to buy fine wine suitable for aging. Whatever you do, don't drink your best Burgundy too soon, or you will miss the elegance, finesse and
characteristics that have earned it its reputation over centuries.
When it comes to the simple Bourgogne (French for Burgundy) AC level, the wines are
for early consumption and it is wise to rely on a trusted negoçiant. Louis Jadot does as good a job as anyone and its minor white Bourgogne Blanc is currently available in
the 1998 vintage around $13 and its minor Bourgogne Rouge, also 1998, sells at around $14 - $15 (See A – Z of reviews). These compete well with the identical
California varietals in the same price ranges. The big difference is found in the French winemaking styles, which are more restrained and elegant compared with many West
Coast wines, being more fruit-driven. Both have their adherents and it might be wise to vary purchases to experiment with both approaches.
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Last updated on July 23, 2008