Burgundy is a beautiful region in Eastern France that is famous throughout the world for producing an exquisite variety of red and white wines, which are made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes respectively. The picturesque and historical region of Burgundy is amongst the most Terroir-oriented in France, which essentially refers to the unique geographical properties of the land that are thought to be elemental to the growth of region-specific produce. In other words, Terroir denotes an argicultural philosophy that underpins the growth of those grapes that are used in wine production for a specific area. The land itself, therefore, is intrinsic to the unique taste of a particular type of wine.
Indeed, Terroir is highly significant when it comes to classifying the quality of vineyards in Burgundy. Although not expressly representative of the quality of wine produced by a particular vineyard, the Burgundy classifications are a useful indicator nonetheless. The highest classification of vineyard in Burgundy belongs to Grand Cru wine, which is produced by only a select few vineyards in the Côte d’Or and constitutes a mere 2% of the regional wine production. As representative of their fantastic quality, Grand Cru wines are normally matured for ten years whilst the finest bottles are left for a further five or ten years if not longer. Amongst the finest white Grand Crus are the Chablis Grand Cru, which is produced in the Chablis region, the Corton-Charlemagne, Chevalier-Montrachet and Le Montrachet, which are all produced in the Côte de Beaune region.
Le Montrachet Grand Crus are among the most expensive white wines in the world, with prices as high as 1,800 euros for a 75cl bottle. Producing around 2 million bottles of wine each year, of which 60% are chardonnay white, the village of Chassagne Montrachet produce Le Montrachet Grand Crus that have distinct almost, ripened apple and honey aromas. Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Crus are also of exceptional quality and typically cost hundreds of euros per bottle. Popular Chevalier-Montrachet white wines include the Domaine Jean Chartron, Domaine Bouchard Père & Fils, Louis Latour “Les Demoiselles”, Verget, Vincent Girardin Grand Cru and Louis Jadot. Vintage varieties such as the 1978 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet are notable for their somewhat overpowering nose – comprising a strong cheese aroma – coupled with what is a supremely soft yet lively palate. The Michel Colin-Deléger Chevalier-Montrachet is recommended over the Domaine Leflaive for those who prefer wines that have a fruity and oak-heavy composition.
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Crus are also exceptionally popular amongst Burgundy white wine aficionados and are invariably competitively priced. The Verget Corton-Charlemagne is a woody, oak-heavy wine from the Verget Maison winery and vintage bottles are exceptionally fine. Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne, by contrast, has a more fruity and mature palate, arguably akin to green apple. Likewise, the Marius Delarche Corton-Charlemagne has a rich, fruity and acidic blend of tastes and aromas that are unmistakeably of the Marius Delarche Terroir.
Other notable white Burgundy Grand Crus include Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet and Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet, all of which have their own unique textures, aromas and flavours that appeal to a variety of tastes. Burgundy is not only famous for its Grand Crus produce, however, and next in line on its vineyard classification system is that of the Premier Cru. Premier Cru vineyards are considered to be of a very high quality but are not quite to the same standard as Grand Cru vineyards. Nevertheless, Premier Crus constitute 12% of Burgundy’s wine production and are typically left to mature for around five to ten years. Beneath Premier Crus on the Burgundy classification system lies the village appellation wines, which constitute some 36% of wine production in Burgundy. At the bottom of the system, the regional appellation wines are those thought to be of the lowest quality in Burgundy – which is not necessarily the case in reality but is generally representative of the vineyard in question – and make up the bulk of wine production in Burgundy. Unlike at Grand Cru, Premier Cru and village appellation level, regional Burgundy wines are not only limited to red or white – indeed, they often comprise sparkling varieties in addition to those made by an array of different grapes, such as Aligoté.
In summary, Burgundy white wines are generally amongst the finest produced anywhere in the world. In terms of direct competition with wine production in Bordeaux, however, the two systems could not be more different. Whilst Bordeaux comprises large Château production, Burgundy consists of a diverse number of large to small vineyards and négociants (producers who do not own vineyards but bottle the wine themselves) that produce an equally diverse range of wines. Thus, the Burgundy classification system is crucial to recognising the very best wines produced in the region.
