One moment you think you're going to Burgundy alone, the next you're in a different company every evening. Yes, people – wine connects. Isn't that wonderful?
The reason I visited this epic wine region was because I absolutely had to go to Haut Les Mains. You can read exactly what that entails in another blog post (stay tuned). I also recently organized a few Burgundy wine tastings, which immersed me in the region again. I thought it would be fun to take another look, run along the hillside of Corton, and see my new obsession – Chambolle Musigny – with my own eyes. On y va!
Raymond Dupont-Fahn Chaumes des Perrières 2020
After a full day of tasting at Haut Les Mains, a fantastic wine fair in Corgoloin, we're overwhelmed by the first wine list in Beaune. The sommelier recommends Raymond Dupont-Fahn and then keeps talking about it. Okay, go for it. It's well-made, generous, and has a mineral character. The story behind it is... juicy , the sommelier explained to us in rapid French.
It's a downgraded Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières, and I understand why. About 50 years ago, Raymond Dupont Fahn's grandfather raised the ground by 20 centimeters. He found the soil too rocky and the topsoil too thin. This is how you create terroir. Bizarre, really. The neighboring producers disagreed, so the vineyard was downgraded to the regional appellation, AOC Bourgogne. This vineyard, however, is adjacent to that of Coche Dury.
Marc Roy Marsannay Les Champs Perdrix 2022
The next day, I'm getting ready for an aperitif at Mister Brown with a friend who happens to be on her way to Provence. Mister Brown is a wine bar that also doubles as a beer café. Its aesthetics suggest the latter, so I was a little apprehensive about the wine list, but I was completely unwarranted. The man has a large collection of Burgundies, from classics to trendy small producers.
After much deliberation, we finally chose Marc Roy, because this name has been on my mind for a while. bucket list. Domaine Marc Roy is located in Gevrey-Chambertin, where the wines have been made by the fourth generation, Alexandrine Roy, since 2003. Although I'm curious about the reds, we're going for white now, as the day is still to come.
It will be Marsannay Blanc Les Champs Perdrix . Marsannay is the northernmost wine village of the Côte de Nuits and the only village where white, red, and rosé wines are permitted. Northern generally means cooler, resulting in more acidity and freshness. Les Champs Perdrix is also quite high, at around 350-390 meters, which also provides a cooling effect, especially at night. The wine is still very young (2022), but makes a perfect aperitif. The acidity is unmistakable, yet it's nicely wrapped in the generosity of the oak aging (20% new). It's salty, nutty, with plenty of lemon, nectarine, yeast, and biscuit notes. The delicious reduction rim completes the experience.
Francois Raveneau Chablis Mont Mains 1er Cru 2014
Francois Raveneau is the benchmark producer of Chablis. Every wine enthusiast wants to taste his wines, and the only place where it's reasonably affordable is Burgundy. When I saw this premier cru with a bit of age on the menu at Manfoux , I couldn't help but strike.
Compared to the Côte d'Or, Chablis seems simple at first, until you start to delve deeper, and you quickly become entangled in the web of appellations. It also doesn't help that each producer uses its own spelling. Anyway, Chablis has 40 different premiers crus , which are grouped under 17 'headliners' or flag-bearing climates (umbrella climats), as they are called on the Chablis website. Mont Mains is one such headliner and consists of the premiers crus: Mont Mains, Butteaux, and Forêts.
Mont Mains has the most chalky soil, is situated on a southeast-facing slope, and is therefore the coolest of the three. This undoubtedly contributes to the incredible minerality and razor-sharp acidity that gives the wine its character and ensures that you never You'll get tired of this wine. It constantly transforms in your glass, going from lemon cake and popcorn to brioche and roasted hazelnuts. Give it some air and you'll be blown away.
Domaine Feletig Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Carrières 2019
This is what I had my heart set on. Ever since I was blown away by Domaine Robert Sirugue's Chambolle Musigny, I've wanted more Chambolle in my life. Feletig is a name you can't ignore. Nobody used to want to hear about it, but since the new generation has come on board and the necessary changes have been implemented, it's become Hip & happening . The website says they're done with visitors. I tried Instagram anyway, and after some persuasion—and sending a photo of this bottle we drank at Manfoux—I was finally allowed in. The visit lasted less than five minutes, but I managed to snag three bottles. Score.
At dinner, we drank Domaine Feletig Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Carrières 2019. A truly incredible glass. So vibrantly complex and energetic, incredibly refined and not at all over the top, but very precise and elegant. Li-la-love it.
Jean-Yves Devevey Jus Rare 2021
Anyone visiting Dijon should not miss a visit to La Cave Se Rebiffe (see This blog post provides more tips in Dijon ). Here you'll find a large collection of natural wines, and don't panic just yet, this is the natural wine you want, the one you might be searching for your whole life. We start with Jus Rare from Jean Yves Devevey, an ode to the Jura, made from 0.4 hectares of Savagnin from – yes – Côte Chalonnaise. Say what? I'm immediately intrigued and I am happy to find an ally in Jette, who lives and works here.
Savagnin, the original grape, is the mother of well-known varieties such as Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc, and Verdelho. While its offspring can often be distinctly aromatic, Savagnin is the quiet force that towers above everything with its electric acidity and intense character. For me, Savagnin also always has a rustic quality. Powerful and intense, sometimes with an oxidative note, and more savory than fruity. In Jus Rare, we find everything we want from Savagnin, including a hint of Comté (or is that the cheese board we just ordered?). Either way, it leaves us wanting more. I'm curious about Devevey's other cuvées.
Jean Louis Dutraive Fleurie 'Clos de la Grand'Cour' 2021
When you think of natural wine, Dutraive immediately comes to mind. Although he is not an official member of the As the Gang of Four , he undoubtedly belongs in the same league of natural wine pioneers. These visionaries completely transformed Beaujolais's image: from a lemonade-like primeur wine to wines in which Gamay shines in all its glory. And Dutraive does this like no other.
Take, for example, the Clos de la Grand'Cour: frivolous and delicate, light-bodied yet bursting with pure red fruit, with a deliciously earthy, rustic, and super juicy note. This is a glass that always makes you happy. I intend to order a box soon (you can do that through Zekvinos, the Dutch importer).
Domaine Trapet Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Prieur 2011
It was inevitable that we would end the evening with Domaine Trapet, the domain where Jette has been living for the past year has worked . “Maybe we should do this one,” Jette says, pulling last year's Christmas gift out of her cooler. Overwhelmed by her generosity, I plop down on the couch to mentally prepare myself for this surprise. Domaine Trapet is located in Gevrey-Chambertin, where most of their vineyards are also located.
Clos Prieur is a walled vineyard in the south of Gevrey-Chambertin. The upper portion is classified as premier cru and covers approximately 2 hectares. The lower portion is bottled under village (AOC Gevrey-Chambertin) and comprises 3.6 hectares. Trapet has 0.21 hectares in the premier cru section of Clos Prieur. It's wonderful to taste this with age; at 13 years old, it's still as rich and vibrant as if freshly bottled. Fragrant, dark red fruit, berries, earthy notes, licorice, and delicate spices.
Time to go
No region screams wine like Burgundy. Every time, I learn something new. Where I used to be happy just to be able to distinguish the Côte de Nuits from the Côte de Beaune, I now race along the hillside of Corton to understand those premiers and grands crus and the various exhibits. Don't let the complexity of the region hold you back.
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