Burgundy Vicariously

I’m back in Burgundy after a great (albeit snowy) week in New England and a very fulfilling Boston Wine Expo. As we have been telling you for the past few weeks, we conducted a Burgundy seminar at the BWE. And it went off to great acclaim for a sold out room. The wines were drinking well and the message was openly appreciated. What a a buzz!

So we got to thinking: how could we share the experience here, via the website? This is our attempt to recreate the seminar so you can live it vicariously. We supply you with everything but the wine. And even that you will find in our Boston Wine Expo Special Offers where we have put together tasting cases of the same wines we served in Boston.

Premier Cru Côte de Beaune vs Côte de Nuits
Comparing Pinot Noir from Burgundy’s Top Appellations

What explains the dramatic differences between the Pinot Noir wines of the Côte de Beaune and those of the Côte de Nuits? Why is it generally considered that the Côte de Nuits makes better reds and the Côte de Beaune better whites? Invariably this discussion turns to geology. And it seems logical and almost empirical that the answer should be buried somewhere there. But to this day no one can tell us why or how a rock formation defines the wine made from grapes grown in it. We are left, as always, in awe of the range and diversity of Burgundy’s vineyards. In the end, tasting is better than digging as we try to understand the sacred home of Pinot Noir. This tasting pits three Premier Cru Côte de Beaune red vs three from the Côte de Nuits.

Here are the wines we presented:

Cote de Beaune Premier Cru
2009 DOMAINE MICHEL ARCELAIN Beaune 1er Cru ‘Clos des Mouches’
2005 DOMAINE POTINET-AMPEAU Volnay 1er Cru ‘Clos des Chenes’
2005 DOMAINE POTINET-AMPEAU Pommard 1er Cru ‘Les Pezerolles’

Cote de Nuits Premier Cru
2007 MARCHAND-TAWSE Nuits St Georges 1er Cru ‘Damodes’
2009 DOMAINE MAUME Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
2010 MARCHAND-TAWSE Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru ‘Les Feusselottes’

Below is our Power Point presentation. There you will be able to proceed, just as we did at the seminar on the day. For more information, you can read our previous blog post, Palate Tectonics, on the geology of the region. And at the very bottom we have the tech sheets for each of the wines that we tasted.