Burgundy Bliss in Two Bottles
After a week in Burgundy, I’m headed back to Portland with lots of good things in the works. But all that Burgundy has me inspired. So here are a couple of wines I’ve been thinking about this week.
Burgundy is an easy place to get lost in details, with innumerable place names referencing minuscule corners of vineyards, and a Byzantine hierarchy of wines. Linguistically, the place names are a mix of old French, Latin, and references to the Celts. Plus, everyone you ask to clarify has a different answer, complete with an anecdote followed by a shrug of the shoulders. C’est comme ça!
I’ve just spent a week up and down Burgundy for a deep dive, tasting wines from 9 am to 6 pm, and a few more with dinner to cap off the day. Frankly, my head is spinning with place names and vintage notes, and it will take weeks to review all of my notes. But the clear takeaway for me is that Burgundy continues to be one of the great pleasures of the wine world.
Geraldine Lochet Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2021
If you want one reliable, gratifying place to find delicious Pinot noir, look no further than Geraldine Lochet, who has been working in the Côte Chalonnaise for close to three decades. Working with vineyards close to the town of Givry, Geraldine finds Pinot that ripens reliably for ready-to-enjoy wines, with a beautiful balance of exuberant fruit and elegant structure.
Geraldine deftly crafts her Pinot noir with finesse, resulting in an open and elegant wine full of fruit, savory forest floor notes, with elegant tannins for a pleasantly drying finish. This fresh Pinot noir is not covered up by new oak, though it does spend about 12 months in older barrels for a supple texture. In the end, Geraldine says, “This wine is made for drinking!”
Clos de Mez Fleurie Mademoiselle M 2021
Of course, after a full day of tasting over one hundred Pinot Noirs, mixing it up is more than welcome. Fortunately, if you continue down the Autoroute a little further, you’ll arrive shortly at the low granite hills of the Beaujolais, covered with Pinot Noir’s juicy cousin, Gamay. With only ten Crus, navigating the appellations of Beaujolais is a relative breeze compared to the Côte d’Or, but for my money, it’s Fleurie that has the right mix of perfumed aromatics, crunchy fruit, and a little kick of tannins to pair smartly with food.
Marie-Elodie Zighera, of Clos de Mez, splits her time between her vineyards in Fleurie and the enology school in Beaune, where she trains future vignerons. While she brings a serious and fastidious approach to her winemaking, this Gamay is incredibly lively and calls to you from the glass. The family vineyards in Fleurie are planted with old vines that bring great depth and balance to the wines, while also being full of energy.