Crazy about wine
Pinot noir from Burgundy
A magical wine experience
In short, this delicate, sexy, elegant and complex red wine represents some of the most legendary wines ever planted, harvested, stored, bottled, stored, poured, tasted and enjoyed in this world... and with such a history, responsibility and expectations behind it, it’s obvious for any wine lover to know a little more about it.
Although Pinot noir originally comes from Burgundy, it should be emphasised that you can also find Pinot noir (and even quite honourable some of its kinds) elsewhere in France (Languedoc and Loire, for example), but also in the rest of the world. For example, Pinot noir is known as Pinot nero in Italy, Spätburgunder in Germany, Blauburgunder in Austria, and it is also found in countries such as the USA, Argentina, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, etc.
This beautiful and international grape varies (like all other grapes) naturally in taste and style depending on the geography, and in this post we will focus solely on the Burgundian version. It should also be mentioned that Burgundy is almost as well known for its white wines, most often in the form of Chardonnay, but we save these for another good time.
Geography and cultivation
From a geographical point of view, Burgundy is located in eastern France about 300 km from Paris, starting at the top of the town of Dijon, after which the region extends over about 80 km south to the town of Mâcon. Red wines from Burgundy usually consist of pure Pinot noir, but occasionally you come across a bottle, usually from a regional setting, which also contains some of the Gamay grape, which is normally found in Beaujolais, which is just under 100 km further south.
Technically speaking, the Pinot noir grape is notoriously difficult to grow due to its very delicate shell. In cold and rainy years, the result will be bitter, acidic and sharp, while the warm years can result in heavy, full-bodied and jam-like wines and not in the right way.
Burgundy is one of the northernmost places in Europe where wine is made, which is naturally due to the temperature. In general, the temperatures here are quite cold and, combined with a lot of precipitation, this places strict demands on the location of the vineyards. For example, a location in the middle of slopes facing south-east is optimal, as it is neither too hot nor too cold, and the vines also receive a balanced amount of rain, as rainwater flows down the slope and collects at the bottom. In addition, there is also a big difference between logs that are planted deep in the ground and whose wines achieve a deep and complex style with notes of forest floor, camphor and dark berries, and logs that are planted closer to the slopes and thus result in lighter, fresher and more refined wines, usually with a higher acidity and a more pure style.
Appellations and style
The wines in Burgundy are divided into five different appellations, which are ranked (and priced) as follows from top to bottom: Grand cru, 1st cru, lieu dits, village and AOC. AOC stands for the regional appellations, and constitutes 53% of all wines from Burgundy, which are the cheapest wines and can be referred to as table wines or everyday wines in everyday speech.
The next level is called village and covers the municipal appellations that account for 30% of Burgundy’s wines, distributed across 44 different municipalities. Individual village wines are found with the field name written on the bottle label, which often means that it is a slightly better field than the other municipal wines. This refers to lieu dits, which translates directly to “the place says”, which refers to the specific field in the municipality.
The last two appellations are of course the best, and 1st cru and Grand cru stand for 15 and 2% of the Bourgogne wines, respectively. A first cru will typically occupy the best position on the slope, unless this is occupied by a Grand cru, which is typically wines that can mature for at least five years and where there is a common thread between price and quality. Grand cru is the very best, and it’s not even certain that the bottle will contain Grand cru. Although there is no guarantee for the price/quality ratio, these classifications generally reflect very well what you get for your money in Burgundy.
Red Burgundy comes in many styles, and although most may associate them with light and feminine wines, they are actually also available in deeper, more complex and masculine versions. However, what is common to virtually all quality wines from Burgundy is that they are always the epitome of elegance, finesse and velvety soft fruit with notes of strawberry, raspberry and forest floor. Another classic characteristic of Pinot noir is that we are dealing with wines that are low in tannins (tanned acid) but rich in acid. This contributes to the soft and fresh style, and if you hit it right, it’s nothing less than pure elegance in a bottle.
Storage and food matching
In Burgundy, they also have the ability to use the right amount of barrel ageing, typically in the form of 18 months in new oak barrels, which gives the wine a hint of vanilla without overdoing the wine’s other properties. This is a property that allows red wine from Burgundy to be enjoyed a little younger than Barolo or Bordeaux, for example.
There are also wines from the 1st Cru and Grand cru, which can be stored for 5-10 years or more and still retain their youthful freshness, but this depends to a great extent on the vintage, and of course you pay accordingly.
If you want to know what to serve your red Burgundy with, it’s always a safe match to look locally. Burgundy is home to some of France’s (if not the world’s) most delicious gastronomy, and if there’s something gastronomy has taught us, it’s that local wine and food always go well together.
There are two food elements that go particularly well with Burgundian Pinot noir, and these are poultry and mushrooms. Of course, poultry comes in many forms, but a grilled chicken in the oven or the classic coq au vin are perfect accompaniments to Pinot noir, where the latter also contains mushrooms. Other dishes include rabbit, foie gras, liver and perhaps the most obvious beef bourguignon. In addition, due to its lightness, Pinot noir can also be served with fish if you prefer red wine to white wine.
Vive la France