SPARKLING WINE
Burgundy
The soils and vineyards of Burgundy have been very well defined thanks to the studious Monks a few hundred years ago - and the swathe of others who have picked up the baton since.
The Golden Slope (Cote D'or) is divided into two; the Cote du Nuit to the north and the Cote de Beaune to the south. Pinot noir dominates the Cote du Nuit as it loves the limestone nature of the soils and Chardonnay thrives in the heavier calcareous marl soils on the Cote de Beaune.
The essence of Burgundy comes down to the place where the vines are grown. The more definitive you can be (e.g. a single vineyard like Grand Cru or Premier Cru) then the higher the price you'll pay. A village wine, which will most likely be a blend of vineyards from within the village won't be as expensive as its origins are a little broader.
To the north, Chablis is an outpost. Lying closer to Champagne than the Cote d'Or, its marine fossil laden soils (Kimmeridgian clay) make scintillating renditions of chardonnay which age beautifully.
To the south the Cote Chalonnais, Maconnais and Beaujolais make wines that are easier on the pocket. There's some great value to be had here. A few different grapes are added to the mix including Gamay and Aligoté (as well as pinot noir and chardonnay).
Red or White?
Both.
Grapes
White: Chardonnay, Aligote
Red: Pinot Noir, Gamay
Styles
The purity of chardonnay is on full display in a bottle of Chablis. Chiselled and tightly wound this is a crisp and salivating white. White Burgundy tends towards a riper heart but with spicy oak support.
Favourite Producers
Gerard Raphet, Jean-Marc Pillot, Armand Rousseau, Domaine Romanee Conti, Benjamin Leroux, Domaine Bellene, JF Mugnier, Buisson Battault, Domaine Roulot, Arnaud Ente, Francois Carillon, Francois Raveneau, Christophe Chablis, Chantemerle Chablis,
-
Louis Picalmelot Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Les TerroirsBased in Rully and presided over by third-generation winemaker-proprietor Philippe Chautard, Maison Louis Picamelot produces some of the best sparkling wines in Burgundy. Forever in Champagne's shadow, few take Crémant de Bourgogne seriously. But what this Maison is doing is already impressive and well worth open-minded consumers' attention. WILLIAM KELLEY, Wine Advocate
Makes you smile this wine. There's a generosity of aromatic that leads you through baked pastry, fresh cut stonefruits and then an invogorating punch of crushed stone minerality puffs into view. It's kind of like a Champagne letting it's hair down on the palate as well, genrosity of well-defined fruit is edged with minerality and oyster shell while the fine bead cinches and tucks in the effusive edges. Its got enough in it for the serious-minded fizz drinker but is also playful and generous enough to keep you pulling it out of the fridge for pretth much any pcassion. MICHAEL MCNAMARAThis thing hits it out of the park in terms of delivering quality and value. It doesn’t hold back with packing in the flavour either. The fruit is present and accounted for, with a nice lick of minerality and some back end punch, but what is really striking is the yeasty, brioche, burnt toast mealy characters that immediately greet you as you take your first sniff. It has all the bells and whistles. As a Champagne nerd I love to see that in the wine, as distinctly different to my fetish for Grower Bubbles, give me some of that expressively yeasty goodness. Substantial length here too. This will be one hell of a crowd pleaser. ROSCOE
France358$55.00 As low as $49.50 -
Louis Picamelot Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Les Terroirs Rose NVSiren song aromatics of strawberries and cream, a little tarragon and mineral and maybe a little vanilla lead you head first into the glass. So enticing and welcoming and it continues on the palate with the same ebullient fruit held within a soft and pillowy mousse creating an almost sensual decadent impression. Alongside that though is real energy and vigour elevating the fruit and spice (and a little sage) element in the wine. It's so beuatiuflly put together this wine and would leave a number of it's Champagne cousins for dead and ashamed of their pricing. Gorgeous sparkling. MICHAEL MCNAMARA
One of the crew called this “soft and mellow” I can see where that comes from, it certainly has a lovely mouth filling quality and all those billowing soft bubbles provide such a sensual cushioning effect, but the wine lacks nothing for racy energy either. I don't think its soft, I think it's lush!
Also, I love the fine chalkiness that punctuates the fruit. Like its BdB sibling the lights are flashing and the sirens are cranked up, they don’t shy away from the winemaking and let’s be honest, that’s what makes Champa… sparkling wines like this so exciting. Even with that distinct autolytic creaminess the wines overall impression is one of flirtatious elegance. It is my pick of the two, but only just, and it pips its sibling on refinement if not substance. ROSCOENVFrance358$55.00 As low as $49.50
