1st day. Pouilly fuisse
On the first day of our trip, we went straight from Lyon airport to one of the southernmost parts of Burgundy – Pouilly Fuisse. The first winery we visited was Domaine Ferret, where the energetic Audrey not only spoke about the rich history of the house, but also announced that it was on the day of our visit that the documents for Pouilly Fuisse’s Premier Cru classification were considered! Looking ahead, we can say that everything worked out and Poully Fuisse is now classified as Premier Cru.
None of our trip to Burgundy is complete without a visit to the picturesque Vergisson cliff, which offers beautiful views of Fuisse and Mâconnais … Usually a great picnic spot with a glass of wine and fresh pastries, but this time the weather had its own plans.
Day 2. Givry and Maranges
If on the first day the emphasis was on white wines, then on the second we had the opportunity to taste Pinot Noir … We started in Givry, visiting Domaine du clos Solomon. Elegant, juicy, classic Pinot Noir from a small farm where only a few people work under the direction of Louis.
After a small picnic on the top of the hill, we went to Domaine Chevrot, located in a small appeal of Maranges (Ronald decided to go on foot).
Now this relatively young (founded in 1973) winery is run by Pablo Chevro. Remarkably, his father, Paul Chevreau, worked for many years as a winemaker at the legendary Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and after retiring decided to start his own winery.
Soil is the foundation of any Burgundy wine. Nowhere in the world does terroir mean so much as it does here.
Day 3. Saint Aubin, Montrachet and Saint Romain
After the morning tasting Saint Aubin went to the vicinity of the village of Montrachet to stroll through the legendary gardens.
Ronald was very pleased
A rare piece of luck. We were lucky to be at Le Montrachet at the very moment when the vineyards were being cultivated. The hardest work, which once again shows the insane attention to detail and respect for the terroir that the winemakers of Burgundy demonstrate
We ended the day with a visit to the little-known Saint Romain Appeal, where we were received by Alain Gros. In this appeal, the wine is produced by only 7 winemakers and all but Alan are in the valley, while his estate and vineyards are located right on the top and the slopes of the hill … Alan surprised us with the use of Hungarian oak for aging and chic, fragrant red full of red fruits , berries and notes of lavender.
4th day. Chateau de Chamirey and Hospices de Beaune
Sunday was perhaps the most important day of our trip, because first of all we came to Burgundy to participate in the Hospices de Beaune auction and buy a barrel of wine from 2017 …
We started the day with a meeting with one of the best winemakers represented in the Noble Wine collection – Chateau de Chamirey. We were met by Amory Devilleard, who, together with his sister Aurora, took over the estate from his grandfather, the Marquis of Jouennes d’Herville. Together, they managed to develop the winery, turning it into a modern production, where, nevertheless, great attention is paid to tradition and history.
The famous Bonn hospital, founded in 1443, after which the wine auction is named. The hospital itself remained operational until the 1970s, when a new hospital building was built and a beautiful museum was housed in the historic premises.
The auction itself takes place in the neighboring building of the Palace of Congresses and it is quite difficult to get there – most of the people are watching what is happening on the screens in the central square.
We were, however, lucky to be inside and participate in the world’s premier wine auction. For almost 10 hours of auction, wine was sold for 13 million euros, and the most expensive “Presidential” barrel went for 420 thousand euros … Noble Wine also bought a barrel of wine, which will spend the next year and a half in the cellars of Chateau Chamirey, after which the wine will be poured bottles, stick labels and bring to Riga, where we will delight you with our own wine!
Day 5. Cotes de Beaune and Cremant
Lucien Jacob, whom we visited at the beginning of the 5th day, turned out to be an excellent storyteller. Historically, his family was not engaged in winemaking at all, but in the collection of black currants from which Creme de Cassis was then made, and only relatively recently the Jacob family decided to concentrate on wine. It turns out great for them! Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru surprised with a scent full of almonds, fresh croissants and butter, while Savigny Vergelesses 1er Cru was extremely juicy and peppery.
In addition, Lucien creates sculptures from old barrels and himself delivers wine to more than 1000 of his private clients in France and the surrounding area. He just gets into the van and drives off.
In addition, Lucien creates sculptures from old barrels and himself delivers wine to more than 1000 of his private clients in France and the surrounding area. He just gets into the van and drives off.
The most sparkling tasting of the entire wine tour. Yes, we have tried cremantes from other winemakers who produce them along with regular wines, but Parigot was the only winemaker specializing in sparkling wines for the entire trip. A fascinating tour of the old cellars, where more than 200,000 bottles are stored, which are turned over 7 days a week, 365 days a year by several winery employees.
Amazing, rich in flavor and completely versatile cremente that rivals Champagne.
Day 6. Atypical Burgundy
The last day of our trip started at Chateau de Villars Fontaine. To say that it was unusual is to say nothing. The winemaker adheres to the traditional Burgundian approach, when the wine is aged for as long as possible in barrels. The result is a powerful, full-bodied wine with expressive fruits and aromas full of vanilla and spices that can be compared to Rioja. This approach is truly classic – as early as the beginning of the 20th century, the wine was mostly aged in barrels and bottled only when sold. Exposure in bottles came only with a serious reduction in the cost of wine bottling technology.
For this unusual tasting, we tasted 17 wines from 1994 to 2014. All wines were alive, full of fruit and had further potential for development – another advantage of long aging in barrels.
The last winemaker we visited was Didier Montchovet, who stood at the origins of natural winemaking not only in Burgundy, but in France as a whole. We were greeted by his charming wife Didier, who, together with him, has been creating natural wines for over 30 years in a region that presents many problems for ordinary winemakers with its capricious climate. We discussed how difficult it is to get a quality cow horn and tasted the wonderful Volnay and Pommard!
