Unlike the Bordeaux region with its nobility and grand Chateaux, the Burgundy region – an area of small farms and small owner grape growers – begins about 20 miles South East of Paris and extends to Lyon. From this 225 mile span come some of the world’s most expensive and sought-after Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. Burgundy produces less than 1 tenth of the wine of Bordeaux, and many owners sometimes farm as little as a row of 12 vines and many parcels consisting of one or two hectares (1 hectare = 2.71 acres). All of Burgundy’s major white wines are made from the Chardonnay grape, but instead on the label you will see the name of the producing village, like Chablis, Meursault, etc. All of Burgundy’s major red wines are made from the Pinot Noir grape, but again on the label you will see the name of the village: Pommard, Geury Chambertin, Morey-Saint- Denis, etc. In the Maconnais and Beaujolais regions of Burgundy the only red grape grown is Gamay. The very popular light and fruity Beaujolais wine is meant to be drunk young and slightly chilled, it is low in alcohol and is always a crowd pleaser. Before the French Revolution most of Burgundy’s vineyards were owned by the monasteries of the Catholic Church, but after the revolution those vineyards were divided into small parcels and sold to the public. Today, over 200 years later, this system of small ownership still prevails. The names of red Burgundies to look for: Fixin, Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Clois de Vougeot, Vosne-Romanee, Richebourg, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Pommard, and many others. The names of white Burgundies to look for: Chablis, Corton-Charlemagne, Meursault, Pouligny Montrachet, Chassagne Montrachet, and many others.
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Located at the southernmost tip of wine-producing Burgundy, the Beaujolais is a region that cannot be ignored. Thanks to Beaujolais Nouveau, this appellation is now famous around the world. But beyond the festive attributes of this wine, it is also an impressive terroir and the birthplace of the Gamay grape, which fully expresses itself here more than anywhere else. Jarnioux and its hilly landscapes offer gorgeous panoramas of the Saône valley. Here, the vines are planted in calcareous clay soil (sedimentary in origin and therefore comparable to the soil profiles found in Burgundy). In this exceptional region, where it is warmer than in the rest of Burgundy, both the soil and the people working it contribute to the highly exceptional Gamay wines produced here, thereby affirming a true Beaujolais terroir.
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The Santenay Les Gravières 1er Cru comes from a considerable 3.8-hectare parcel. the wine is structured, focused, medium-bodied, finessed, and elegant with moderate tannins and fresh acidity which carry this to a lovely, lingering finish. The palate provides complex and intense flavors of cherry, cranberry, red currant, plum, violets, earth, vanilla, clove, spice, and leather. It will no doubt benefit from some extended ageing. A nice accompaniment to roast rabbit or pork loin.