A Touch of Class
The name Burgundy always commands a level of reverence when it comes to the world of wine. Further still it has been synonymous with great (if not perfect in the eyes of some) Chardonnay and Pinot Noir since well before the Cistercian Monks influence.
Narrowing it further to the Côte de Nuits that is legally allowed to produce white and rosé wines as well, you are basically standing on hallowed Pinot Noir ground with 24 out of the total 25 red Grand Crus (the highest quality level of vineyards in the region) of Bourgogne (French for Burgundy) being nurtured here. Producing some powerful and concentrated yet elegant wines, few regions around the world have come close to recreate this finesse; despite creating interesting expression in their own right. The village Gevrey-Chambertin actually having 9 of these Grand Crus, makes for the best place (and possibly equally most expensive) to look for red Burgundians.
So when getting to taste a Premier Cru (the second highest quality level) from Gevrey-Chambertin, I was visibly ecstatic. The wine came from the producer Domaine Huguenot that has vineyards in Les Fontenys, where they make only 1,500 bottles from it a year. Note, in Burgundy the actual vineyard sites are more important than the producer making the wine.
This was the 2011 begging to be had. For a Pinot Noir the colour was rather deep, leaning more towards mid ruby. The nose was scintillatingly alive: fragrant wild flowers, with juicy ripe berries (raspberries and red and black cherries), toasted walnuts and earthy mushrooms.
The palate was tight and concentrated, focused, yet in no way over done, and still delicate. It had fresh lingering acidity, hints of paprika and liquorice type spice and persisted long after you had swallowed. It was starting to show some slight savoury notes of age. Oh, she drunk like a dream with each sip requiring more thought process to decipher the flavours, and having it slightly chilled, left your palate refreshed and yearning for more. Simply stunning.
Sources:
Map of Burgundy from Kelly’s Wine