Oysters are a common sight at French markets. Huitres are a natural pairing for wine, in both the gustatory and philosophical senses. Just like wine, they’re an expression of terroir (or merrior, if you like) whose character changes with their origin. And in matters gustatory, well, it’s a match made in heaven.
For fans of Syrah, France’s Northern Rhône Valley is Mecca. It’s at the grape’s northern ripening limit, a geographic marker where grapes usually find their finest expression. The most famous reds from the Northern Rhône — from towns like Côte Rôtie, Hermitage, and St-Joseph — are some of the longest lived and most highly sought after wines in the world.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is one of the most recognizable brands in wine. Made famous by French popes in the 14th century, and then again by Robert Parker in the 1980s, the appellation’s place on the winemaking map is well established. And well deserved — the wines can be extraordinary, though they often come at a “special occasion” price point for most wine enthusiasts.
The most important thing to know about a wine from Burgundy is the location of the vines, but knowing the winemaker is a close second. We’ve had disappointing bottles from famous Grand Crus and brilliant wines from lesser terroirs. Often a highly skilled producer can create unusually good wine from humble origins.
Only two white wine terroirs in Burgundy’s Côte d’Or hold the status of Grand Cru. Montrachet and its satellites, in the south between Chassagne and Puligny, are the more famous. The other is Corton-Charlemagne, perched on a large hill marking the midpoint of the Côte d’Or, so named after it was made a gift from the Holy Roman Emperor.
The Gamay grape has had a turbulent history. In 1395 Duke Philip the Bold concluded Gamay was “evil and disloyal,” and banished it from the northern half of Burgundy. For the past six centuries it has found refuge in Beaujolais, where it produces mostly simple reds — fruit-forward and inexpensive.
The famous wine writer Hugh Johnson once wrote, “If one had to single out one commune of Bordeaux to head the list, there would be no argument. It would be Pauillac.” This tiny town in the heart of Bordeaux is most famous for its three superstar chateaux: Latour, Lafite-Rothschild, and Mouton-Rothschild. But there’s more to Pauillac than just these legendary vineyards.
Chablis remains among the best bargains in the wine world. Its wines are always more affordable than their counterparts in the Côte d’Or, a result of damage to the name from imitation “California Chablis” of decades ago. Drawing from the distinctive Kimmeridgean terroir and a tradition of subtle or no oak, the winemakers of Chablis create some of the purest expressions of Chardonnay in the world.
The père half of Ansonia is in Burgundy this week, working as a member of a harvesting team in Vosne-Romanée (check our Facebook page for visuals). Early signs point to an excellent 2017 vintage, though we won’t get our hands on it any time soon. Most won’t be in the bottle until 2019, and the wines themselves will mature over the following decade.
Burgundy can be an intimidating place. Its classification rules are complicated, and its wines often require precise and careful cellaring. Even for experienced collectors it can tricky to time the optimum drinking window, and getting it wrong can be disappointing and expensive.
Unique. The impossibly steep hillsides of the Côte Rôtie seem like the last place in the world to grow vines. With slopes reaching 60 degrees in places, all field work — planting, pruning, treating, harvesting — must be done entirely by hand. Every time we visit we wonder aloud what on earth would drive people […]
Burgundies are not getting any cheaper. With limited supply and ever-increasing demand, good values are harder and harder to find. But one Burgundian town that continues to deliver far more than people expect is St-Aubin. And we’re not the only ones to notice.
Grape varietals often get their names from a visible aspect of their fruit. The name Sauvignon blanc comes from sauvage (“wild”) because its leaves resemble those of wild grape vines. Pinot Gris refers to the blue-gray (gris) color of its grapes. But our favorite varietal etymologically speaking has to be Sangiovese — a wine so inky and black that it is named for the “blood of Jove.”
One thing that separates good wines from great ones is their ability to age. With each passing year the difference between a Côtes du Rhône and a Châteauneuf-du-Pape increases. It’s the same with Burgundy and Bordeaux, and also with today’s subject: Champagne.
Harvests have begun around France this week. Next week the older half of the Ansonia team heads over to Burgundy for les vendanges in the Côte de Nuits. In the Languedoc, where the warm southern sun ripens the grapes earlier, the Mas Foulaquier’s harvest is well under way. Browse through their Instagram and you can almost smell the wild yeast and fruit in their cuverie.