Matt and Mike Attend Somm Cellars White Burgundy Tasting on 7/31/24

It was a typical August evening hot, steamy and one where you long to be in an air-conditioned room, and especially if you’re going to taste twenty five 2022 white burgundies.

The room was crowded with about 25 people, you might say 1 bottle per person, but we all know that’s not how a wine tasting works!

There were 4 sections with Regional, Villages, Premier Cru and Grand Cru and you could walk around from section to section deciding what order of wines you wanted to taste.

We decided to start with the Villages because we always love to start with the better wines which often are the more expensive wines, but as we all know, that’s not always true. The bigger question is when and where can you find Burgundies that offer great value and great prices? That was our quest this evening!

The first two wines in the Villages section – Etienne Sauzet Puligny and Chateau de la Maltroye Chassagne had very alluring noses which in my case is a slight barnyardy aroma. (This is Michael chiming here. Matt loves a funky, barnyard nose, as I do, as it is a real treat to experience the difference in the nose and the actual taste of the wine.) We gave them a 7 – 7.5 out of 10. (Michael again – I liked the Etienne better – it was simpler and not as complex as the de la Maltroye. Matt went back for a second taste and discovered he didn’t like it as much as when he first tasted it.

Note: A good rule of thumb is to go back and taste the same wine a second time, to make sure you still experience it as you did the first time around. There are one too many times, when you don’t like it as much as the first time you tasted it!

The Violot-Guillemard Meursault ‘Les Meix Chavaux’ had a very funky nose and Matt thought it was a little light in the delivery in both fruit and body. The Renaud Boyer Puligny ‘Les Reuchaux’ felt closed and suggested that it needed a bit more time (this was the most expensive of the Villages at $200). Matt thought the best of the group was the John Colin St.Aubin ‘Mes Sept Terroirs’ at $77. It had nice fruit and a pleasant finish. After tasting 10 wines, that ranged in price from $70 to $200, $77 for a good white Burgundy seemed reasonable at the time. BTW, Michael liked the Morey-Coffinet Ladoix ($70) and the Bachey-Legros Meursault ‘Les Chevalierres ($95). Both were easy drinking, with floral noses, and were ready to drink today! Michael is always partial to young and expressive wines1

Moving on to the Premier Crus we got a lesson on why these were the premier crus. The first one Vincent et Francois Jouard Chassagne ‘La Maltroie’ had a lovely nose. It was very complex and had a beautiful lasting finish (certainly one of both of our favorites at $105). The Jean-Marc Boillot Puligny ‘Les Combettes’ had big fruit, but Matt felt it didn’t seem as interesting the second tasting of it. On the other hand, Michael thought this wine had it all – nose, taste, and finish. It was his favorite of the group. Matt’s favorite of the premier cru’s was the Morey-Coffinet Chassagne “Morgeot-Les Fairendes’ which had a pleasant nose, a caramel flavor and was very enjoyable at $135. Michael liked it as well and considered it his second best of the group.

Note: Michael and Matt don’t always agree about the wines they taste – but that is no surprise if you know them!

Then we discovered why wines are called Grand Crus. The Rapet ‘Corton-Charlemagne’ was delightful. It had a light nose, but surprisingly, was a big complex wine. The finish lasted nicely on the palate, and it was a beautiful wine. You might say it is expensive for $225, but then again, it’s up to you and your budget! If we had more time, we would have loved to taste it again, again and again to see how the taste would change with each sip – certainly a trait of great Burgundies.

And last but not least, not to leave out the Regionals, we both found them to be in general, reasonably pleasant white burgundies ranging from $33 to $75. They were not very complex and would be fun to have with a nice meal during the week. Matt’s favorite in this group was the Pierre Girardin Bourgogne ‘Eclat de Calcaire’ at $52 and he felt that it hit all the right notes at an almost affordable price point. Michael did not have a favorite in this group

Overall, we truly enjoyed this wine tasting. We got to taste wines we might not have tasted anyplace else. Of course, that’s why you go to wine tastings!

For those of you who might be interested in taking a deep dive into understanding the differences of Regional, Villages, Premier Cru and Grand Cru white Burgundies, we asked Claude 3.5 Sonnet AI to describe the four classifications of white burgundies below:

Regional

A regional white Burgundy wine typically refers to a Chardonnay produced in the Burgundy region of France, outside the more prestigious appellations like Chablis or Meursault. Here’s a concise description:

Origin: Burgundy region, France

Grape: Chardonnay

Classification: Usually labeled as “Bourgogne Blanc”

Origin: Burgundy region, France

Grape: Chardonnay

Classification: Usually labeled as “Bourgogne Blanc”

Characteristics:

– Color: Pale gold to light straw

– Aromas: Apple, citrus, white flowers, sometimes with hints of oak

– Flavor: Medium-bodied, crisp acidity, flavors of lemon, green apple, and subtle mineral notes

– Finish: Generally clean and refreshing

Winemaking: Often fermented and/or aged in oak barrels, but typically with less oak influence than higher-end Burgundies

Price point: Generally more affordable than village-level or premier cru Burgundies

Food pairings: Versatile, pairs well with poultry, seafood, and creamy pasta dishes

These wines offer a good introduction to the Burgundian style of Chardonnay at a more accessible price point.

Villages

A Villages white Burgundy wine is a step up from regional Burgundy, offering more specificity in terms of origin and often higher quality. Here’s a description:

Origin: Specific village-level appellations within Burgundy, France Grape: Chardonnay Classification: Labeled with the village name, e.g., “Pouilly-Fuissé” or “Saint-Véran”

Characteristics:

Color: Typically pale to medium gold
Aromas: More complex than regional wines, often featuring ripe fruit, floral notes, and subtle oak
Flavor: Medium to full-bodied, with balanced acidity and more pronounced minerality
Finish: Longer and more complex than regional wines

Winemaking:

Often aged in oak barrels, with more new oak used than in regional wines
More careful selection of grapes and vineyard management

Terroir: Reflects more specific soil types and microclimates of the village

Price point: Generally pricier than regional Burgundies, but less expensive than Premier or Grand Cru wines

Aging potential: Can often benefit from a few years of aging, developing more complexity

Notable Villages : Mâcon-Villages, Pouilly-Fuissé, Saint-Véran, Montagny

These wines offer a good balance of quality and value within the Burgundy hierarchy. Would you like more information on specific Villages appellations or how they compare to other Burgundy classifications?

Premier Cru

A Premier Cru white Burgundy represents a step up in quality and prestige from Villages-level wines. Here’s a description:

Origin: Specific, high-quality vineyards within villages of Burgundy, France

Grape: Chardonnay

Classification: Labeled as “Premier Cru” or “1er Cru” along with the vineyard name

Characteristics:

– Color: Usually deeper gold than Villages wines

– Aromas: Complex and intense, often featuring ripe fruits, floral notes, nuts, and subtle oak

– Flavor: Full-bodied, with excellent balance between fruit, acidity, and minerality

– Finish: Long, complex, and often with a distinctive mineral character

Winemaking:

– Typically aged in oak barrels, often with a higher percentage of new oak

– Careful grape selection and lower yields for concentration

Terroir: Expresses unique characteristics of premier cru designated vineyards

Price point: Significantly higher than Villages wines, but less than Grand Cru

Aging potential: Often benefits from 5-10 years of aging, developing more complexity

Notable appellations : Chablis Premier Cru, Meursault Premier Cru, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru

These wines offer exceptional quality and are considered some of the finest expressions of Chardonnay in the world. They typically show more depth, complexity, and aging potential than Villages wines.

Grand Cru

A Grand Cru white Burgundy represents the pinnacle of white wine production in Burgundy, and is considered among the finest expressions of Chardonnay in the world. Here’s a description:

Origin: Specific, exceptional vineyards in Burgundy, France

Grape: Chardonnay

Classification: Labeled as “Grand Cru” with the vineyard name

Characteristics:

– Color: Deep gold, often with a slight green tinge when young

– Aromas: Extremely complex and intense, featuring ripe fruits, flowers, nuts, spices, and subtle oak

– Flavor: Full-bodied, powerful, with exceptional balance of fruit, acidity, minerality, and oak

– Finish: Very long, complex, and multi-layered

Winemaking:

– Aged in oak barrels, often with a high percentage of new oak

– Extremely selective grape harvesting and low yields for maximum concentration

Terroir: Expresses the unique characteristics of grand cru vineyards, often with pronounced minerality

Price point: The most expensive category of white Burgundy

Aging potential: Can age for decades, often 15-30 years or more

Notable Grand Cru vineyards:

– Corton-Charlemagne

– Montrachet

– Bâtard-Montrachet

– Chevalier-Montrachet

– Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet

– Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet

– Chablis Grand Cru (sevra climats)

These wines are known for their power, complexity, and ability to age. They often require several years of cellaring to reach their full potential.