2012 Annual White Burgundy Round-Up!
6/20/12 -
Summer is here and for us this means it's time to stock the refrigerator with white Burgundy. Let us draw your attention to the Summer Solstice, the day all of our Druid friends have been waiting for, the longest day of the year. For us this means an additional, languorous stretch of daylight in which to relax over a leisurely meal and a meaningful bottle of wine. Clichéd it may be, but we find the flavors of cool Chardonnay and Aligoté from anywhere in Burgundy - whether it's a fresh, citrusy Mâcon wine from the southern edge of the region, a full-flavored and powerful wine from the Côte de Beaune, or a steely and razor sharp wine from Chablis - to harmonize perfectly with farmer's market bounty, the fresh seafood and vegetables, not to mention the mood of summer.
We like to say about Chardonnay that it is amongst the most terroir expressive and age-worthy white grapes. In fact there is such variety amongst white Burgundies that we feel compelled to offer a little bit of direction. Mâconnais wines from the southern part of Burgundy include Mâcon, Saint-Véran, and Pouilly-Fuissé, and they are - for the most part - light and fresh. We like these wines on their own or with salads, vegetables, raw seafood, and simple fish preparations. The more substantial Pouilly-Fuissés and Mâcon-Viré wines are more full flavored, wonderful alongside richer foods such as fish and chicken with rich sauces. The Côte Chalonnaise has great values in wines like Rully, Montagny, Mercurey, and Givry, which also have more body and intensity than the typical bright Chardonnay from the south of the region. In the Côte de Beaune we find the very famous and fantastic wines: Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, and Corton- Charlemagne. These are wines to ponder over the course of a meal as they open up to reveal mellow, earthy flavors and powerful finishes. We attempt, at all times, to stock mature Côte de Beaune white wines so that the drinker may experience where these wines go with age. From the lesser known appellations/villages like Pernand-Vergelesses, Saint-Aubin, Monthélie, and Auxey-Duresses, come great buys from the Côte D'Or. Please note the wonderful and traditionally styled wines of Prudhon and Rapet in Pernand-Vergelesses. In Chablis there is a great range from the modest and affordable Chablis AC up through the Premier Crus and up to the fantastic Grand Crus. We have a lovely range of well-priced AC Chablis for your drinking pleasure this summer, also the beautiful 2010 Vézelay Blanc from Patrick Bringer of Domaines les Faverelles.
Our suggestion (also what we'll be doing ourselves) is to make a trip to your local Farmer's market for fresh produce, fish, and poultry, chill down a bottle of white Burgundy and enjoy a long, lazy summer evening... and, please, if you're in need of a suggestion or two, we are always here to help. -jbt
