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| A very attentive class! |
The minor varieties in Bourgogne include Aligoté, Gamay, Pinot Beurot (Pinot Gris), Pinot Blanc, Sacy, Sauvignon, César, Melon de Bourgogne and others. Aligoté alone represents about 6% of plantings, which means the others together make up about 3%.
Being an offspring of the same parents as ubiquitous Chardonnay, namely Pinot Noir x Gouais Blanc, Aligoté has not enjoyed the same international reputation as its ‘sibling’. Aligoté used to be more widely planted in Bourgogne but its low commercial appeal and difficulty to grow well slowly converted most growers of Aligoté to replant with Chardonnay. Aligoté is known for its lively acidity and notes of spring meadows, straw and lemon zest, and a crisp mineral finish. With development, you may even find honey notes. Its association with the cocktail Kir may not have done it proper justice because this grape variety has a vivacity and character that should not be masked by Crème de Cassis! But there is more to Aligoté than its name suggests – we know there are at least two distinct clones of the grape variety. Aligoté Vert, the modern clonal version, is the more widely planted and higher yielding and is typically vinified into Bourgogne Aligoté. Aligoté Doré, the thinner-skinned version that allows for a more balanced expression of alcohol and acidity when ripening, is the older version and exists amongst very old vines.
Nowhere in Bourgogne is this grape variety as celebrated as in the village of Bouzeron in the Côte Chalonnaise region. The tiny appellation of Bouzeron (1998) (only 55 ha) has made the golden version of Aligoté its raison d’être. This is an appellation dedicated to Aligoté and nothing else. The Aligoté grapes here are grown on well-exposed white marly limestone upper slopes to achieve perfect ripening. The gobelet training allows the yields to be carefully controlled. (The lower slopes are for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, sold as Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise AOC.) Bouzeron wines have an ageing potential like no other Bourgogne Aligoté – they have been known to taste well beyond 5+ years. The perfect way to enjoy Bouzeron is with a plate of jambon persillé, but it can easily go well with a quiche and salad luncheon. Its cheese partners are Comté and CÎteaux. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Bouzeron AOC, there is a public open day with tours around the vineyards and food/wine pairing on 14th April.
There is another high quality expression of Aligoté from the Côte de Nuits. Local, loyal practices have allowed Aligoté vines to continue to flourish from a hillside vineyard Clos des Monts Luisants, a Premier Cru Climat, in the village of Morey-Saint-Denis. Aligoté had been planted there since 1911, alongside Chardonnay and Pinot Gouges. It was not until 2005 that this monopole wine was made entirely with 100% Aligoté. This exception to the rule does not apply to other Monts Luisants white wine, which is typically based on Chardonnay. If you could get your hands on a bottle of 100% Aligoté-based Clos des Monts Luisants blanc, you would be in for a treat. The singular expression of Aligoté is so compelling here, with precision, vigour, boldness and concentration.
Gamay is synonymous with Beaujolais. Under the rule of Valois Duke Philippe the Bold, this grape variety was politically sacrificed and banned as ‘disloyal’ in 1395, making way for wider plantings of the prized Pineau-plant-fin (later known as Pinot Noir). Unbeknown to the Valois rulers at the time, Gamay does thrive better in granite soils in Beaujolais, rather than the prevalent argilo-calcaire in Bourgogne. The 1395 ban fortunately did not stretch to the Mâconnais region as the Bourgogne delimitation at the time did not stretch this far south. In certain areas of the Mâconnais we can find Gamay delivering an elegant expression when grown on granite and siliceous subsoils. Mâcon as a regional appellation can be made into white, red and rosé wines. The red and rosé wines can be made from Pinot Noir or Gamay, but Gamay typically features here. The example of Mâcon Rosé that we tried was so mineral, crisp and elegant, very unlike a Provencal rosé or one from the Loire Valley.
Pinot Blanc and Pinot Beurot (Gris), both mutations of Pinot Noir, are permitted, for historic reasons, in a few Côte de Nuits village appellations that permit white wine, including Marsannay, Vougeot, and Nuits-Saint-Georges for the white wines. Naturally, they can also feature in Crémant de Bourgogne blends.
Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris are the grape varieties permitted in the Saint-Bris appellation (2003) in the Auxerrois region. The terroir in Auxerrois sets this variety apart from its expression in the Loire Valley. It does not have the flinty character of the Loire Sauvignon, nor the asparagus note. Instead there is a juicy fruitiness of grapefruit and starfruit that is subtle, not overt and quite different from the more flamboyant Marlborough kiwi and passion fruit character. There is a mineral core and a saline finish that is characteristic of wines from the Kimmeridgian and Portlandian limestone soils of this northern Bourgogne region. Perfect with the goat cheeses from this region: think Charolais and Satonnay, but also saffron-flavoured dishes. Saint-Bris is mainly produced from the commune of Saint-Bris-le-Vineux, but also from the neighbouring communes of Chitry, Irancy, Vincelottes and Quenne. Total area under vines for Saint-Bris AOC is 133 ha.
César is typically a robust and vigorous variety, giving wines with deep red colour, firm tannins and intense red fruit aromas. The appellation of Irancy (1999) from the Auxerrois region permits a maximum of 10% of César to complement the lighter coloured and softer texture Pinot Noir, to give a wine that has more structure and texture in this northern region of Bourgogne. Vignerons who desire a more modern, softer, readily approachable style for their Irancy are more likely to make it with 100% Pinot Noir. (It was a shame that our wine did not contain César - it would have been an interesting illustration.) BIVB recommends Irancy as a good partner for these cheeses: Camembert, Coulommiers, Brie de Meux, Langres, Epoisses and Soumaintrain. The producing communes are Irancy, Cravant and Vincelottes. Total area under vines for Irancy AOC is 159 ha.
Sacy is an early-ripening white grape variety, with rather low acidity and alcohol, producing light-coloured wines. It is mainly found in the Grand Auxerrois region. Interestingly, this shares the same parents as Aligoté, Melon and Chardonnay.
Finally, Melon de Bourgogne (another Pinot x Gouais Blanc offspring) is no stranger to wine lovers familiar with Muscadet wine from the Loire Valley. It is valued for its minerality and lively acidity, and a lightness and salinity that serve so well when paired with oysters. It would appear that this grape variety had its origins in Bourgogne before migrating north to find a more faithful expression.
Therefore, this masterclass presented a very unique interest level for Bourgogne wine lovers. We also slotted in a Bourgogne Vézelay in the selection because of Vézelay’s newly promoted status as a village appellation as of 2017. We tasted a 2016 vintage – so it remained a Bourgogne Vézelay, a regional appellation. Vézelay AOC is reserved for white wines made with Chardonnay only. The wine we tasted showed a beautiful tension, mineral core and salinity at the finish that recalled the soil component of the Auxerrois region. It was elegant and sublime.
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| The selection of wines by BIVB |
The wines we tasted were:
Saint-Bris, Simonnet-Febvre, 2017 (Sauvignon)
Bouzeron, Domaine Gagey, Louis Jadot, 2015 (Aligoté)
Bourgogne Vézelay L’Elégante, Domaine La Croix Montjoie, 2016 (Chardonnay)
Marsannay Les Vignes Marie, Domaine du Vieux Collège, 2015 (Chardonnay)
Mâcon Rosé, Vignerons de Mancey, 2017 (Gamay)
Irancy, Domaine de Mauperthuis, 2015 (Pinot Noir)
Each of these wines showed a distinct personality and style, whichever grape variety they were based on. All of these wines would retail at below HK$ 200 retail per bottle if they were available in the local market. This was indeed one of the more exciting tastings I could remember, with each wine making a distinct impression, even though they all came from the same region! Blind taste these wines on your wine-snob friends, and you might find some very interesting results!
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