WINE REGION
Burgundy
Where Terroir Becomes Religion
Burgundy — Bourgogne in French — is the most intellectually demanding wine region in the world. A narrow strip of land running south from Dijon, it produces Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of unmatched complexity and diversity, where the difference between one vineyard and the next can mean the difference between a €30 bottle and a €3,000 one.
"In Burgundy, the vine is not merely cultivated — it is listened to. Every parcel has a voice, and the winemaker's job is simply not to drown it out."
The Côte d'Or — the golden slope — is the heart of Burgundy, divided into the Côte de Nuits (red wines) in the north and the Côte de Beaune (whites and reds) in the south. Further south lie the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais.
KEY GRAPES
Reds: Pinot Noir exclusively. Whites: Chardonnay exclusively (except Aligoté for Bourgogne Aligoté).
CLIMATE
Continental, with cold winters and warm summers. Frost risk in spring is a constant threat. Vintage variation is extreme — a great year can be transcendent, a poor one disappointing.
AGEING POTENTIAL
Grand Cru reds: 15–30 years. Village and Premier Cru: 8–15 years. Grand Cru whites: 10–20 years.
FOOD PAIRING
Red Burgundy: roast chicken, duck, mushroom risotto, aged cheeses. White Burgundy: lobster, scallops, roast veal, Comté.
APPELLATIONS
Key Appellations
PRODUCERS
Producers to Know
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Vosne-Romanée
The most celebrated domaine in the world — wines of ethereal complexity and extraordinary price.
Domaine Leflaive
Puligny-Montrachet
The benchmark for white Burgundy — precise, mineral, and built for decades of ageing.
Domaine Fourrier
Gevrey-Chambertin
Elegant, terroir-driven Pinot Noir at its most expressive — and still relatively accessible.
Domaine Raveneau
Chablis
The greatest Chablis producer — steely, mineral, and hauntingly complex.
TASTING NOTES
Bottles Worth Seeking Out
DRC Romanée-Conti 2017
Transcendent — dried rose, forest floor, dark cherry, and a finish that lasts for minutes. The pinnacle of Pinot Noir.
Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet 2019
Extraordinary white Burgundy — white flowers, hazelnut, citrus, and a mineral depth that is almost electric.
Raveneau Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 2020
Oyster shell, lemon curd, and a flinty minerality that defines Premier Cru Chablis.
FROM THE JOURNAL