Page 23 - Code de Vino, #12/18, s/s 2016

22 The Space of Taste Code de Vino #12 Code de Vino #12 Burgundy 23
Côte-de-Nuits To the west of Romanée Conti lies La Romanée, one of the
smallest French appellations, which occupies 0.845 hectares. The
The region of Côte-de-Nuits produces 13% of Burgundy’s wines. This is wines made by this monopoly estate are some of the rarest and
a land of red wine; white wines are far less common here. The wines most expensive in the world. At a base yield of 35 hectoliters per
from this region are full-bodied and long-lived and have a rich color. hectare, it produces no more than 300 boxes of wine per year.
A meticulous researcher would discover 24 Grands Crus and 138 To the north of Romanée Conti, one can find the 7.4 hectares of
Premiers Crus in Côte-de-Nuits. the appellation Richebourg Grand Cru. The vineyard has several
owners, which does not stop it from making outstanding wines. For
Côte-de-Nuits is also home to such famous appellations as Nuit Saint- example, a box of 1979 vintage was sold for USD 235,000 at the
Georges, whose wines were much loved by General de Gaulle; Christie’s auction in Hong Kong in 2012.
Gevrey-Chambertin, where 85 out of 380 hectares of vineyards produce Grand Cru La Tâche (5.03 hectares) is owned solely by Domaine de
Grand Cru wines (nine Grands Crus); la Romanée Conti. Even the relatively young wines from these
vineyards cause a stir. For instance, six bottles of 2005 vintage
and Vosne-Romanée, which is home to exquisite and elegant wines were sold for USD 20,000 at Christie's in 2012.
appreciated all over the world. The six Grands Crus of this appellation
produce some of the most prestigious wines in Burgundy. Another famous appellation of the Côte-de-Nuits subregion is Clos
de Vougeot, a famous walled vineyard founded by the Cistercian
The Romanée-Conti appellation is one of the most famous vineyards in monks from the Citeaux Abbey. Many famous Russian authors
Burgundy (1.8 hectares). It was owned by Louis François I de Bourbon have written about its wines, including Chekhov: “As for red wines, I
himself, Prince of Conti, who won the fight for ownership of the drink Clos de Vougeot Vieux Sec, or maybe Clos du Roy Corton . .
vineyards from the royal mistress Madame de Pompadour. Today, the .” (“In the Сarriage,” 1885). The young Napoleon Bonaparte, who
vineyard is solely owned by an organization called Société Civile du visited the region as part of an artillery regiment charged with
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. About 600 cases of wine are produced nationalizing church property in 1790, also liked Vougeot wines.
there annually. A bottle of 1945 vintage was sold for almost USD
124,000 at a Christie’s auction in Geneva in 2011 (this price is largely The list of famous Côte de Nuits wines should also include
explained by the fact that 1945 was the last vintage made from grapes Echézeaux, which is produced in the vicinity of the Flagey-
from ungrafted vines). In 2013, a collection of 114 bottles of Romanée Echézeaux commune. Most of the vineyards in the commune are Vineyards of Pommard, Côte de Beaune
Conti was sold for USD 1.6 million at Sotheby’s Asia. This is a record divided between two Grand Cru plots: Echézeaux and Grands
sum offered for a set of bottles of the same wine from a single Echézeaux.
manufacturer.
Côte de Beaune Some other good wines from Côte de Beaune include the elegant red
Pinot Noir ones from the Volnay appellation’s Premier Cru vineyards
This Burgundy subregion is famous for its white wines. Mersault is a and the powerful, structured, and, shall we say, masculine Pinot Noir
large and prosperous commune, which makes wines mainly from wines from the twenty-seven Premier Cru climats of the Pommard
Chardonnay. This is one of the very few places in the world that can appellation.
trace its winemaking tradition to a specific date: Christmas of 1098.
Meursault wines are often described as rich, buttery, and meaty.
Corton is an appellation and the largest Grand Cru vineyard in
Burgundy. It occupies the lower part of the Corton hill between the
villages of Aloxe-Corton, Pernand-Vergelesses, and Ladoix. It
produces both white and red wines. Corton hill is also home to
Corton-Charlemagne, an exceptional Grand Cru appellation that
makes white wines.
The appellation and Grand Cru vineyard known as Montrashet
produces some of the best wines in the world, with a light nutty
flavor and good structure. Alexandre Dumas believed that this wine
must be drunk on one’s knees and without a hat. Thomas Jefferson
called Montrachet the best French wine. Montrachet’s fans are still
ready to pay significant sums for their favorite wine today. In 2011,
a box of 1990 vintage Monrachet was sold for USD 62,000 at a
Sotheby’s auction in Hong Kong. Monrachet is rightfully considered
one of the most expensive white wines in the world.
The 7.99 hectare vineyard with its Chardonnay vines is located
between the communes of Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-
Montrachet, at the foot of Mount Rachet. It has eighteen owners,
each of which has their own plot. Monrachet has four Grand Cru
neighbors who also use the word Monrachet in their names:

Bâtard-Montrachet to the east, Chevalier-Montrachet to the west,
In the castle of Clos-de-Vougeot, the knights of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet to the north, and Criots-Bâtard-
Montrachet to the south.
(Fraternity of Knights of the Wine-Tasters' Cup) still gather today Chassagne Montrachet vineyards