Burgundy. Burgundy. Burgundy. And just like Beetlejuice would, the magnificent whites of Burgundy magically appeared in our glasses. James Beard Award-winning author Jordan Mackay grasped the lead and took us through an epic journey from Chablis all the way down to Mâconnais. To start the class, Jordan laid out the ground work to help everyone understand and interpret the minerality that is Chablis. Typically untouched by oak, the Kimmeridgian soils of the area are so perfectly expressed in the wines and give Chablis the timeless minerality and natural acidity that have earned the region the following that it has.
Next we moved on to the notorious Côte-d’Or and then down to Mâconnais, during which we tasted an A-list of wine producers including Leroy, Latour, Leflaive and several more. As terroir widely differs throughout Burgundy, we examined how well Chardonnay is able to articulate the soils and climate from which it came. Expressing a broad range of characteristics, the wines tasted blessed our palates with notes of just about everything from lemon zest to green apple to cinnamon and even lightly buttered toast. Despite the extensive list of characteristics that the class noticed, one thing did seem to appear unanimous…Minerality.
My favorite wine of the night?
Dom. Bernard Morey Chassagne-Montrachet Maltroie 1er Cru 1998
At a rather pleasant point of oxidation, this golden-hued wine conveyed the richness of a baked apple layered with cinnamon while carrying the salty bitterness of peanut skins. Full bodied and still bracing with acidity, this is a wine that’ll send you straight into White Burg bliss.
-Julie Albin
Wine List
- Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Vieilles Vignes de Sainte Claire 2010
- Maison Louis Latour Pouilly Fuisse 2009
- Domaine Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc 2008
- Thierry & Pascal Matrot Puligny-Montrachet Les Chalumeaux 1er Cru 2010
- Domaine de la Vougeraie Le Clos Blanc Vougeot 1er Cru 2007
- Dom. Bernard Morey Chassagne-Montrachet Maltroie 1er Cru 1998
- Maison Leroy Meursault 1er Cru 1996
- Dom. Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 1995
