Burgundy labels can appear to be some of the most daunting to understand
However, with just a few key pointers
it becomes a lot easier to consistently find your favourite wines
First, is the producer of the wine
This could be a brand, someone's name, or the name of their estate or vineyards.
With wine making philosophy varying
greatly from one producer to the next, once you find a wine you love
its always a good idea to make a note,
or take a picture of the name behind that bottle.
Next, is the appellation. This is all about where the wine is made.
How specific this is will be determined by the quality
ranking of the wine
It could be as generic as the entire region of Burgundy
Or a single vineyard the size of a football field
The ranking of the wine will also always be stated on the label.
Around 80% of Burgundy wines are classed
as the basic regional level and are simply labelled as
bourgogne rouge or blanc
The next classification level up are village wines
which will state the name of the village they come from,
such as, Meursault, or Chambolle Musigny
Penultimate quality ranking is Premier Cru
These will also state the village they are from,
and often a specific vineyard as well.
The top ranking and the pinnacle of Burgundy Is Grand Cru
Always from a single vineyard which will be
stated on the label.
Unlike new world wines,
nowhere on a Burgundy label will you see a grape variety mentioned
This is due to appellation laws that strictly govern
what grapes can be grown where, so if you know the appellation,
you know the grape, for example, if its a Chablis
it will always be Chardonnay
and if its a red Beaujolais, it will always be Gamay.
The rest of Burgundy almost all whites are Chardonnay,
and reds are Pinot Noir
Next up is the vintage of the wine
This is simply year in which the grapes are harvested.
The vintage really can be a significant factor
as every year has a story and often a struggle of its own.
So, what in your opinion makes a great vintage?
If you have 10 kids and you ask me if there is one great
kid among the 10 kids, it is a difficult answer
I remember
of challenging vintages because we had work to do,
which were not necessarily what the press would call a great vintage
on the other hand,
a great vintage
is a vintage for the press
where everything is conditions are perfect
which for us is not a lot of work
I like to think each vintage has a personality
you don't need to quote a great vintage. You need to follow each vintage
and to see,
like a personality.
Each grape is different and will ripen at different times, so,
a vintage that's fantastic for Chardonnay,
may end up being terrible for Pinot Noir
You'll find a number of other technical facts on a Burgundy wine label
as well, such as the alcohol content or ABV.
This can give an indication as to how rich or full-bodied the wine is
Although, the majority of wines from Burgundy will be between
12.5% and 13.5%.
Other important factors may also be found on the label
Whether the wine is organic, bio-dynamic
or even vegan. Some wines may also have tasting notes from
their producer on the back label.
As we all know, learning how to read a Burgundy wine label
will give you key details about the wine.
Ultimately though, whether the wine is good or not, is completely down
to your own personal taste.
I'm a believer, and this is after 10 years of having
written
tasting notes on
well over a hundred and thirty thousand wines
I'm a believer in the fact
that whether you're educated in wine, or not,
we all have the capacity
to know whether a wine is good or not
to know whether a wine is great or not.