When it comes to understanding wine terminology every country and region has its own specific terms, phrases and references
Burgundy is no different. And in fact has some of the trickiest terminology to remember
However, there are a few key words that every connoisseur should know. What is a Clos?
So a Clos, it's very simple a clos means an enclosed vineyard if you think of the word closed
Closed or enclosure. You see the word closed CLO's it just means a vineyard that is enclosed by walls
The term Clos also has significant historical relevance as they were originally the monastery vineyards of the Cistercian monks during the Middle Ages
Providing protection from the elements by creating a windbreak the walls of a Clos an impact the microclimate of the vineyards inside
The names of Chambertin-Clos De Beze, Clos de Vougeot, and Clos Saint-Denis are some of the most famous examples
the word Cru meaning growth in French was first associated with wine during the famous classification of Bordeaux's wines in
1855
This term is often used to define a single vineyard or a collection of vineyards establishing their quality
in Burgundy the best vineyards will either be Premier Cru or Grand Cru however where these
Classifications don't exist. You may find wines labels simply as Cru
for example, the best vineyards in Beaujolais are its 10 defined Cru.
A word you'll hear a lot in the world of wine. The origin of the term terroir comes from French winemakers
Acknowledging the impact that environmental factors had on their wines
But terroir may also include human decisions, for example
The selection of different grapes that are planted in a region or even the decision of when to harvest their crop
Although this term is intrinsically linked with the wine industry. It is now used to refer to many different forms of Agriculture
Terroir is now being studied across the globe for everything from coffee and chocolate to chili peppers and even marijuana
Burgundy has an even more defined term for
individual vineyard plots known as Lieu-Dit and the rest of France the term climat is unique to burgundy and is used to describe the
microclimates of specific plots
With over a thousand different climat burgundy some of these may be as small as a single row of vines within a vineyard
There are also a number of terms that can give us more information about the type of producer
Well, if it says domaine means that the wine is produced
From vineyards that are owned and farmed by that estate. If you see the word Chateau
Particularly in that there are a few in Burgundy that you see it a lot in Bordeaux. It has to do with there being a
Edifice that is viewed as being a chateau and that the lands
Typically are around it. Then you have negociant's and negociant's are
Wineries that purchase either wine, must
Which is unfermented grape juice or they purchase grapes, which is predominantly what we do
Whilst in Bordeaux a negociant is a merchant that finds markets for wines from small local producers
Burgundy's negociant's have a completely different role
Burgundy's patchwork of vineyards and their ownership means that many growers are simply too small to produce and market their wines
Hence the role of the Burgundy negociant who will purchase grapes, must and even finished wines from multiple smaller growers.
These negociants date back almost 300 years to the early 18th century
With the largest negociants such as Louie Jadot now having a massive influence over the Burgundy wine trade
Terminology can often be confusing but by learning these key terms it will really help you understand this incredible region
Next time you open a bottle of Burgundy consider how many elements have gone into influencing what is in your glass.