Wine tasting in Burgundy and the Beaujolais

 

A while ago my brother and I decided to convene for a wee jaunt around the internationally famous Burgundy wine region, and its lesser known neighbour the Beaujolais.  My brother is currently living it up in Napa, California, making his presence felt as a charming English gentleman wending his way merrily into the American world of wine.  We both studied together for the WSET (wines and spirits education trust) Level 3 a couple of years ago in Florence, and he then decided to continue on and study for a Diploma in Wine, a daunting task which involves having to have a excellent and in-depth knowledge of all the wines of the world, and France is no easy feat as learning about all the domaines, regions and complex labelling systems requires some dedication and patience. (His blog provides a very informative and interesting account of anything you need to know about wine) And what better way to revise than heading to the place itself for some intensive wine tasting!

Burgundy

Burgundy (Bourgogne) is famous for its outstanding wine production, producing top quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and these wines command suitably high prices.  The ‘terroir’ defines this area, Premier Cru vineyards can lie next to each other and yet the soil can vary drastically within a few metres, creating rich, complex wines that each have their own personality.

The Côte d’Or region is the heartland of this wine region, and the quaint and atmospheric town of Beaune serves as the epicentre with the main villages of the Côte de Nuits spanning out to the north, an area where beautiful robust and full-bodied red wines are

made,  and to the south lie the villages of the Côte de Beaune where you will find the villages of Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault, here lie some Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards which produce the most exquisite white wines.  Creamy, toasty, melt in your mouth delicious these wines will eat into your wallet, but please do not leave this area without trying some, you will not be disappointed!

The villages are easily accessible by car from Beaune, and the villages to the south by bicycle also.   You will find yourself ambling lazily through typically sleepy French villages against a backdrop of beautiful vineyards, and if you are lucky you may even get to see some horses ploughing the fields.  To the south, vineyards line the small road that leads from one village to another, whereas to the north the landscape becomes less beautiful and the road bigger.  Whilst some villages are so sleepy there is absolutely nothing going on, others offer some nice restaurants, and some opportunities for wine tasting.  Unfortunately the domaines themselves are not open to the public, but some of them have open offices in the villages where you can book a tasting (degustation), and there are also some small shops offering samples of a variety of the local wines, we discovered some of these in the quaint Pommard where I also managed to fit in a chocolate degustation at the very small but perfectly formed Appellation Chocolat!

We stopped for lunch in the slightly more lively village of Santenay, here there are a couple of eateries as well as shops owned by local vineyards where you can enjoy a higher quality degustation.  (I enjoyed a free wine tasting without a reservation at Mestre Père et fils and was served by a very welcoming and knowledgable young gentleman.) Sitting outside overlooking the square, sharing a bottle of Santenay-Beauregard Premier-Cru (a delightfully subtle and light pinot-noir with plum and floral flavours) we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Restaurant l’ouillette, here you will find high quality cuisine as well as an excellent wine list.

Of course one degustation is never enough, so we headed to Domaine Leflaive in Puligny-Montrachet.  Here, we found a gorgeous and relaxed courtyard area with comfy couches to lounge on, they have succeeded beautifully in creating a very upmarket and comfortable wine tasting environment.  There was a menu de degustation at different price levels (starting from €18) according to which wines we picked, and you can also find a upscale restaurant here as well as a luxury boutique hotel.  The restaurant offers two set menus at €60 and €75 which include six or nine wine pairings respectively. Whilst I didn’t have the opportunity to experience these, I would certainly like go back as it looked to be a guaranteed luxury stay, with an ample selection of exquisite wines on hand at all times it would be hard to go wrong I think! (Rooms start from €175)

The Côtes de Nuits lies to the north of Beaune and the main point of interest is the charming and traditional town Nuits St George, offering a good selection of restaurants and shops, making it a worthwhile stop.  This area is home to world famous wines such as Gevry Chambertin and Nuits-Saint-George, offering some of the finest Pinot Noir you can imagine.  However, if you decide to invest in a bottle or two don’t expect to be able to drink them for a while, as these wines are capable of some serious ageing!

Beaune

Beaune is an absolutely beautiful and delightful small town, and makes an excellent base for exploring the nearby wine region.  Offering a vast selection of restaurants, you can certainly eat well here.  The traditional turreted architecture of this region prevails, and the geometrically patterned roofs create a really spectacular sight.  Sitting in the centre of the town lies the ‘Hospices de Beaune’ which definitely must be visited; it was originally founded in the fifteenth century as a hospital for the poor, and it is worth visiting for the architecture alone.  However, inside the building you will find a fascinating museum that has faithfully recreated scenes from the original hospital, and provides some rich and engaging information about the hospital and Beaune itself.

We stayed at ‘Les Jardins du Loïs‘, an absolutely heavenly chambre d’hôte only a five minute walk from the centre.  It sits on the main road making accessibility easy, and there is free on site parking, however you are unaware of the road once you drive through the imposing gates and are greeted by a large beautiful garden which offers an absolute haven of tranquility.

We hired the apartment, which sits in the attic (there is a lift so no climbing required!) and it was heavenly.  Beautifully decorated and incredibly spacious, with wooden beams and an attic roof and two bright, fresh bedrooms (both en-suite), I could quite happily have stayed here for a full week.  Anne-Marie and Phillipe bought and renovated the property, creating four bedrooms and an apartment, and they were the perfect hosts ensuring we felt instantly welcomed; one morning I asked if there were any more croissants and Anne-Marie offered to run to the local boulangerie for me! Breakfast was included in the apartment booking, and was offered in a bright and airy room with the usual French delicacies.  Philippe used to work for one of the local domaines, but then decided to venture out on his own as a vigneron.  He offered us a free wine tasting of a selection of his wines, and Phillipe himself was an interesting and gracious character, eager to educate us about the region and his wines, all of which were delicious. (Rooms start from €160, apartments starts at €280 with a two night minimum stay.)

Whilst in Beaune, we also booked a wine tasting and guided tour at Maison Joseph Drouhin in the centre of the town, this involves a tour of the cellars which date back to the 13th century. Here you will find out the history of the family which is quite fascinating, as well as learning about their wine making methods and about the wines themselves, you will have the opportunity to see rows and rows of old wine which unfortunately us mere mortals will never be able to get our hands on!  The tour ends with a wine tasting in the cellar, I have to say I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t the opportunity to taste some of their more exceptional wines but overall the tour was a definite must-do experience.  There is also a shop where you can buy their wines, and if you walk in unannounced you can pay for a small degustation, the tour however is the better option and you have to pre-book this, it costs €38 for a 90 minute tour including tasting.  Be sure also to check their website as they host a variety of interesting events ranging from dinners to a trip to a Chablis vineyard.

Eating

‘Les Popiettes’, Rue D’Alsace – Young, bold and modern I found this restaurant a refreshing change from the more traditional offerings.  The food was excellent, and the waiter very helpful in his wine suggestions.  We went for a bottle of Luzien Muzard 2010 Santenay from the Maladière Premier Cru which was exceptional.

‘La Grilladine‘, 17 Rue Maufoux – A more traditional restaurant but oozing charm and atmosphere, the food was delicious and it has an excellent wine list, in fact we splashed out on a 1998 Louis Latour Grand Cru, which provided a completely different wine experience; a little closed and oxidised upon opening, it soon developed into subtle and smooth dried fruit which paired nicely with my duck dish!

The Beaujolais

When I tell people I am rather partial to a tipple of Beaujolais I often find the immediate reaction is one of contempt, for outside of France Beaujolais has an undeserved reputation as a cheap and low quality wine, primarily a result of the 1980s ‘Beaujolais Nouveau’ trend; an obnoxiously bubblegum style wine that rapidly went in and out of fashion, leaving in its wake a future of Beaujolais avoidance.  However, whilst simple Beaujolais is still not overwhelming, there are some top level producers here creating beautiful and complex wines that are exceptional value, and have the advantage of being ready to drink now as opposed to the long ageing necessary when buying a Bourgogne.

Beaujolais as an area is certainly less polished and sophisticated than its neighbouring Burgundy, the landscape can range from breathtaking to quite dull and you have to search out the good eateries more than in Burgundy, but there are some decent offerings and whilst there isn’t that much going on here as well as feeling a little like you’ve gone back in time, it is enjoyable to drive around and the central town of Villefranche-Sur-Soane offers a nice and relaxed stopping point before you head for the big lights of Lyon. (Read my lyon post here to find out just how much Lyon has to offer as a destination.)

Our first stop was the super luxurious hotel ‘Auberge du Paradis’ in the very sleepy village of Saint-Amour-Bellevue, offering nine spacious and eclectically designed bedrooms, as well as a restaurant and a small swimming pool.  The decor is beautiful, with vintage pieces scattered throughout the hotel and bedrooms; every fine detail has been thought out to perfection.  Unfortunately, this precision did not extend to the welcome and we found the owners extremely rude and unaccommodating, and their snooty attitude is reflected in the fact that they advertise this hotel as being in Burgundy when it isn’t actually that close.  When we found we weren’t in the mood for the €80 tasting menu in the very upmarket restaurant, the gentleman scowled and curtly responded ‘if all you want it steak frites then go to the next village.’  Which we did, and I partook of an extremely delicious steak at the three star hotel ‘Chez la Rose‘ in the neighbouring village of Julienas.

 

We also stayed in another rather eclectic offering, certainly less opulent than the auberge but definitely an experience.  A converted chateau in Villié-Morgon, it offers B and B style accommodation at a reasonable price.  However, I wonder if the owners perhaps bought the Chateau and then ran out of money, as there is something rather unfinished about this place.  We were given the keys to return home in the evening (it is run like a B and B so no on site staff in the evening) and after driving up and down the unlit road in the dark numerous times we finally found it, thinking that perhaps investing in decent signage might be a start.  Upon finally entering we decided to open a bottle of wine in the communal area, and with the hotel being practically empty at that time there was something both exciting and slightly creepy about having a whole castle to ourselves!  However, the rooms were clean and spacious and breakfast on the terrace overlooking the beautiful grounds was gorgeous, as was  walking around said grounds later. (Rooms start from €125)

We ate at the ‘Auberge de la Patte D’Oie‘ which was about a twenty minute drive away.  The restaurant sits next to a train station and just off a main road, but don’t let that put you off as the food is delicious.  High quality and quite upmarket, I would suggest having more than one course as the portions weren’t massive, but they certainly tasted good and the bright, modern decor of the place made for a comfortable experience.

The wines

Whilst Burgundy was much flatter than I anticipated, the landscape of Beaujolais is full of beautiful, sandy hills covered in vines, and it is these steep hills that offer the higher quality, under appreciated Beaujolais wine. These are classed as Beaujolais Villages, and generally come from one of the ten Cru in this region. There are a few high level producers, and mostly it is better to call in advance and ask about coming to taste as many of them are difficult to find and not always open to the public.  We visited some producers in the Fleurie region, one

of which was located at the top of a steep hill above the village of Fleurie itself and it made for a beautiful drive as the imposing chapel at the top of the hill guided us to our destination. ‘Domaine de la Madone‘  is open to the public for tasting (although I would recommend phoning ahead) and we were given a warm welcome, as well as the opportunity to taste all their wines, some of which displayed wonderful complexities.  They also produce a Viognier which was exquisite and at €8 extremely good value for money. Needless to say I left here with a few bottles of wine in my bag, all of which have since been drunk and were delicious.

Our second visit was to Clos de la Roillette, Fleurie and here you definitely need to phone in advance, as arriving is a bit like arriving at a farm, and the wine tasting was hosted in something resembling a farm shed.  I felt this just added to the authenticity of the experience, and we had the opportunity to taste quite a varied selection of their wines, including an older vintage that couldn’t be bought, mores the pity as it was rather delicious and showed that high quality Beaujolais does actually have some potential for ageing. Perhaps as this region develops in reputation and confidence we will start to see some even more complex and exciting possibilities coming from these vineyards.

Villefrance-Sur-Saône

When you are ready for something slightly more lively than the sleepy villages of the Beaujolais, Villefranche is a good place to visit whether it be for a few hours or an overnight stop.  There isn’t a plethora of decent accommodation so I would recommend the Mecure, it has been recently renovated and so offers clean and modern rooms in the centre of town. (rooms start from €76)  Villefranche itself has a long main street filled with lots of interesting small clothes shops, as well as some of the usual french chain stores and when everyone is out and about it is a bustly little town; in addition you won’t find many tourists here so it’s a nice and authentic experience.   It also has some good restaurants, my two favourites are ‘L’Epicerie’, a small and intimate restaurant with a traditional feel to the decor.  The welcome is always friendly and it often gets busy with the locals, creating a lovely atmosphere with great food which tends to veer more towards the traditional food of this area. ‘Comptoir Corlin’ 143 Rue Corlin, +33 4 74 07 04 11 has a more modern and chic feel too it, although it is still cozy and intimate.  The service is relaxed and friendly and the food delicious, offering both traditional food of the area as well as some more straightforward and inventive dishes.