BURGUNDY WINES PLUS

BURGUNDY WINES PLUS

There are exceptions to these 3 grapes, minorities of another five varieties – aligoté, pinot beurot, melon, sauvignon blanc and césar – are allowed to be planted in certain areas, plus an additional one that’s rarely been planted in recent years – tressot – but Domaine Maupertuis in Chablis are about to plant some. Pestilence and disease seldom allow such things to continue – and Burgundy has had its share of those – yet somehow we remain with these three varieties. Given that the global ‘variety pool’ is well over 1,000 cultivated varieties and that over the centuries many thousands of others will have come and gone, it’s amazing that single varieties could monopolise such an area for such a length of time. There are minor exceptions of-course, but basically Chablis and much of the Côte de Beaune and Mâconnais is planted with chardonnay, Beaujolais is planted with gamay and the rest is mainly planted with pinot noir. With the exception of parts of Germany, where so many hectares are planted to riesling, Burgundy comes the closest of any wine-making region to monoculture. In southern Burgundy – that’s Beaujolais to you and me – it is about gamay, but the plantation of chardonnay there is starting to grow. Principally in ‘northern Burgundy’ it is about pinot noir and chardonnay, with minor supporting rôles from others. The truth is out – Burgundy wine is not just red, it can be white or rosé, it can even be fizzy.

Ex- BIVB, 2018 – it doesn’t include Beaujolais, but it’s a pretty image!

Burgundy wines