Burgundy Wines
The Burgundy wine region is a fifth the size of Bordeaux, and produces correspondingly more expensive wines, with fewer bargains and more disappointments. The best way to buy Burgundy is to follow the best producers and depend on our Burgundy wine reviews. Our Burgundy wine guide contains hundreds of Burgundy wine ratings. If you take our advice, the most seductive wines (red from Pinot Noir, white from Chardonnay, always 100%) will be in your glass. It’s not just chance that the Burgundy bottle has rounded sides, the Bordeaux bottle has straight: Burgundy appeals to the senses, Bordeaux to the intellect.
The main appellation of the region is plain and simple: red and white, Bourgogne Rouge or Bourgogne Blanc. Climbing up the hierarchy are district appellations such as Chablis, for white wines, Mâcon for white and red wines, Côte de Beaune for reds, and so on.
Rising again in quality while the area of the appellation gets smaller are village appellations, including Vougeot, Auxey-Duresses, Pommard and Nuits-St-Georges, among others. In these villages, certain superior vineyards are designated premier cru — and you will find the name of the vineyard on the label. At the top of the quality heap are the single-vineyard appellations, the grand crus. Corton, Chambertin and Bonnes Mares are all examples, with Clos de Vougeot being perhaps the most famous.
Domaine Bruno Clair 2010 Pinot Noir (Bonnes-Mares)
- Cellar Selection
This is a big, dense wine that has great generosity. It’s ripe, full bodied and opulent now, and it offers concentration and depth of flavor. The fruit used to make this wine was sourced from 60-year-old vines located near Clos de Tart. It has considerable aging potential, so cellar this for 8–10 years.
— R.V.
(4/1/2013)
Domaine Leflaive 2008 Chardonnay (Bâtard-Montrachet)
- Cellar Selection
- $430
This beautiful wine is austere at this very young stage. But what pent-up power—the richness comes from glorious ripe fruit, tempered with a core of steel and wrapped with pure lemon, apricot and toast flavors. Age for 10 years at least.
— R.V.
(7/1/2011)
Louis Latour 2002 Chardonnay (Corton-Charlemagne)
- $100
Immense power lies behind the initially seductive nature of this wine. It is powerful, ripe, complex, full of tropical fruits, and still at first it seems to be restraining this intensity. Give it 10 years and it will be mind-blowing.
— R.V.
(9/1/2004)
Domaine Leflaive 2003 Les Pucelles Premier Cru Chardonnay (Puligny-Montrachet)
- Editors' Choice
- $175
As Anne-Claude Leflaive describes it, this wine is all about the complexity of the vineyard’s soil. There is minerality and finesse from the chalk, which gives a structure. And at the same time the ripe fruit seems opulent, with vanilla and spice flavors adding something exotic. Age this wine for at least 5 years.
— R.V.
(12/1/2006)
Bouchard Pere & Fils 2004 La Cabotte Chardonnay (Chevalier-Montrachet)
- $500
This comes from high up in the Chevalier-Montrachet vineyard, from vines surrounding a small workers shed, the “cabotte.” It is the better of the two bottlings from this vineyard by Bouchard, although “better” here is like differentiating between two stars on top form. It has great poise, so although the richness is there, it is shot through with acidity and citric…
— R.V.
(12/1/2006)
Joseph Drouhin 2004 Marquis de Laguiche Chardonnay (Montrachet)
- Editors' Choice
- $596
This is a beautifully shaped wine that rises from a quiet opening. Muted and slightly closed up at this stage, it opens opulently but with balanced acidity and crispness, as well as richness and restrained power.
— R.V.
(12/1/2006)
Etienne Sauzet 2004 Chardonnay (Montrachet)
- $500
A fine wine that offers power, generosity and also a chalky, mineral character. No wonder Montrachet is seen as the greatest grand cru—it has structure, concentration, delicious fruit and layers of complexity. It also needs to age. To drink this wine now would be more than a shame.
— R.V.
(12/1/2006)
William Fèvre 2005 Valmur Grand Cru Chardonnay (Chablis)
- Cellar Selection
- $85
This is the epitome of great Chablis, with minerality, initial austerity and coiled power. It is a dense, tense wine, structured with both toasty tannins and green fruits that shine out of all this concentration. Age for 7–10 years.
— R.V.
(2/1/2008)
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