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.
Louis Jadot 2009 Chardonnay (Corton-Charlemagne)
- $130
A hugely rich, powerful Chardonnay, layering ripe fruit with a core of tannic structure, acidity, wood and huge depth of flavor. The wine is concentrated, with layers of fruit and textured acidity. Of course, it needs aging—7 years at least.
— R.V.
(4/1/2012)
Louis Jadot 2010 Chardonnay (Corton-Charlemagne)
- Cellar Selection
- $165
Corton-Charlemagne has produced a powerful and concentrated wine. The massive, opulent feel is balanced by tropical fruits and acids, which are layered between the toast and spice notes. It needs many years to mature.
— R.V.
(4/1/2013)
Louis Jadot 1999 Pinot Noir (Bonnes-Mares)
- Cellar Selection
- $109
With the superlative 1999 vintage, Louis Jadot, one of the top Burgundy négociants, has been able to produce a deep, dense purple-colored wine. With firm tannins over huge black chocolate and sweet figs and huge layers of acidity, it has great shape and structure, worthy of the vintage. A big, chunky wine with enormous presence, rounded out by the wood.
— R.V.
(11/1/2002)
Bouchard Pere & Fils 2000 Pinot Noir (Bonnes-Mares)
- Editors' Choice
- $120
A deliciously concentrated and powerful wine from the domaine of négociant Bouchard Père et Fils. Rich chocolate aromas and intense concentrated black fruits give a strong sense of power and richness. The fruit is rich enough to dominate the tannins. This should age magnificently—10 years at least.
— R.V.
(11/1/2002)
Domaine Comte Georges de Voguë 2000 Pinot Noir (Bonnes-Mares)
- $260
Enormous fruit dominates this wine. Red fruits of every type, from raspberries to red currants mingle in a dense fruit salad. But underneath this mouthfilling fruit is a big, solid structure that promises great aging ability. Keep this wine for 10 years before opening, perhaps even keeping some more bottles for at least 20.
— R.V.
(11/1/2002)
Joseph Drouhin 2002 Grands Echézeaux Pinot Noir (Echézeaux)
- $179
A dark, immensly tannic wine at this stage, this has firm, powerful dry fruit. It is still just feeling its way at this stage, a wine that can last 15–20 years at least.
— R.V.
(9/1/2004)
Louis Jadot 2003 Pinot Noir (Chambertin Clos de Bèze)
- $200
Huge, dusty tannins and ripe fruit black plum flavors make for an opulent, rich wine. This is a magnificent, power-packed combination of fruit and structure, and a superb wine, that will develop over many years. Imported by Kobrand.
— R.V.
(9/1/2005)
Louis Jadot 2004 Chambertin Clos de Bèze Pinot Noir (Chambertin Clos de Bèze)
- Cellar Selection
- $152
If you ever needed to know why Grand Crus are better vineyards and make better wine than the rest, this wine is the perfect example. It has all the richness and opulence of great Pinot Noir, but at the same time, with its firm structure and plum and damson flavors, it magnifies those qualities into something impressive and long-lasting.
— R.V.
(3/1/2007)
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