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.
William Fèvre 2005 Les Clos Grand Cru Chardonnay (Chablis)
- Cellar Selection
- $95
Big and powerful, this is the grandest of the grand crus. It has both a dense structure and overwhelming fruits. With minerality, spice and balance, this is a very complete wine. There is only a hint of the richness to come. Hold for 10 years at least.
— R.V.
(2/1/2008)
Louis Latour 2006 Chardonnay (Montrachet)
- Cellar Selection
- $400
It’s the complexity that dominates this wine from what is arguably the greatest Chardonnay vineyard in Burgundy. All the fruit elements are wrapped up in a tense, tightly strung structure, and then surrounded by superrichness. Acidity adds to the mix, a pure, green plum fruit character. All in all, a great wine.
— R.V.
(10/1/2008)
Domaine Leflaive 2006 Chardonnay (Chevalier-Montrachet)
- $574
Taut and mineral, this is currently a wine that is waiting to reveal its power and majesty. The fruit is on a tight rein of acidity, which only slowly opens up to show mango, pineapple, crisp citrus, layers of toast and a mouth-enveloping richness. Age for at least five years, preferably 10.
— R.V.
(5/1/2009)
Domaine Leflaive 2006 Chardonnay (Bâtard-Montrachet)
- $451
The balance of this wine is what makes it so impressive. Spice and yellow fruit intermingle effortlessly. There is a core of tight, coiled steel, like a spring, which gives minerality along with the richness. At the end, acidity lifts the wine, finishing with freshness as well as intensity.
— R.V.
(5/1/2009)
Domaine Leflaive 2008 Chardonnay (Chevalier-Montrachet)
- Cellar Selection
- $550
A ripe, toasty wine, very buttery. It has rich, almost sweet yellow fruit balanced with a wonderful mineral texture. The wine, of course, is still very young, but shows its future as being rounded and opulent. The acidity that holds it all together shows in the finish.
— R.V.
(7/1/2011)
Domaine Leflaive 2008 Chardonnay (Bienvenues Bâtard-Montrachet)
- Cellar Selection
- $410
A marvelously intense wine, the Chardonnay singing with light toast and acidity. The wine has layers of green apple, spice, a tight texture and orange zest highlights. Age for at least seven years.
— R.V.
(5/1/2011)
Louis Jadot 2010 Chardonnay (Bâtard-Montrachet)
- Cellar Selection
- $330
The vintage brings out the tension of this magisterial Chardonnay, and it layers nervy acidity with fresh apple and peach flavors and intense minerality. It is poised and ready to develop over many years.
— R.V.
(4/1/2013)
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 2004 Le Montrachet Chardonnay (Montrachet)
A great wine from a great vintage for whites, this has vanilla, ripe green fruits and a smoky, mineral character. Ripe and delicious, this brings the richness of honey and the rigor of minerality into balance.
— R.V.
(3/1/2007)
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