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Erwan Faiveley flanked by celebrity chefs

1st Cru winemakers and Michelin rated chefs from Dijon, the major city near Burgundy, gathered together in Manhattan this week to celebrate a week-long celebration of the creativity and vitality of Dijon.

Nuits saint georges

At a reception for journalists, winemakers set up tables with their best 1st Cru, and the famous chefs paraded about in their smart white uniforms, relaxing from what must have been a rather taxing week of cooking in strange kitchens for a variety of events.

For wine students and journalists, it was an opportunity to taste the best of the 2007 vintage. I enjoyed my conversation with Erwan Faiveley, the very charming and sophisticated head of the winery, and tasted his three 1st cru 2007 from "Les Damodes," "Les Fuees," and Les Cazetiers."  I also tried his 2007 whites from Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet.

3 Tiers of Burgundy from Domaine Gallois

I also tasted the wines of Domaine Dominique Gallois - Mr. Gallois was kind enough to bring a village wine from 2007, a grand cru, and a 1st cru so I could compare the differences. Recently I spent over $400 to do the same thing as an exercise in the Master of Wine program (the goal was to see the progression of quality). I have not yet done that tasting, and will report on it extensively on this blog. Yet right now, I'm seriously wondering if the exercise would be of real benefit as I did not taste much variation between the village level and 1st cru level of Domaine Gallois -- very possibly, because the wines were all so young. In ten years, the differences might be more remarkable.

Dominique Gallois

Below are some notes on vinification from the Dominique Gallois web site

Each year requires its own wine, respecting the traditions and basic rules Whilst using technical progress. Most importantly, we must carefully sort the grapes.

Firstly in the vines each picker spells, then in the vat room was sorting table. Then scraping and cold pre-fermentation for 2 to 5 days according to the quality of the harvest. Fermentation for 12 to 15 days, depending on the year, using only the natural yeast of the grapes. Temperature control mainly by "pumping" and "piping". Whilst Devatting hot and barrelling in oak casks from the Allier for 14 to 20 months aging depending upon the year and the name.

In any event, I will be in Burgundy in a few weeks to taste the new vintage and will keep you up to date!

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