Day 2 of Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne 2010
(to see Day 1, please click here)
To see Day 3 please click here
To See Day 4/5 please click here

People who are new to Burgundy are often amazed at the high price, especially when it comes to the red wines of the Cote de Nuits. Yet when one considers the tiny plots, and the way the tender Pinot Noir grape is constantly in danger of hail, rain, wind, or pests – one can see this wine commands the prices it does.

So on the second day of Les Grands Jours De Bourgogne we got up, bought a baguette from the nearby bakery (curiously, you have to go somewhere else on the other side of town for coffee to go with it) and headed toward the Cote de Nuit.

View from hotel ...

For this 10th edition the domains and wine-merchants of Fixin, Gevrey-Chambertin, and Marsannay came together in one place, which was the Maison de Marsannay on the Route des Grands Crus.

It was a gorgeous day and I was in the mood to taste some delicious wine. Marsannay and Fixin are getting a lot of press recently, perhaps because they are “reasonable” in comparison to Grand Cru. This tasting was a bit rushed, as there were two other tastings to attend that day …

Clos de Vougeot and Vosne-Romanee, presented by the Clos de Vougeot Defence Association and the Richebourgh-Romanee Defense Association. This was also the day to taste Chambolle-Musigny and Morey-Saint-Denis.

After a full day of tasting, and a brief rest, we drove toward the village of Marsanny to take part in “La Paulée de Marsannay,” a party to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the “appellation Marsannay” to take place at the Château de Marsannay. Our host was Fabienne Gaillard-Nicot, who was working with the Syndicate of Marsannay on press matters. The region seems very determined to make a name for itself – months earlier at the Hospices de Beaunes press lunch, wines from Marsannay were poured and a representative of the area got up to speak.

It turns out that as recently as 1987, the wines were sold as generic Bourgogne followed by the specification Marsannay or Rosé de Marsannay. Upon discovering this I could see why this region has such tremendous pride.
 

marsanny2

The village of Marsannay used to be known for their rose. The region has been producing wine since at least AD 658. According to Burgundy by Anthony Hanson,after the battle of Rocoy in 1643 the population was reduced to thirty. Then during the 18th century Dijon doubled in size and Marsannay made fortunes and showed it by building town halls and churches. Wines are said to be attractive and fruity, if lighter than those of neighbouring Fixin.
 

Now the La Paulée de Marsannay,” party was incredible fun. Before dinner, producers, journalists, and other VIPs mingled and I was surprised (but should not have been) to realize I know most of the journalists in the room, Elin McCoy of Bloomberg, my friend Becky Sue Epstein from Boston, lots of people I’ve met in different regions of the world through the years.

Because Marsannay is so out of the way, I was surprised to find that one guest actually booked a hotel near the Chateau so she could get to the party (if you don’t have a car, transportation is very limited). It turns out, she walked to the party in this gorgeous formal dress and high heels.

The party was fun – all the Marsannay producers were out in full force, really ebullient that their wine was finally receiving world-wide recognition. Seated at our table were many producers, most of whom spoke English, and by the middle of the meal virtually every producer was jumping up from his or her respective seat and running around, bottles in hand, pouring wine so that all the journalists and VIPS in attendance could taste.

It was really a Fete and I was so glad I was there to celebrate this appellation’s success!

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