Here we are at Hospices de Beaune in the beautiful city of Burgundy, one of the oldest and most prestigious wine auctions in the world. It was created in the Middle Ages, the city’s solution to helping the poor and ill. Today the auction is managed by Christie's and attracts a glitzy international crowd.

Yet before the auction is the Fete des Grand Vins Bourgogne (Burgundy Wine Festival), which takes place free outdoors (in the form of parades and special staged events) and indoor paid tastings. Today’s schedule finds me tasting hundreds of 1st Cru and other wines at Fete des Grand Vins Bourgogne (Burgundy Wine Festival), held in the Palais des Congres de Beaune.

1743

For Burgundy lovers, it is like seeing precious diamonds everywhere you look — all the famous names right there, beckoning you to try them. I spend some serious time looking at the list of wines and discovering my plan of attack. In addition to the press and trade, local citizens can also enter for about 24 euros each. They seem extremely excited to be here, both to taste the wine and be a part of this very important event surrounding the auction.

As I make notes on the sidelines I see Jeanne-Marie De Champs of Domaines et Saveurs Collection walk by. If you love Burgundy wine, you may recognize the name. She is a wine merchant representing Meo-Camuzet, Domaine LaMarche, Chateau de la Maltroye, Chateau Genot Boulanger, Domaine Paul Pernot et Fils, etc. The previous night, she held a private reception and dinner for journalists and the trade in her apartment.

Now if you ever saw the film Breakfast at Tiffany's, which featured a swank collection of trendy, jetset, international types (a Japanese women in a Kimono, a Brazilian playboy, etc) at the apartment of character Holly GoLightly (played by Audrey Hepburn) you may have an idea of the kinds of characters present. Many journalists from Asia, myself and a few other American journalists, and many of her friends from the European and American trade. Jeanne-Marie greeted her guests with champagne and went on to formally seat everyone and serve a multi-course meal along with incredible wines from her collection, including many wines she bought at the Hospices auction. In her warm dining room by candlelight it was pretty magical being with this notable Burgundy personality and hearing stories of Hospice auctions gone by.

So in the Palais des Congres de Beaune I spot Jeanne-Marie walking by a vendor selling sandwiches to hungry wine-tasting locals, I ask her to say a few words about how she happened to become a wine merchant and how she chooses to work with producers (or as she calls them, the farmers).

Hear a short audio from Jeanne-Marie here about how she selects producers

Hear Jeanne-Marie briefly speak about the auction and its history here

Continuing on, I spend some serious time with Herve Tucki, whose business card reads “Ambassadeur de Marque” or “Brand Ambassador” for Grand Cru Chablis producer La Chablisienne. I taste his wines and ask him if someone blind tasting all the Grand Cru Chablis wines could identify the vineyards blind. To my surprise, he says yes ... and goes on to give a description of each vineyard.

Hear Mr. Tucki describe the characteristics of his Grand Cru Vineyards here

By now, it is time to enter a different salon for journalists where we can taste wines from Chassagne-Montrachet and from Fixin (pronounced Fisson), which has five Premier Cru vineyards, the best ones located near Gevrey-Chambertin. Andrew Bell, of the American Sommelier Association, believes that a typical Fixin wine is said to share the structure of a Gevrey-Chambertin with slightly less fruitiness and believes the difference is due to the slightly cooler microclimate of Fixin along with the flatter land the commune is built upon.

As I enter this salon I meet Alex Moreau of Domaine Bernard Moreau, who tells visitors about the upcoming Saint Vincent Tour 2010 on January 30 and 31 2009, a tradition in keeping with the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin in honor of Saint Vincent, the patron saint of wine-growers. The program includes entertainment, food, and tasting sessions.The Wine Media Guild in New York featured a tasting, lunch, and theme featuring the wines of Puligny-Chassagne and Chassagne-Montrachet and how they are different.

Now its a very guilty pleasure to spend the morning tasting through ’07 Grand Cru Chassagne-Montrachet and Fixin ... the Chassagne-Montrachet were remarkable in their brightness and racy acidity. In the WSET (Wine and Spirits Educational Trust) tasting system, I rate few wines high in acidity (most of my marks are medium high) yet these wines were very high, which says a great deal about their ability to age and improve. Searing acidity is more the word, yet with great balance. As a group I found the wines to be incredibly rich in minerals, with a long finish, and hints of butter (some more than others). I discovered I could become seriously hooked on Chassagne-Montrachet - yes, there is a reason they come at such a dear price.

Michael Apstein Panos Kavaviatos

Further down the aisle I saw Panos Kavaviatos, who I sat next to at a dinner at the second growth Chateau Brane-Cantanec during VinExpo ’09 in Bordeaux. He is a writer and Bon Vivant and as typical, he did not have his card. I had misplaced the scrap of paper he wrote it on during dinner, so this time offered him my notebook. Soon it was time for the the “Convival Lunch” for the press and representatives of viticulture and the Burgundy wine trade.

Nellie Blau Picard

I was surprised to see it would be a formal, seated lunch — Cecile Mathiaud, energetic ambassador for the Bureau Interprofessional des Vins de Bourgogne (BIVB), was everywhere as she seated guests with a smile and made introductions. Seated next to be was Georges Waser, a Swiss arts correspondent, Nelly Blau-Picard, Marketing and Communication Manager for the BIVB, and other international journalists and BIVB officials.

Cecile Mathiaud in center

The starter of crayfish salad was served with Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Maltroie 2007. It was pale lemon in color with lemon highlights, racy acidity, and a long finish of melted butter, apple, vanilla and cinnamon. “Le Clos des Mouches” 2007 from Fixin was paired with the duck in a berry sauce. The wine was garnet, with a nose of sweet violets, sweet bright berries, and a certain “grape-y” aroma. On the palate it had bright acidity, red and purple berries, and no obvious oak - a good pairing for the duck. The fromage was paired with Theulot Julliot Mercury 1er Cru “Le Cailloure” 07, with a long, finish of ripe fruit, blackberry, and black currants. It was quite concentrated and complex.

crayfish

All in all, a very exciting and promising start to the auction weekend!

Have you ever wondered what it is like to attend the oldest and possibly most prestigious wine auction in the history of the world? Well, I am right here at the center of action in Burgundy at the festivities leading up to the Hospices de Beaune auction.

I just finished a fantastic lunch — a great way to understand and taste wine to be auctioned and gear up for the auction ahead. I also had the opportunity to get to know Nellie Blau-Picard, the manager of export marketing and communications for the BIVB (an official promotion and marketing site for the Burgundy region). I know that some of Burgundy’s objectives are to promote tourism in the region, create awareness for some overlooked yet excellent-quality regions such as Fixin, and promote the idea that wines from Burgundy are “everyday wines.”

cheese course

Now, in America, we use the phrase “everyday wine” to refer to wines inexpensive yet delicious enough to drink without running to the bank for a cash infusion. Typically this means less than $20, $15, and these days even $10. Given the expense of Burgundian soil (it is so rare and special that it is the most expensive in the world) and the care taken in making the wine, it is impossible to sell it at this “everyday” under-$20 price.

So in discussing the issue with Nellie, I realize the BIVB’s message is to splurge, indulge, and celebrate life with wine from Burgundy, with the understanding that it does not have to be First Cru or Premier Cru (which can sell for thousands of dollars per case).

Listen to a short audio with Nellie introducing the objectives of the BIVB

Listen to a short audio with Nellie speaking about the quality of Burgundy wine

Make friends with the clerk or owner of your local wine store and she or he can point you to excellent Burgundy wine that represents value for the dollar (you can find it as low as $35). Typically, these wines represent overlooked, small regions that lack the “famous” names of their Grand Cru siblings. And a secret in the wine world is that in a good vintage, even wines from lesser appellations can be top quality.        

lunch wine

                                                                                                                                                                  Now you may be wondering how it comes to be that a case of First Cru Burgundy can sell for upwards of $10,000 a case, and a box of village-level wine from Fixin or another appellation can sell for around $400 or less. Perhaps the best way to think of this drastic difference is that wine from Burgundy, for centuries now, has been thought of as a commodity, something to buy and sell and that will increase with value over the years.

The wine from Grand Cru and Premier Cru wine is not ready to drink until at least a decade has gone by, as it improves with time in the bottle. The tiny, famous vineyards these wines are grown in, unlike those that grow village-level wines, contain specific soil types that give the wines their racing acidity, one of the many ingredients involved in creating a long-lived wine.

One of the interesting things to remember about Burgundy is that large earthquakes millions of years ago shook the plates of the earth together. If the different soil types were once evenly on different layers, these earthquakes shook them all up so that it is possible that every few inches of Grand Cru vineyard has a different exposed soil type. Beyond the soil, the slope of the hill and the direction it faces are also important. Some of the best vineyards get good sun and are located halfway down the slope.

So is Burgundy an everyday wine? Whatever your answer right now, it will change when you take the time to read an article or book about Burgundy, and ask your wine store clerk to suggest a Burgundy wine he or she likes within your price range. And when you do, use the comment feature to share your thoughts.

So I am off to Burgundy tomorrow to partake in the celebrations surrounding Hospice de Beaune in Burgundy, France, quite possibly the longest running wine auction in the history of the world. Funds raised are used to support the hospital (known as the Hôtel-Dieu) which received its first patient on 1st January 1452. In the last sixty years, however, the level of bidding is seen as an indicator of the prices growers and negociants can get for their wine.

To get more more insight into the region, I set up a Q/A with Peter Wasserman, who is listed as being the consultant and traveling evangelist at Becky Wasserman Selections, a Burgundy specialist importer.

peter wasserman

Q: Peter, what conditions make up for a perfect vintage?

A: How do you define a perfect vintage? It depends what you are looking for in a wine. To me, a classic vintage is better than big vintage with big fruit which seems to be admired by the press. Long term vintages don't show selves in youth. Both styles are valid and have different audiences and different uses.

In a vintage in the style of 05 you need good light and sun over a sustained period from June – September with just the right amount of rain and no hail. Rain brings humid conditions and can bring on odium and mildew. Ideally you should have sunny bright weather from budbreak to harvest. An old saying says “June makes the harvest, August makes the vintage." This means a good period in June will promote a healthy abundant vintage, but August will determine quality of the wine because it is the last part of growth season.”

Q: Is there an easy way to blind taste and guess the nature of a Grand Cru vs. a Premier Cru?

A: Grand Cru has a layered mid-palate, good length, and a certain sense of power. Grand Cru does not show self until tenth year. You can not judge a Grand Cru on the basis of a front palate, fruit forward expression. It is up and down from one day to the next, at different points in time. They key thing is a Grand Cru is more substantial and has more complexity of flavors and tannin on mid palate, more potential. Grand Cru should be double in length of a Premier and triple or quadruple of a village level wine.

Q: How much, if anything, could be done to hedge against bad weather, etc.

A: In a difficult vintage there is a lot of work in the vineyard. The appropriate use of biodynamic teas or chemicals - applied at right time - can stop the spread of odium and mildew. However, nothing can be done if hail strikes. Beyond destroying the vintage, it attacks the wood, affecting subsequent vintages. Lack of sunlight can prevent photosynthesis and nothing can be done technologically.

A difficult vintage can be helped in the winery such as a pre-fermentation soak, a cold soak, a post-fermentation warm soak, and reverse osmosis to get good concentration and make a decent technical wine. There will be little signature of the vineyard and the wine will not be the greatest.

Ending note from Marisa

On a more comic note, when I asked how to get the most out of the Fete des Grands vins de Bourgogne (the village tasting party) he said “hang out with Robert Bohr.” Bohr is the sommelier at Cru, notable for its two-volume wine list, and Bohr has great connections with collectors. Apparently, when Bohr is around the “good stuff” gets opened.

Thank you Peter, and to all the fans of AWineStory.com, I will try to post a lot of pictures and video over the festivities this weekend!

Ever wondered how to define the difference between Drouhin Vaudon Chablis Grand Cru Vaudesir 2008 and Drouhin Vaudon Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2008?

Laurent Drouhin with Honora Horan (center) and Harriet Lembeck at a walk around tasting of the 2008 vintage from the Drouhin family.

At the tasting, I chatted with Mr. Drouhin and suggested we record an audio interview in which we tasted two of his Grand Cru wines, the Vaudesir 2008 and the Cru Les Clos, 2008, and ascertain the differences.

My tasting glasses and my tasting notes on the Drouhin vintage

You can listen to the audio recording here and read my notes below.

shrimp and seafood fabulous - excited to try Oceana for dinner!
 

Tasting notes

Grand Cru Les Clos 08

Delicate nose of butter, minerals, a hint of smoke (flint), very high acidity that will pair well with the seafood shown above.

Grand Cru Vaudesir 08

A slightly floral nose, almost sweet and herbal, with high acidity, citrus, and more minerals on the palate.

Premier Cru Montmains 08

A bit shy on the nose, with elegance, minerals, searing acidity. 

Premier Cru Secher 08

Lots of flint on the palate, very racy acidity.

Chablis Premier Cru

Nose of melted butter and can almost taste the chalky soil on the palate. Notes say "remarkable freshness" and searing high acidity.

Note: The grapes come a blend of various Premier Cru parcels. At harvest the parcels are harvested separately. 

Chablis Reserve de Vaudon 08

This wine has many characteristics of its more aristocratic siblings - lots of buttery richness contrasting with the sharp, high acidity and minerals. Yet it retails for 

Vaudon Chablis 2008

Nose of butter and yellow flowers, minerals and high acidity on the palate, very long finish.