Coming Home (to Chardonnay):

Over the past year, I’ve been exploring lots of white wines from different parts of the world – including Argentina, Italy, Spain, and the Loire.  The variety of excellent whites available to today’s wine drinker is both expansive and impressive.  The one thing almost all of my selections have in common is that I have, for the most part, been staying away from Chardonnay.  Although I love Chardonnay, I made a conscious decision to see what else was out there, and the trip has been wonderful. 

We’ll get back on the roads less traveled soon; every now and then, however, every voyager has to spend a night or two at home.  And, as we’ll see so often, it pays to re-visit the classics from time to time.

Burgundy is the place where Chardonnay started its all-conquering journey through the world of wine, and there’s a reason it remains the touchstone for this great varietal.  Burgundy is both the literal and spiritual home of Chardonnay because the terroir – that elusive combination of soil, climate, exposure, altitude, drainage and the touch of an enlightened winemaker – yields wines of grace, complexity, balance and subtlety. 

There are two problems that confront those who would investigate this amazing region.  The first is that both red and white Burgundy from the best vineyards tend to be quite expensive.  Also, because the production of the typical Burgundian winery is quite small, especially when compared to areas like Bordeaux or the most well-known vineyards in California, finding a good Burgundy can be a little bit like trying to make one’s way through a maze.  Even if you know which producers are making good Burgundy, the chances of finding a bottle at your local wine store are slim, unless you happen to live around the corner from the best wine merchants in Manhattan. 

The problem of expense can be solved, at least in part, by searching out the lesser-known communes within Burgundy.  For whites, one of my favorites has always been Saint-Veran.  Made in the Cote Chalonnais, these wines may lack the ethereal complexity of the best whites from Burgundy’s famed Cote d’Or (e.g., Puligny-Montrachet), but the truth is that they are nonetheless excellent examples of food-friendly and refined Chardonnay.  If you’re going with a simple roast chicken, these are the wines that will set the benchmark for this particular food-and-wine pairing.  They are also an excellent match for most sushi dishes. 

Another introduction to white Burgundy that won’t deplete your bank account too much is Mâcon-Villages.  The typical Mâcon is a sturdy version of Chardonnay, giving hints of what the grape can do at its best, with some complexity and a nice ability to marry foods like less-spicy chicken dishes and shellfish.  There are also several examples of Mâcon wines that are readily available, and that you should find on the shelves of your local wine seller. 

Here are some thoughts on less-costly white Burgundies I’ve tasted recently…

An excellent wine from a lesser-knowm commune in Burgundy

2011 Domaine de la Denante Saint-Veran (Burgundy, France):  Lovely gold color.  Open aromas of peach and burnished brass.  Nicely-judged oak imparts vanilla scents as well.  Hints of citrus emerge with air.  Soft, with a rather creamy texture, but enough acid to hold it all together.  Subtle, elegant wine, with a real Burgundian feel.  Saint-Veran is an underrated commune, and this is a terrific example.  Quietly impressive, it was wines like this that made me fail in love Chardonnay during my happily misspent youth.  ***1/2 - ****

Two heavyweight negociants duke it out in the latest wine face-off...

Mano a Mano in Mâcon

Negociant is a term you will hear quite frequently in discussions of French wine.  Negociants are firms that make most of their wine by purchasing grapes from growers.  Although many such firms also own some vineyards, they make larger amounts of wine from purchased grapes.  In some cases, they will even buy young wines from smaller vintners and “raise” the wine, aging it in oak or stainless steel and bottling it under their own label. 

In Burgundy, two of the most well-known negociants are Joseph Drouhin and Louis Jadot.  Both own some superb grand cru vineyards, but their entry-level wines are made from purchased grapes.  Here’s the result of a face-off I conducted between the current releases of Mâcon-Villages from both houses.  I’ll reveal my plebian origins when I tell you that both wines were tasted with fried chicken…

 2012 Joseph Drouhin Mâcon-Villages (France):  Medium-depth yellowish-gold.  Lemon and dry grass scents on a nose that is rather shy at first.  After it’s been open for a while, pear and apple scents come to the fore.  With some air, there’s a slightly oily note that shows itself; a little idiosyncratic, but not unpleasant.  Some orange peel on the palate.  At first, an ever-so-slightly bitter note on the finish, which dissipated with oxygen.  This wine seemed a bit disjointed initially, with its different elements at odds with one another.  It became much more integrated with time in the glass.  Lighter in body than the Jadot, but only by a hair.  Perhaps one or two fewer dimensions, but still quite a pleasant drink.  ***

2012 Louis Jadot Mâcon-Villages (France): Fairly deep greenish-gold.  Brass, new-mown hay and apple aromas.  Some citrus on the palate, followed by a rich, buttery finish.  More volume and richness than the Drouhin, with nice hints of minerality.  Query: does this wine spend any time in oak?  There seems to be a bit of well-integrated oak here.  The Jadot is bolder than the Drouhin, but still has subtlety and character.  Scents of earth emerge with time, as well as a slight oily note on the finish. 

Very nice indeed.  ***1/2

And what happened the next day…?

After spending one night under gas, the complexion of this contest between two prominent Mâcons underwent a change.  When first opened, there was a clear verdict: although both wines were of high quality, the Jadot was fuller, richer, and more multi-dimensional.  These qualities remained on the second day, but the Drouhin melded together, and Jadot’s margin of victory was considerably smaller.  The Drouhin added degrees of elegance and balance that were impressive, and an interesting spicy note came in as well.  It was also a better match with sushi (salmon and shrimp).  The Jadot was still complex, but was just a trifle brash with the sushi. 

And, as a bonus, here’s another lovely little wine from Mâcon, one that’s especially suited to readers with an eye for value…

2012 Cave de Lugny La Cote Blanche Mâcon-Villages:  Fairly rich golden color.  Peach, Golden Delicious apples and tropical fruits, with a touch of brass as well, on the nose.  A bit more citrus on the palate, but backed up by a nice, rich fruit-salad aspect.  Not subtle, perhaps, but thoroughly pleasant and a very good value at $10.49.  Solid chardonnay for pennies.  A good match with salmon sushi.  ***