The wines of Burgundy are all about place with each little parcel of vineyard being divided and sub divided to make very specific wines. Here Pinot and Chardonnay find their most nuanced expression. Saturday we’ll be pairing up a few solid examples of Burgundy with some Oregon counterparts. It’s not a fight to the finish, but a good chance to compare the differences and find what turf suits your palate.
2009 Walnut City WineWorks, Chardonnay $18
Walnut City WineWorks is run by two partners who manage over 200 acres of grape for different wineries and vineyards. Out of a handful of these vineyards they pull grapes to make their own wine. The wine for the 2009 comes from Courting Hill vineyard. The wine is barrel fermented and has a bright acidity and minerality, a rounded mid palate of lemon curd, lemon peel and sweet saline.
2010 Albert Bichot Chablis Domaine Long-Depaquit $23
Albert Bichot is a large family run winery that owns 4 large estates in Burgundy and buys grapes from many others. Domaine Long-Depaquit is their estate in Chablis where they produce this fine Chardonnay. The wine has a very pure nose, typical of Chablis, with notes of white flowers and flint that open up to almond notes and mineral precision.
2010 Albert Bichot, Bourgogne Rouge, Vielles Vignes $16
This Pinot is a blend of different vineyards form the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits from 25 to 35 year old vines. The wine shows aromas of blackcurrant, redcurrant and plum, the mouthfeel is fleshy and well-balanced with discreet woody notes and a pleasant finish.
2010 Evesham Wood Vineyard, Eola-Amity Pinot Noir $26
Evesham Wood makes their wines from low-yield non-irrigated vineyards using minimal intervention in the winemaking process. The Eola-Amity Pinot is a selection of the top 16 barrels from within the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. 8 barrels come from Hidden Rocks Vineyard, and 8 from Eola Springs Vineyard to make 400 cases of this reserve wine. The 2010 vintage shines here with bright cherry fruit and clarity.
2009 Domaine Michel Sarrazin et Fils, Maranges $31
The Sarrazin brothers inherited the wine bug and their estate in Jambles from their father who encouraged his sons to explore the limits of winemaking beyond the town’s small borders. Their Maranges is a seriously delicious red Burgundy with both grace and heft. The wine’s aromatics show sassy notes of cinnamon and clove mixed with bass notes of licorice with hints of dried roses and plenty of black pepper. More spice and saturated red and black fruits dominate the mouth, with a stunningly silky mouth feel and good freshness.