One last taste of Burgundy
Managed to squeeze in one more tasting. This time at Bouchard – Aine & Fils (& Sons), one of the premier wineries in Burgundy. We had an appointment at 11:30am so plenty of time to make the drive. Located just south of Beaune, Bouchard-Aines & Fils was founded in 1731 by Michel Bouchard. Mic, as his friends knew him, was primarily in the fabrics business but had the good fortune to invest in land for a future vineyard.
Several generations later, Bouchard-Aine & Fils drop the fabric business and focus on making some of the beat pinot noir and chardonnay in Burgundy. In 1998, they opened their wine cellars to the public with a unique twist on tasting. Their idea was to educate their customers on how to select and evaluate wines by using the 5 senses, sight, hearing (yes,hearing), taste, feel, and smell. Very different from any wine tasting we have ever done.
Always a good choice in wine!
Gregory, our guide, was probably the most knowledgeable wine guide we have ever accompanied. From telling us the history of the winery and Bouchard family, to walking us through the 5 senses learning process. We were also fortunate that we were the only tasters on this tour. In each room of the cellar there were examples of how the 5 senses can be used to evaluate wines.
The last sense we used to evaluate their wine was taste. Gregory brought out 6 wines, 4 reds and 2 whites, with a Grand Cru in each group. Remember, Grand Cru is the best category of wine you can buy in Burgundy, usually very expensive. And these Grand Crus were just that, very good, and very expensive! All of the wines were excellent but you can certainly tell a difference with a Grand Cru. The tannins have mellowed so there isn’t a tanginess; color is a bit browner and more faded; the aroma has ripened to a full roundness. In other words, it is really excellent wine!
The jars below the picture contain the essence of some of the items depicted. You had to identify them after smelling.
The last sense we used to evaluate their wine was tasting. Gregory brought out 6 wines, 4 reds and 2 whites, with a Grand Cru in each group. Remember, Grand Cru is the best category of wine you can buy in Burgundy, usually very expensive. And these Grand Crus were just that, very good, and very expensive!
Unfortunately, by the time our tour ended it was 1:00pm and their store was closed. Darn, sure would have liked to bought one of those Grand Crus for around 200EUR, oh well.
Tomorrow we’re doing a last walk-through Dijon before driving to Chamonix (pronounced, “Shaw moan ee” (thanks Dan Craft))
More to follow…