Yet another day wine tasting…

Today we’re exploring further south in the Corte De Nuits (pronounced: Coat Day Newie) region of Burgundy famous for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Around 1098AD, the Monks of Citeaux established farm estates in this area believing that the terroirs (the natural environment, soil, topography, and climate, pronounced: tear wah) were perfect for growing their wine. Soon there were many estates sectioned off to grow specific variants of grape for either chardonnay or pinot noir. Chardonnay, for example, comes from a green-skinned grape that is a cross between Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc grapes, while Pinot Noir is a red grape variety.

Here in the Burgundy region of France, Chardonnay takes on a minerality and crisp acidity due to the limestone-rich soil. The cooler climate and terroir often result in wines with green apple, citrus, and floral notes.

Pinot noir produces Burgundy’s finest red wines, with aromas of red fruits and spices. The ageing potential of pinot noir wines is generally high. The juice of pinot noir is colorless. It’s during maceration and fermentation in the vat that the coloring, contained in the grape skins, gives the wine its red hue.

In Burgundy, unlike in other regions, there is no blending of grape varieties during wine-making. The wines of Burgundy reflect the richness of the Burgundian terroir through the pinot noir grape variety for red wines and chardonnay for white wines.

Our first stop will be one of the most famous wineries in the world, Clos De Vougeot (pronounced: Kloe Day ViewJo). In 1110AD, this farm estate was founded by Monks who constructed their winery on land that was donated by the faithful. I think this is a great way to start a business so I’ve been asking people we meet if they would donate their land to me. No takers so far but it could be due to the language barrier.

Where it all begins…

Entrance to the chateau.

Courtyard with dorms and wine storage at rear.

After all these years, still done this way.

In a short 90 years, the Monks had erected a wall around their 3-kilometer long vineyard to keep the faithful out and secure their grapes. Payback! Over the course of the next 500 years or so, the winery produced some of the best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the region. During the French Revolution, 1789-1799, the chateau and vineyards were confiscated and sold as state property. So good is the history of this wine that today it is one of the top “Grand Cru” sold in the world.

We did a brief self-guided tour of the chateau. Some of the ancient woodworking is just amazing. The dormitory and reception rooms have beams carved from a single tree that stretch 30+ feet! There were also some interesting bracing techniques used to support the roof (see below). But you can’t fault their workmanship, it’s still standing today after 925 years!

One of 4 wine presses. It took 4 men to operate one press.

Wine press in the vat room.

Chateau kitchen. The fireplace could hold an entire ox for roasting.

Dining area

Carved mantel detail in dining area

Wall carving detail

Door carving detail

Roof support detail. The cross member is not cut and fitted in a slot, it is one solid piece weaved through the other.

Continuing on with our drive, we head to the small town of Nuits Saint George to try a few more tastings before going back to Dijon. Looks like it’s going to start raining soon so this will be a quick stop. Also, we’re just at the start of harvest so a lot of tasting rooms are closed.

Well, called that one. First three tasting rooms we tried were closed so did a bit of walking around the town to see the sights. There was one tasting room open that we saw on the way in so we circled back to give it a try. Success! It was open but this isn’t a winery, it’s a tasting room and shop for multiple vineyards. No cellars, no tour, just tasting and buying. Not such a bad idea, this way we can sample wines from numerous vintners without driving around the hillside, what a deal.

Motel with glazed roof in Nuits-Saint-Georges.

Church with glazed roof.

Street in Nuits-Saint-Georges

We sampled 6 wines, 3 reds and 3 whites, all were quite good. But there can only be one favorite. For me, it had to be Clos de Vougeot 2014 Pinor Noir; and for Collette it was Ladoix Chardonnay 2019. Both were reasonably priced, just cost us one grandchild to work the fields or our car. Since the car is a rental, we went with the grandchild. One lucky kid is going to learn French!

End of the day so we needed to be on our way to the apartment. Starting to rain a bit, suppose to rain all night and through tomorrow. At least it will be a little cooler. Temps here have been in the 90’s for the first few days so looking forward to a little reprieve from the heat.

Time to try out some of the wine we’ve bought so signing off.

Au revoir.