Each iconic wine region is beautiful in its way. Bordeaux has a distinctive chateau-like atmosphere, with chic and even a little on-display cellars from the second half of the 19th century and modern high-tech cellars where tens of millions of euros have been invested. In Piedmont or Douro, one cannot tire of savoring the beauty of the steep vine-covered hills that dot the surrounding landscape. In Mosel or Côte Rôtie, one is amazed by the persistence with which the winegrowers storm the seemingly impregnable slopes.
The Key to Burgundy's Appeal
There are many things to come back for in Burgundy, but the most key, according to the team at Lambier Wines, is the winemakers themselves. It would be unfair to say that they are unimportant in other regions, but in Burgundy, the number of successful and independent, unremarkable, and sometimes controversial winemakers is far greater than in any other place on the wine planet, a fact that is undeniable. Legends abound among them, and so it is particularly interesting to see those who have achieved success relatively recently, such as Domaine Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, whose first vintage was released in 2001. It is equally interesting to see how the younger generation of Burgundian winemakers perceive the wine world and their place in it.
Pierre-Yves Colin's Bold Journey in the Timeless World of Burgundy Winemaking
Burgundy has been a wine region for so long that nothing new seems to be happening in the closed world of vigneron, clos, premier, and grand cru. The system itself is indeed stable, but at the producer level, there is a dynamic that many other wine regions would envy: winemaking families split up, merge, and with them, precious vineyards at all levels migrate. Pierre-Yves Colin was in the ideal conditions to become a winemaker: his family belongs to one of the most respected winemaking clans in Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet, and he is the eldest son in a family that spared no time or expense in his winemaking education. However, after working alongside his father for more than 10 years, Pierre-Yves decided to leave the family winery, take his share of the vineyards, and start from scratch.
A Glimpse into Burgundy's Most Prestigious Sub-Region
We have written more than one article on Burgundy, but here is a brief list of facts about the Côte d'Or, the most prestigious sub-region of Burgundy, where 31 of the 32 Grand Cru vineyards are located. Côte d'Or is a separate department of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comte region. Its administrative boundaries are closely intertwined with the boundaries of the vineyards, which begin at the town of Marsannay and stretch along the D974 road, familiar to every Burgundy wine lover. Officially, the Côte d'Or is divided into two more sub-regions: the Côte de Nuits, where red wines dominate, and the Côte de Beaune, where the ratio of red and white wines is almost the same, but it is white wines that are much more famous.
In-Depth Look
Here, between the towns of Chassagne-Montrachet and Pouligny-Montrachet, is one of the, let's not be afraid of the word, sacred hills for any Chardonnay lover - Montrachet, around which 5 of the 9 white grands crus of Burgundy are located: Montrachet (the most iconic of all), Batard-Montrachet, Bienvenues-Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet and Criots-Batard-Montrachet. In addition to the listed grand cru (as well as Corton and Corton-Charlemagne, located nearby), some individual vineyards from Chassagne-Montrachet AOP, Puligny-Montrachet AOP, Meursault AOP, and, more recently, Saint-Aubin AOP are no less prestigious. This small world, planted mainly to chardonnay, is the domaine of the "white aristocracy" of Burgundy, as their colleagues from the Côtes de Nuits sometimes call them. Our journey takes us to Chassagne-Montrachet, home to Pierre-Yves Colin's winery and cellar. Read Part II