Illustration by Philipp Dornbierer
There can be a lot of confusion when talking about white Burgundy. To many, the name itself is an oxymoron. For our purposes here, white Burgundy is the chardonnay grape grown in France’s Burgundy region, where communes can yield dramatically different wines. After examining and tasting more than 2,000 bottles of white Burgundy over the past four years, here’s what I’ve found.
In Burgundy’s northernmost reaches, you’ll find Chablis. Grapes here struggle to ripen during most years and are characterized by sharp acidity, which is finished using little new oak, as oak would overpower this delicate wine. Sitting on a nearly common flavor of true chalk are flavors of green apple, lemon zest, crushed oyster shell, and button mushroom. The best producers include René & Vincent Dauvissat, Domaine François Raveneau, Domaine Louis Michel & Fils, Domaine William Fèvre, Domaine Christian Moreau Père & Fils, and Domaine des Malandes.
Traveling south 75 miles, you come to Beaune, where you’ll find several communes with hundreds of different vineyard sites, offering a multitude of styles and soil variations. Chassagne-Montrachet is connected to Puligny-Montrachet by the Montrachet vineyard, the area’s most famous. Its wines are richer and more forward, with broad citrus flavors of lemon, yellow apple, and white peach. Typically cloaked in oak, this Burgundy variety features notes of butterscotch and vanilla. The best producers include Domaine Ramonet, Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Domaine Michel Niellon, Marc Colin et ses Fils, Domaine Jean-Noël Gagnard, Domaine Hubert Lamy, and Château de la Maltroye.
Puligny-Montrachet is like the more intellectual, taller older brother. It’s typically more structured (meaning a higher acid level and mineral profile), with leaner fruit flavors of lemon, lime, green apple, and underripe pineapple. This wine seems to age better than Chassagne-Montrachet in most vintages, and its premier cru vineyards are more prized and expensive. The best producers are Domaine Leflaive, Louis Carillon et Fils, Paul Pernot et ses Fils, Domaine de la Pousse d’Or, Etienne Sauzet, and Domaine Henri Boillot.
Meursault essentially comprises the best of Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet, combining the structure of the former with the opulent and broad palate of the latter. With a higher water table, Meursault cellars aren’t as deep, providing for warmer fermentations and ultimately richer wines. In the best examples, you’ll find flavors of a riper citrus of Meyer lemon, pineapple, yellow apple, and underripe white peach, with a hallmark note of hazelnuts and brioche. Meursault is attractive in its youth, but it can sleep in the cellar for decades. The best producers include Coche-Dury, Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Domaine Roulot, Maison Leroy, Arnaud Ente, Lucien Le Moine, François Jobard, Jean-Philippe Fichet, and Bernard Boisson-Vadot. Amusez-vous bien!
