Product Review
Producer note: Nathalie Tollot said that while yields were down about 35% in 2003, it was primarily due to the heat as there was no frost in Chorey, noting that "there were extremes though as some parcels were down 20% while others were down 50%. Beaune was the worst hit as it was so dry that the vines were losing their leaves, which of course not only meant that the vines shut down but also there was no protection for the grapes. As such, we started almost immediately after the ban de vendange on the 20th of August and were able to bring in the entire domaine by the 25th. Sugars ranged from 13 to 14.2% but acidities definitely had to be adjusted. We also drastically shortened the total cuvaison from 12 to 15 days down to only 8." The reds were for the most part bottled in January. (Diageo Château and Estate, New York, NY; Wine Society, Tanners, Domaine Direct, Justerini & Brooks, Lay & Wheeler and O.W. Loeb, all UK).
Tasting note: Very ripe cherry, anise and cassis aromas introduce rich, round, sweet and
Pinot Noir is responsible for some of the world’s finest wines. Famed for producing the red wines of Burgundy and the Côte d’Or in particular, it is now widely grown in cool climates across Califonia and Oregon, and with increasing success in New Zealand. Although typically used to produce varietal wines, Pinot Noir makes a significant contribution in the wines of Champagne, where it is vinified as a white wine and blended with Cardonnay and Pinot Meunier. On the whole, fresh summer fruit of strawberries, raspberries and red cherries tend to be the identifying qualities, however richer versions express darker fruit including black cherries (kirsch), cherry cola, leather and violets to name a few.
Two hundred miles south east of Paris lies the famous and historic wine region, known in French as Bourgogne. The Cote d'Or, the heartland of the region, consists of two distinct sub-regions split on either side of the town of Beaune.The Côte de Nuits to the north, includes the famous villages of Vosne-Romanee, Gevrey-Chambertin, and Nuits-Saint-Georges and are known primarily for making red wine from Pinot Noir.Although The Côte de Beaune to the south still makes some magnificent reds (see Volnay and Pommard), white wine made from Chardonnay is the main focus. The most famous villages are Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault. Burgundy has three other important regions. The village of Chablis (exclusively Chardonnay) encompassing the region's most northerly vineyards. The Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais to south are quantitatively speaking more important. Agriculture is more diverse with a significant portion of the land devoted to livestock and arable farming.
Chorey-lès-Beaune, just to the north of the town of Beaune, produces, for Burgundy, quite affordable soft, fruit forward red wine. Along with Gevrey-Chambertin it is unique in having a significant amount of its vineyards on the otherside of the RN74 road that runs the length of the Cote d’Or. With no grand or premier crus, a majority of the wine is bottled as Cote de Beaune-Villages and by result makes an important contribution to the appellation.
Red wine is wine made from dark-coloured grape varieties. The color of red differs based on the grapes variety or varieties used.Interestingly, black grapes yield a juice that is greenish-white. The actual red color comes from anthocyan pigments (also called anthocyanins) from the skin of the grape (exceptions are the relatively uncommon teinturier varieties, which produce a red colored juice). Most of the production centers around the extraction of color and flavor from the grape skin.
