Off-piste Burgundy: the value alternatives
The two regional appellations of Coteaux Bourguignons and Bourgogne Passe-tout-grains and the white wine-only St-Bris take Burgundy beyond the pure Pinot Noir and Chardonnay classics for which it is famed. Michael Apstein explains what lies behind these u
Even serious fans of Burgundy may be unfamiliar with St-Bris, Coteaux Bourguignons and Bourgogne Passe-tout-grains. In a region famous for its rigid devotion to vineyard sites identified by Cistercian monks eight centuries ago, these three appellations – and the wide variety of grape varieties they allow – demonstrate Burgundy’s ability to adapt to the subtleties wrought by the passage of time.
Although they may currently be harder to find than the wines from Burgundy’s long roll call of better-known appellations, these three styles offer distinctive wines at attractive prices. It’s my belief that these wines will increasingly begin to appear on retailers’ shelves, especially as the prices of ‘regular’ Burgundy continue to escalate – so their names should be in the lexicon of all Burgundy enthusiasts.
St-Bris
Taking its name from St-Bris-le-Vineux, a tiny village in the Auxerrois to the southeast of the town of Auxerre, St-Bris is doubly unique. First, it’s the only place in Burgundy that
mandates Sauvignon Blanc – before 2003, when it was promoted to AC status, its wines were labelled as Sauvignon de St-Bris. Second, the wines do not taste like Sauvignon Blanc. They have neither the pungent nor tropical fruitiness characteristic of New World Sauvignon Blanc. They do not even bear much resemblance to Sancerre, which is also made exclusively from Sauvignon Blanc, lies only 128km west in the Loire Valley’s central vineyards, and whose soil has a similar mix of Kimmeridgian limestone and clay.
The wines from St-Bris have a unique minerality, some almost a lava-like quality, with bright acidity and an attractive bite. They are similar to Muscadet, but with more body and density, especially in recent vintages as climate change has enhanced ripening. Although meant to be drunk within a year or two of the vintage, they do show good development with a few additional years of bottle age.
Guilhem Goisot, one of the top producers in St-Bris, believes the origins of Sauvignon Blanc here can be explained by economics: plant what grows. He explains that, unlike in the Côte d’Or, where the vineyards basically face in one direction – east-southeast – the vineyards in the Auxerrois are planted on hillsides with varying exposures. The south-facing vineyards are warm enough for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The north side of the hills are too cool for those grapes but can support Sauvignon Blanc.
Why then does Chardonnay thrive on the north-facing slopes of Chablis, barely 16km away? Hervé Tucki, the experienced and knowledgeable director of La Chablisienne, the excellent cooperative in Chablis, thinks the difference may be attributable to the precise mixture of clay and limestone in the soils, or to a subtle temperature difference between the Yonne Valley of Auxerre and the Serein Valley of Chablis. Indeed, before phylloxera ravaged the area in the late 19th century, St-Bris grew Chardonnay and was eventually included within the Chablis appellation. Tucki offers, with a Gallic shrug: ‘The origin of Sauvignon Blanc in St-Bris is a
little mysterious.’ Whatever the reason, I predict we’ll see more of these riveting wines as climate change aids ripening in these northern climes.
Together, the 2017 and 2018 vintages of St-Bris provide something for everyone. The 2017s are racier, while the 2018s are a little bit rounder but maintain an invigorating bite.
In addition to Goisot, other domaines I recommend include Clotilde Davenne, Félix, Philippe Defrance, PL & JF Bersan, Séverine & Lionel Jacquet, Verret and the cooperative Caves Bailly Lapierre. The notable Chablis producers, William Fèvre and SimonnetFebvre, also make lovely St-Bris.
WINES TO TRY
Guilhem et Jean- Hugues Goisot,
La Ronce, St- Bris 2017 94
£ 18.99 Domaine Direct
La Ronce vineyard sits on a hill that has both north and south exposures, hence both Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay grow there. The soil is a mixture of Kimmeridgian limestone and clay, yet there’s more power here than in Goisot’s other St-Bris. Purity and a touch of spice complement that power, while brilliant acidity keeps it fresh and lively. It’s a big-impact wine without a trace of heaviness. Biodynamic. Drink 2020-2024 Alcohol 12.5%
Domaine Séverine & Lionel Jacquet, St-Bris 2018 93 N/A UK www.domaine-jacquet.com
Founded in 2002 with 2.8ha, based in the village of Chitry, near Chablis, and now expanded to 16ha. The Jacquets started producing St-Bris in 2011, and they are clearly fast learners, since this 2018 St-Bris won a gold medal at the 29th Concours des Vins du Grand
Auxerrois. Delicate floral notes grab your attention; good depth, impeccable balance and an alluring minerally bite hold onto it. A persistent finish, with an attractive subtle bitterness, makes it a perfect choice for shellfish. Drink 2020-2022 Alc 12.5%
Guilhem et Jean- Hugues Goisot, Corps de Garde, St- Bris 2017 93
£ 23.49 Beckford Bottle Shop, Domaine Direct, Les Caves de Pyrene, Middle Lane Market, The Crouch End Cellars, Woodhead Shop
Goisot, a family-owned estate, makes fabulous wines across its range, and has farmed biodynamically for
two decades. The lower-yielding Sauvignon Gris used for the Corps de Garde is thought to provide more substance. The wine comes from a variety of vineyards composed of Kimmeridgian limestone mixed with clay. This fresh and pure 2017 vintage delivers lava-like nuances. Crisp and cutting, it has remarkable depth. At the same time, its refinement is apparent in its incredible finish. Drink 2020-2023 Alc 12.5%
Bailly Lapierre, St- Bris 2018 92
N/A UK www. bailly- lapierre.fr
This cooperative of about 430 growers is best known for its Crémant de Bourgogne, but it also makes a lovely St-Bris. The 2018 took a silver medal at the 29th Concours des Vins du Grand Auxerrois. Exhibiting delicate nuances of white flowers, its allure is immediate, and it dazzles with its bright stony impact. Wonderful acidity, especially given the vintage, makes it a pleasure to drink now – particularly with sushi. Drink 2020 Alc 12.5%
Domaine PL & JF Bersan, Cuvée Marianne,
St- Bris 2018 92
N/A UK www.domainebersan.com
This father-and-son team’s 2018 Cuvée Marianne is from 45-year-old vines planted on both Portlandian and Kimmeridgian limestone mixed with clay. Dense, but not heavy, it has aromas and flavours of wet stones. Invigorating acidity balances the ripeness of the vintage and amplifies a steely finish. Drink 2020-2022 Alc 12.5%
Vins de Bourgogne) regional body, shows his enthusiasm for the appellation when he exclaims: ‘It will give the consumer a chance to drink Burgundy at a reasonable price.’ His venerable, Beaune-based, family-run company, Maison Louis Latour, is taking advantage of it: having planted Pinot Noir in the southern part of Beaujolais where there are limestone soils, Louis Latour is making a unique wine, Les Pierres Dorées (see right), exclusively from that grape and labelling it under the new appellation.
Although the name sounds as though it might be the lowest level of Burgundy appellation – and indeed some supermarkets in France sell Coteaux Bourguignons for only a few euros a bottle – not all the wines fall into that price or quality category. Coteaux Bourguignons from Maison Louis Jadot, another top Beaune-based négociant, sells for as much as 50% more than its BeaujolaisVillages. Winemaker Frédéric Barnier laments the difficulty of selling it in the US and other countries where customers prefer to see a grape name or a well-known or easier-topronounce place name on the label.
The plethora of grapes allowed for Coteaux Bourguignons and the enormous area from which they come make it impossible to generalise about the wine’s style. That said, for red Coteaux Bourguignons, many producers use a blend of Gamay, which delivers fruitiness, and Pinot Noir, which adds needed structure. For the whites, the combination of Chardonnay and Aligoté makes the wine ideal for current drinking. The former provides richness, while the latter keeps the wine fresh and lively. Winemakers are keen on these blends because they can even out the vagaries of a vintage by adjusting the proportion of the components.
Like their white counterparts, red Coteaux Bourguignons, with their fruity flavour profile and mild tannins, are meant to be drunk young. For this broad category especially, I recommend following my time-honoured advice for selecting Burgundy: producer, producer, producer.
WINES TO TRY
Domaine Fargues, Coteaux Bourguignons 2017 88 N/A UK www.domaine-fargues.fr
Bénédicte and Bastien Fargues established their tiny 1.3ha estate in Bligny-lès-Beaune in 2005 and are already making notable wines. They limit yields by debudding and bottle without fining or filtering. This 2017 Chardonnay-Aligoté blend demonstrates the virtue of that marriage. A beam of citrus-like acidity supports its fruity and minerally aspects. The freshness on the finish amplifies the wine’s charms. It would be a good choice for simply grilled fish or shellfish. Drink 2020-2024 Alc 12.5%
Maison Fatien Pere & Fils, Coteaux Bourguignons 2017 88
N/A UK www. maison-fatien.com
In a small vineyard in the commune of Meursault, but outside the Bourgogne Blanc appellation, Fatien Père et Fils has Chardonnay with, as Charles Fatien notes, ‘a few rogue Aligoté vines thrown in’. Previously relegated to the Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire category, it is no ordinary wine. Those rogue Aligoté grapes add vivacity and amplify the richness and delicate minerality of the Chardonnay. This energetic white is a perfect choice for simply prepared seafood. Drink 2020-2022 Alc 12.5%
Domaine Jean & Gilles Lafouge, Coteaux Bourguignons 2017 88
POA Domaine Direct
This superb grower, based in Auxey-Duresses, used the flexible regulations of Coteaux Bourguignons to tweak its usual blend of consistently winsome Passe-tout-grains. The 2017 contains 70% Gamay and 30% Pinot Noir, both from slopes around the winery where the limestone-rich soil imparts even more acidity to the Gamay than the granitic soil of Beaujolais. The two varieties were vinified similarly: no cold soak, no carbonic maceration and little punchdown. The wine’s structure frames and supports its fresh and fruity raspberry-like character beautifully. Its Beaujolais-like charm, without sweetness, makes it a good match for steak-frites. Drink 2020-2022 Alc 12.5%
Louis Jadot, Coteaux Bourguignons 2017 88 £ 12-£ 14 Amersham Wines, Christopher Keiller, Fine Wines of Mayfield, Globe Wines
Jadot combines Pinot Noir grown in Givry in the Côte Chalonnaise with Gamay from Beaujolais and releases it after an extended time in bottle, which is why 2017 is the current vintage. Blending 75% Gamay and 25% Pinot Noir in 2017, it shows the virtue of using these two grapes: the spine and savoury nuances provided by Pinot Noir act as a foil
for Gamay’s red fruit-like profile in this beautifully balanced wine. Fine tannins allow for immediate enjoyment and make it easy to recommend for everyday enjoyment. 2020-2024 Alc 12.5%
Louis Latour, Les Pierres Dorées, Coteaux Bourguignons 2018 88
£ 18.11-£ 20 The Drink Shop, The Wine Centre, Wine Direct The limestone in the soil of southern Beaujolais gives the name Pierres Dorées (‘golden rocks’) to the area. A company that knows a thing or two about Pinot Noir, Maison Latour has planted about 20ha of the grape there, and the wine it produces gets better with every vintage. The 2018, the best to date, displays a bright minerality. Ripe yet firm, it also paradoxically conveys a lovely austerity and even a welcome hint of bitterness in the finish. It’s another excellent choice for steak and chips or similarly simple fare. Drink 2020-2024 Alc 12.5%