By The Glass
ROBERTO VIERNES
A good Burgundy
doesn’t have to
cost a fortuneWhen I meet vintners and vignerons (winemakers and winegrowers), I quite often ask what they like to drink most when they are not drinking their own wines. It gives me a peek into the wines that they truly enjoy and usually into what they would like their wines to be. Some say Bordeaux, some say syrah from the Rhone Valley. But by far the most frequent response is, "Burgundy. When I can afford it."
I am not surprised by this frequent admission, as I am also a fanatic for Burgundy. Ah, Burgundy. The Gold Slope, or Cote D'Or, as it is called in French, is hallowed ground for pinot noir and chardonnay vines, where some say they can taste the earth of the specific vineyard from which the wine comes. Burgundy is the land of some of the most famous vineyards and wines in the world: Romanee Conti, La Tache, Richebourg, Le Montrachet, Corton Charlemagne -- all grand crus, the highest classification of wine from this region.
Who would not want to make wines such as these, with heavenly aromas, intense flavors and silky texture? But with prices easily breaching the three- and four-digit mark, it is easy to see why people do not drink them every day.
Well, I have found a couple of wines that will please any "would-be Burgundy wine drinker" without having to take out a loan -- and they are both from France!
The first is 2000 Louis Latour Montagny Premier Cru La Grande Roche ($16). This is 100 percent chardonnay from an area known as the Cote Chalonnaise, just south of the Cote D'Or. Some even consider it part of Burgundy. The nose reminds me of lemon blossoms, with orange rind and overly ripe Bosc pears and Fuji apples all laced with just a hint of vanillin from the new French oak aging it is subjected to. The medium-bodied palate is silky, elegant and well-balanced, with a nice zip of acid that allows the flavors to linger on the finish.
With its balance and finesse, it pairs well with many foods. White-fish dishes done with butter or cream sauces, as well as roast chicken or chicken a la king, first come to mind. I would not be afraid to serve it with pastas with white sauces or even Chinese-style noodles.
The second wine is 2000 Louis Latour Domaine de Valmoissine Pinot Noir ($13). This is actually grown in the Coteaux du Verdon region, northeast of Marseilles along the Verdon River. This wine smells like a basketful of freshly picked berries, with just a hint of cardamom spice for complexity.
This wine caresses your palate with a velvety flavor of ripe cherries, smooth tannins and a note of vanilla on the finish. Perfect with roast duck, roast veal with a tomato-olive pesto, or even a rosemary-marinated pork chop with roasted wild mushrooms -- yummy!
These wines bring value to a whole new level. For those who said, "Burgundy. When I can afford it" -- with these wines, I am sure you can!
Roberto Viernes is wine specialist and sommelier for the Mariposa Restaurant at Nieman Marcus.
This column is a weekly lesson in wine
pairing written by a rotating panel of wine professionals.
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