White Burgundy can be many things to many people: exhilarating, exasperating, and mystifying by turns. It is likely that few of us will ever truly understand the complex topic of white Burgundy, but those who try will undoubtedly enjoy the effort. Armed with a bit of information and advice, we can begin to explore this extensive category and find great wines at every price while avoiding disappointment.
1 WHERE TO START
There are several possible entry points to the universe of white Burgundy. Regionallevel Bourgogne is one of the familiar places to start. This category is the base of the quality pyramid in Burgundy (see p25), and more than half of all wine produced in Burgundy bears a regional label of one type or another.
Regional wines are often produced from vines that lie outside the limits of a village appellation. In the Côte d’Or, they are often made with grapes grown to the east of the D974 road, which traces the line of the Via Agrippa constructed by the Romans along a fault line in the Côte. The soil is deeper and much more fertile east of the fault and thinner and rockier to the west. The former favours growing grains, while the latter is better suited to vines.
Most of the larger négociant traders blend their Bourgognes from various sources, and the wines, frankly, can be a bit anodyne. Occasionally, however, interesting examples are made, from better areas and given careful treatment – seek out, for example, Albert Bichot’s Secret de Famille Bourgogne (2018 Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, £23 Honest Grapes). When top growers produce their Bourgogne from vines in their villages that lie west of the D974, the quality can be exhilarating, but typically it is not mentioned on the label. For instance, Jean-Marc Roulot’s delicious (albeit pricey) Bourgogne Blanc (2016, £180 Nemo Wine Cellars) is from vines east of Meursault and Volnay. This type
