Bourgogne Blanc
These underrated wines are an important cog in the complex and often expensive Burgundy wheel, says Andy Howard MW, offering great early-drinking at a keen price
83 wines tasted
The lean and racy 2014s and the fleshy, ripe 2015s both provide excellent-value drinking.
The wiNes of Burgundy continue to enjoy rising global demand and reputation despite the impact of recent growing seasons that have not been easy, both in terms of consistency and production. Vintage difficulties notwithstanding, quality seems to be at an all-time high, with the region continuing to be the reference point for wines made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The fickle influence of nature has been most evident in 2016, with severe frosts, mildew and devastating hail leading to one of the smallest harvests of recent decades. Given that the region was still recovering from much smaller crops in 2012 and 2013, it seems inevitable this will force prices up and make the best wines even harder to secure.
Against this background, Bourgogne Blanc has an important part to play. Nestling within the complex Burgundian system of 100 appellations, these underrated wines can offer some of the best value in the region. (The reverse can apply, although this is less true now than in the past.) for consumers, one of the difficulties in understanding Bourgogne Blanc is its diversity, both in terms of the producer (individual domaine, cooperative or négociant) and the location of vineyards. The AC spans three departments, from the Yonne in the north, through the Côte d’or to saône-et-Loire to the south, with 299 communes permitted to produce the wine.
Pleasure and value
Bourgogne Blanc offers different styles ranging from nondescript, generic bottlings from grapes sourced from across the region, to high-quality, individual and characterful wines made with, or without, the influence of oak. Although not always true, the more interesting examples will often have a local focus. Bourgogne Blanc made by an individual domaine should represent the philosophy and style of the producer but at a competitive price and for earlier drinking. The classification as Bourgogne Blanc may indicate the use of younger vines, or those located just outside the boundaries defining vineyards demarcated as village, premier cru or even grand cru. These wines are fully capable of providing great drinking pleasure at very good value.
A UK merchant recently launched Domaine Leroy’s 2014 Bourgogne Blanc at £25 a bottle, in bond. Despite being a high price for a régionale wine at this quality level, the consumer is being offered the chance to enjoy many of the qualities of one of Burgundy’s most lauded names at a huge discount to their more renowned wines.
with both 2014 and 2015 proving to be very good (albeit different) Chardonnay vintages, there should be no excuse for poor-quality bottlings. Bourgogne Blanc remains a very useful category that provides refined, enjoyable, keenly priced whites from this famous region.
Andy Howard MW is a wine consultant who writes and judges regularly for Decanter, specialising in Burgundy