Great Article in Slate on Bordeaux vs Burgundy

WINE TALK
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Mike Steinberger has penned a great article comparing Bordeaux and Burgundy with an emphasis on the two cultures between them.

Why I'll always prefer Burgundy to Bordeaux." onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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“The wines we feel most passionate about are those that offer not only compelling aromas and flavors, but a little romance and soul, too. It is hard to discern these qualities in most Bordeaux nowadays; however good the wines may taste, they have become so bound up in prices, scores, and luxury marketing that the romance and soul have been drained out of them.”

Sums it up quite well for me. I bought exactly one case of 05 Bordeaux futures for myself. I may not buy any 09. The wines just don’t sing to me for many of the reasons outlined in the article.

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Thanks for the link, loved the article.

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Thanks, that’s a really interesting article. I’ll follow Steinberger now, he makes some good points.

However (did you sense that coming?) I have to doubt a bit when he comes up with “Burgundy, with its unpretentious farming culture”. I just don’t buy that, I suspect that the main commercial difference between the two regions is scale–Bdx produces much more wine, and the vineyards are (mostly) much larger. The Burg people (at least at the high end, as in Bdx) make plenty too, this “unpretentious farming culture” bit really sounds like “I’m just a simple country boy”. The French tend to be very good at projecting an image…

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you know it’s true…Bordeaux makes you piss…Burgundy makes you f*ck…

It’s the best quote I’ve seen in years…

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Hi, Peter.

I’ve been there a few times and, to a large extent, the people from Burgundy (and Alsace as well, including wine people of some pretty well-known labels) are, indeed, generally a lot more “down-to-earth” and friendlier than the (again generally) more “aristocratic” Bordelais wine people. Well, in my experience, anyway.

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Well, admittedly I’m extrapolating. But I wonder what the people at DRC are like, for ex. Not that it matters so much in the end, it’s the wine that counts.

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Just read Steinberger’s article on the '96 Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne:

Now I want some! What a description.

(vintage corrected, thank you Serge!)

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Burgundy is really much smaller. My general understanding is that burgundy’s vineyards are about 30,000 hectares. Bordeaux, on the other hand, is something like 125,000 hectares – ie over 4 times larger. Also factor in the fact that virtually every vineyard in burgundy is subdivided into many different portions owned by many different winemakers. This means that each wine is very small production. This also means that large scale production and large scale dollars – at least at the level that bordeaux chateaus can generate – just don’t exist in burgundy.

Indeed, one of the questions I continually ask myself - as I buy many very small production burgundies from local, Austin, Texas, retailers – is, how do these wines even make it to a (relatively speaking) backwater like Austin? For example, I know that some Roumier Musigny makes it to Austin each year (through normal 3 tier importer etc.etc. channels) in spite of the fact that the total production of that wine - in a good year - is, maybe, a barrel. It’s my understanding that the total allocation for NORTH AMERICA is 5 cases.

When your production is that small, it really is more of a shoestring type operation. That said, I don’t think most of the top end burgundy producers fell off the turnip truck last night (or, if they did, they got a good night’s sleep).

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That is my favorite piece of wine writing. Ever. On many levels.

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Berserkerfest 2.75 in St. Ouen?

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Everyone I know who has met Aubert de Villaine speaks of how modest and reverent he is about his ownership of DRC.

Plus he makes Mercurey, Bourgogne Rouge and Blanc, and Aligote Bouzeron.

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thanks for posting. what an entertaining read. couldn’t agree more

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Peter Kleban wrote:
Thanks, that’s a really interesting article. I’ll follow Steinberger now, he makes some good points.

However (did you sense that coming?) I have to doubt a bit when he comes up with “Burgundy, with its unpretentious farming culture”. I just don’t buy that, I suspect that the main commercial difference between the two regions is scale–Bdx produces much more wine, and the vineyards are (mostly) much larger. The Burg people (at least at the high end, as in Bdx) make plenty too, this “unpretentious farming culture” bit really sounds like “I’m just a simple country boy”. The French tend to be very good at projecting an image…

Hi, Peter.

I’ve been there a few times and, to a large extent, the people from Burgundy (and Alsace as well, including wine people of some pretty well-known labels) are, indeed, generally a lot more “down-to-earth” and friendlier than the (again generally) more “aristocratic” Bordelais wine people. Well, in my experience, anyway.

But they still drive big Mercedes, Audis and Lamborginis.

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He is my response to the crap that Steinberger wrote in Slate :
(taken from that site):

“This Steinberger belongs to the narrow-minded variety of wine lover that curiously includes far more Burgundy adepts than Bordeaux ones! It is utter bullshit to write as he does “Burgundy has always been a world apart from Bordeaux. While the Bordelais classified their wines by price, the Burgundians did it on the basis of terroir”. This basic mistake, which Steinberger would have avoided had he taken Wine 101, is repeated in Lewin’s book, which contains more factual errors that you can shake a stick at. I spent a wonderful 10 days in Burgundy in January and love the best wines there. But I live in Bordeaux and as opposed to the claptrap Steinberger spouts, I confrm the wine frequently moves me to f***. Steinberger doesn’t know what he’s talking about!!! But I guess on the Internet anyone can write anything… Last, but not least, this poor, ignorant fellow confuses the quality of the wine and the trappings surrounding it. He is looking for a polemic, but I don’t think any other than a small coterie of bigots will agree with him…”

Best regards,
Alex R.

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Serge,

I’m not surprised to see you adding your two cents…

It’s hard to accept ignorance. I’ve responded.

Take it or leave it.

Best regards,
Alex R.

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Great article, but of course I am biased as I do love Burgundy. I like Bordeaux too, but it doesn’t drive me to the same highs (or, granted, lows) as does Burgundy. Something about Pinot Noir from that area touches my soul and leaves a haunting memory of its passing, an effect I’ve never gotten from Bordeaux (or anywhere else except maybe, rarely, Piedmont).

But, last time I checked, wine was a subjective experience, so YMMV.
Cheers! [berserker.gif]

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Count me as a lover of both, but if I had to choose, I’d take Burgundy. It, of course, doesn’t have to be either/or; fortunately, we can have both! But I think Michael is spot on and to me, the Burgs deliver high highs that the Bordeaux don’t.

Peter–go to Burgundy, then Bordeaux, and you’ll see what Michael is talking about! Its fascinating. In Bordeaux, the owners (of the larger estates) usually own grand chateaux and drive Range Rovers. In Burgundy, they drive a Toyota. Doesn’t mean they’re not brilliant–they’re smart as anybody, just not showy. In Beaune, I remember dining at l’Ameloise and a guy who was obviously a VIP to the restaurant and well known to them (I assumed a vigneron) was there for a special dinner with his wife–maybe an anniversary? And he was dressed in denim overalls while dining at the Michelin ** restaurant and looked every bit the farmer that he no doubt was.

Someone mentioned Aubert de Villaine. I have had the pleasure of visiting DRC several times, and can tell you how approachable and plain M. de Villaine and his cellar master Bernard Noblet are. There is M. Noblet, serving wine, in farmer denim attire, hosting. M. de Villaine went to lunch with our group, and I had the pleasure of riding in his car as he drove us to the restaurant–again, a compact car, with books and papers in the back, which he had to move to make room for me to sit. Very ‘normal,’ very approachable. “Regular guy” kind of thing.

And very different from Bordeaux. (In general, of course; we all know there are exceptions).

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so do the pot grower in Oregon and California which has no effect on their “true farmer” status.

I didn’t know that driving Big Mercedes is now the equivalent of “aristocracy”.

Will you all call me Duke Serge Birbrair if I get myself Mercedes 6000 tomorrow or Dukes are only reserved for Lamborghini drivers?[/quote]

No, they’ll just call you a simple country boy [wink.gif] .

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Wilfred,

The Bordeaux you know is a tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny part of the whole.
Therefore, not really fair to draw conclusions…

I went to DRC in January. It was a great experience. But then, so is a visit to Château Margaux.

Not the same, but why should it be?

Best regards,
Alex R.