Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/711666
54 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 { the somms speak } can produce quite a significant wine. "This Village AOC is as elevated as it can get through this particular domaine. If [de Villaine] produces a wine from Aligoté, it's because he believes in the history and the potential of the grape in this region. People are looking for value in Bourgogne and when you have the hand of a serious winemaker like this, there are some noble, accessible wines." Marsannay and Monthélie Dave Lund, Wine Director at III Forks in Austin, takes us to the heart and soul of Bourgogne, the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits, to discover two villages, with well- known neighboring AOCs that have yet to gain much notoriety. In the Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin has nine Grand Cru Climats and has, therefore, become well- known for quality wines. Fewer than 3.5 miles north lies Marsannay—the Camille Giroud 2012 Marsannay Les Longeroies is Lund's first wine. The famed Ann Colgin, with banker partner Joe Wender, acquired the Camille Giroud estate in 2002, hiring a young David Croix as winemaker to update produc - tion practices. "Marsannay is relatively new as a Village AOC, upgraded in 1987, and I expect to see great strides in the next decade. Youth as a whole is important in terms of value. Younger winemakers are more willing to part with tradition while still being inspired by it. The fruit is more pushed forward—it appeals to the American palate," lends Lund. "Marsannay AOC is the only Village appellation in Bourgogne that allows pro - duction of white, rosé and red wines—that already sets it apart. But having no Grand Cru or Premier Cru vineyards allows the highest-quality fruit to go into the Village wines. It keeps the prices down with very high quality." Pinot Noir takes prominence in the Côte de Nuits in the north, and Chardonnay leads in the Côte de Beaune further south, but depending on the clay-limestone com - position of the soil in particular sites, each grape excels in certain plots. Monthélie has a nice triumvirate of soils that lends itself to Pinot Noir, with clay encouraging concen- tration, calcareous promising minerality and pebbles allowing for healthful drainage." Lund's next choice is the Pierre Morey 2011 Monthélie. Another iconic producer, Pierre Morey, began his domaine in 1971, but he also made wine for renowned Domaine Leflaive for 20 years, converting both it as well as his current estate to biody - namics in 1997. The village of Monthélie sits next to the recogniz eable villages of Volnay and Meursault in the Côte de Beaune. "For me, Monthélie is defined by its delicate tannin structure. I work at a steak - house, so I wouldn't be afraid to put this up against a filet, but an optimal pairing would be with fowl. This is a wine with immense aging potential. I would expect to get 12 to 15 years out of this, no problem, without fearing it falling off." Chablis and Grand Auxerrois David Castleberry, Lead Sommelier at RN74 in San Francisco, steers us to the far north of Bourgogne for our last regional exploration: Chablis and Grand Auxerrois, lying midway between Beaune and Paris. Chablis AOC, especially at the Grand Cru level, offers some of the most complex and inspiring expressions of the Chardonnay grape. Petit Chablis AOC, producing wines from marginally higher yields and slightly lower alcohol levels, offers one of the best values anywhere. Castleberry chooses a wine from Petit Chablis AOC to begin: "I love it because it bridges two of my favorite wine regions: Champagne and Bourgogne. It's physi - cally closer to Champagne and has similar limestone soils as in the Côte des Bar s." The selection happens to be from an iconic Chablis producer—it's the Vincent Dauvissat 2014 Petit Chablis. "Vincent Dauvissat is known for his use of biodynamics and is the most soil- focused grower," says Castleberry. "He works tirelessly to handle his vineyards in a completely natural way for the good of the wines and soils. His Petit Chablis vine - yard is from a lone parcel just above the legendary Chablis Grand Cru, Les Clos, and outperforms many other producers' Village and Premier Cru wines." Grand Auxerrois surrounds Chablis and includes two Village level AOCSs: Saint- Bris, producing Sauvignon Blanc wines— something unexpected and very rare in Bourgogne—and Irancy AOC, producing Pinot Noir wines. "I love sharing these wines with guests that are curious and enthusias - tic about Bourgogne. They are from regions that aren't terribly well known and offer tremendous value." We stay within the area for Castleberry's next pick—the Thierry Richoux 2010 Irancy Veaupessiot. "Irancy is a lovely village at the bottom of a small amphitheater 20 minutes from the center of Chablis, and it shares the same basic soils: Portlandian limestone on the upper sections and Kimmeridgian limestone on the slopes. The vineyards face south, west and north and produce a wine that is rustic. Irancy, Veaupessiot is from old vines from a single south facing vineyard and 2010 is the current release." Again, the producer is an exemplar of a winemaker. "Thierry Richoux's family has been producing wine since the early Dave Lund at III Forks in Austin identifies "bold fruit, dark cranberry and cherry, with a pleasant flowering tobacco, bright acidity and delicate tannins in the Pierre Morey 2011 Monthélie. It has a light spice, too, that I characterize as a direct connection with the three soil types in the region." PHOTO: KIRK WEDDLE