The dust has now settled, literally and figuratively, with the new warehouse completed and newly arrived wines safely stored away.

The year ahead should be interesting with wine dinners starting to fall into place starting with a Grand Cru Burgundy dinner on 1st February, a potential wine dinner in March and a visit by Robert and PJ of Deerfield Ranch in late April/early May.

Tastings will also be held in the tasting room at the warehouse, dates and times to be advised.

This issue is dedicated to Burgundy.  Subsequent issues will focus on different regions with touring tales and tasting notes.

Like many wine enthusiasts my first foray into “serious” wine study started with Bordeaux.  This was partly because I had been exposed to more Bordeaux wines as I developed my tasting skills but also because it seemed easier to understand the wines and vintages helped, of course, by the classification system in place for most of the region.

Burgundy was left to one side while first the wines of Bordeaux and then California were explored.  It seemed too complicated and the few pinot noirs tasted had failed to excite the imagination.  Then about 3 years ago I attended a dinner tasting of older burgundies in London.  It was a revelation.  I can still remember the taste and smell of the Armand Rousseau Clos de Beze 1991.

The good news for Burgundy lovers is that quality continues to improve.  There are now many less tannic and herbaceous wines.  Better vineyard practices, controlled yields and better winemaking has generally improved quality across the board.  It is also fair to say that criticism and praise from wine writers and new publications with a wider audience (Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator) has forced many underachievers to improve.  However in spite of this the key to understanding Burgundy is to focus on the individual producers because even in a great vintage mediocre wines can be made from grand cru vineyards and in a poor vintage conscientious producers can make an excellent one.

John M. Sharpe
January 2001