What’s the difference between Burgundy and Bordeaux?
In 2015, esteemed wine writers Jancis Robinson MW and Hugh Johnson hosted a landmark event in London: Bordeaux Vs Burgundy. The debate was lively, robust, and enlightening, with strong arguments put forward underlining the relative merits of both regions. The Bordelais and Burgundy establishments have similar arguments on a daily basis – Burgundians love to claim that Bordeaux winemakers aren’t winemakers at all; “they blend wine, but they don’t actually make it,” a vigneron once proclaimed to Cellar Tours. Similarly, the Bordelais love to joke that Burgundy makes so little wine on purpose, simply to justify those often astronomical prices.
Yet both regions share more common ground than they’d care to admit. Bordeaux and Burgundy, inarguably, are the engines of the fine wine trade. The top of their ranges disappeared into the luxury goods category years ago; the prices are astronomical, the volumes released relatively small – particularly in Burgundy’s case – and the demand is insatiable. Indeed, auction houses make a handsome living when rare lots of Petrus, Latour and La Tache are auctioned off. Both regions dominate the secondary market, both areas are the domaine of wealthy collectors and hedge-fund managers – at least at the top end. First-Growth Pauillac and Grand Cru Chambertin are most definitely not aiming for the mass market.
But humbler Bordeaux and Burgundy remains relatively good value and in decent supply. This is the bond, or perhaps shared DNA, which brings the two regions together in holy matrimony. They both offer an astonishing diversity of styles and price points, covering everyday drinking, light, and fruit-driven, white and red, powerfully structured and inaccessible to all but the super-rich. Bordeaux and Burgundy are also more ‘chameleon-like’ than initially appears. The former produces some of the best rose in south-west France, the latter makes an excellent sparkling wine style. Surprised? It’s understandable, as both regions actively under-promote their lesser-known wine styles. There are undiscovered gems to be found, even in a path so well-trodden as the Cote d’Or and the Medoc. In addition, both regions have embraced eco-friendly viticultural methods in recent times, moving towards organic and biodynamic winegrowing.
Of course, it is the differences and rivalries which really excited the audience back in 2015, when Robinson MW and Johnson took up opposing positions and defended their region. Johnson underlined the point that Bordeaux is more “accessible” than Burgundy and there is some truth to that. The former makes about 5 times more wine than Burgundy; there is more choice in the bottom and middle sections of the market, and consequently more chance of obtaining a relative bargain than in the Cote d’Or. Even the crème de la crème of the Medoc is more readily available than equivalent red wines of the same stature from the Cote de Nuits. In Burgundy, we’re often talking about a few thousand bottles of a Grand Cru wine, whilst Latour can run to over 300,000 bottles per annum.
Nevertheless, Burgundy is undeniably easier to taste in its youth. In that sense, the wines of the Cote d’Or win the ‘accessibility’ argument hands down. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, even in perfect and majestically structured vintages, never showcase the tannin, extract and sheer weight of a top Bordeaux. Ripe Pinot Noir is the perfect wine to enjoy young; softly structured, it boasts a refreshing acidity and tannic backbone that is perfectly manageable even without food. That being said, both regions were made for gastronomic pairings, but impatient drinkers and collectors will probably want to take a trip to the Cote d’Or.
Bordeaux River Garonne
It is also arguably the case that newly baptized oenophiles get to grips with Bordeaux quicker than Burgundy. Both regions contain a myriad of appellations, terroirs, and sub-zones, with quality varying enormously. Yet in Bordeaux, buyers easily recognize the two main ‘versions’ of their favorite drink: Left Bank Bordeaux and Right Bank Bordeaux. The Medoc is the home of stunning Cabernet Sauvignon, which always plays a defining role in the wines, while the Right Bank stakes its claim as being the Merlot heartland of Europe. Collectors also latch onto their favorite chateaux with relative ease, as the famous names are widely promoted and globally renowned. Even teetotalers can recognize a Lafite, Margaux and Cheval Blanc label when they see one.
But the Cote d’Or? Oh my. Here we have a region designed to cause headaches and baffle even the wisest of men and women. There are so many names, villages, and sub-regions that even experienced winemakers get lost! This is arguably the region’s greatest weakness, its inability to make itself understood to a wider audience. Of course, many aficionados love Burgundy for that very same reason.
The crux of the problem is historic in nature. In Bordeaux, the classification systems are based around the status of the property in question – an estate is ranked according to its perceived quality, rather than the terroir upon which it relies. So a leading chateau can purchase its neighbor’s land, blend in lackluster wines from inferior plots and, in theory, the authorities cannot bat an eyelid. In practice, the best estates are rigorous in their quality-control checks and would never sully their reputations by adulterating their Grand Vins. Moreover, the 1855 classification, St-Emilion ranking, and chateaux system have provided a useful and relatively easy to understand reference point for consumers worldwide. This is Bordeaux’s triumph, its unsurpassed ability to market its wines and make itself understood. It is a French region for the 21st century, increasingly relying on luxury tourism and even flirting with direct sales.
In contrast, Burgundy owes its structure and hierarchy to the Catholic faith. This is not an area run by marketers and publicists. Centuries ago, the Cistercian monks, who were heavily involved in vine cultivation and winemaking for their religious orders, started to delineate Burgundy’s terroirs and sub-regions according to their quality and character. This remained the reference point even after the land was transferred wholesale into private ownership, which happened largely as a result of the French Revolution.
So how does one get to grips with the Cote d’Or? Well, you have to forget, momentarily, about the producer and grape variety. Collectors buy into appellations, sub-regions, or a specific vineyard. Burgundy is a place of strictly controlled structure, with all vineyards ranked and graded according to the perceived quality of the wines they produce. There are four categories of vineyards: Grand Cru at the top of the quality tree, Premier Cru, Village, and Bourgogne Blanc/Rouge. This is the central philosophy that underpins every decision taken in Burgundy, a belief so intransigent that only talk of global warming could ever force the Burgundians to reassess their views on the best terroirs. But for now, as far as a grower in Chambertin is concerned, vineyard sites (even those close together) are always different and perhaps inferior or superior to another. Of course, there is an unofficial hierarchy of the best names in the region. No one would suggest that a small house in Volnay has the same commercial clout as Domaine de la Romanee-Conti or Domaine Leroy. The price does rise significantly depending on who made the wine – even at generic and village level.
There is another important caveat to the above. Even the most legendary vineyards like Le Montrachet will have multiple owners growing grapes and producing wine. Are those winemakers of equal value? The answer is likely to be no, and so the producer is as important as the terroir, from that perspective. But ultimately, the Burgundians remain committed to the idea of terroir first, winemaking second.
Burgundians also regard the Bordeaux practice of blending grapes grown across different terroirs within an appellation utterly sacrilegious. Chateau Margaux, for example, grows Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot across different locations within the sub-region, to harness the best potential of each site. A specific blend is then crafted according to the vintage conditions. Similarly, the vast majority of white wines produced in Bordeaux are a concoction of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and perhaps Muscadelle. St-Emilion is typically Merlot dominant, with Cabernet Franc playing an important if supporting role. There are exceptions – Pavillon Blanc from Chateau Margaux is mono-varietal and Petrus is often 100% Merlot. But overall, blending grapes is a vital insurance policy for the Bordelais, who still remember the vintages of the early 1990s, when the Cabernet was lean, green and turgid.
However, the grape varieties are conversely the most straightforward aspect of Burgundy’s wines. Red Burgundy is produced from Pinot Noir, white from Chardonnay. Some appellations are entitled to grow and produce Aligote, a grape that plays a minor role today in global Burgundy sales and is never part of the Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines. Historically, that actually wasn’t the case, but Aligote has long been relegated to a local curiosity. But more importantly, it is utterly forbidden to blend grapes in appellations like Chambertin and Volnay. Top red and white Burgundy from the Cote de Nuits and Cote de Beaune must be based on 100% Pinot Noir and Chardonnay – period. The natural corollary of a philosophy which places the primacy of the vineyard front and center is not wishing to sully the terroir expression. From a Burgundian’s perspective, it is lunacy to grow Grand Cru Pinot Noir as a distinct expression of a certain terroir in the Cote d’Or, and then blur and distort that expression by blending-in wines from a different vineyard. Maintaining separate terroir-expressions is sacrosanct in Burgundy – it is what buyers covet and expect from their wines. Approaches and attitudes have remained largely intransigent for centuries – question them at your peril.
This is undoubtedly an intractable point of difference between the world’s two most important vineyards. Bordeaux and Burgundy are both massive cogs in the fine wine business, yet they do (some) things in remarkably different ways. Quite apart from the opposing views concerning blending and terroir classification, there is a contemporary gloss and sheen to Bordeaux’s marketing that Burgundy lacks, the latter preferring to do things more discretely and with little fuss. Bordeaux has willingly leaped headfirst into the 21st century – Burgundy has been more reticent.
Perhaps this is where the real envy lies. Bordeaux, even at the First-Growth level, still has to market its wines. Even middle-rank claret is no guaranteed sell, competing in a tough marketplace. But top Burgundy sells out effortlessly and rapidly each year; it would do so even if growers actively discouraged consumers to buy. Burgundy fans – due to the minute volumes – are always queuing at the door, often 6 months before the harvest has actually begun. This is a region that never loses any sleep overselling its wines.
Related Blog Posts:
- What does Bordeaux First growth mean?
- Bordeaux: Best Winery Experiences
- White Burgundy Wine: A Collectors Guide
- Top Red Wine Burgundies
- Must Visit: Most beautiful villages in Burgundy
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