NYT: Village Burgundy

Mark: I just finished reading this article before I pulled up your posting on it. Oh, how I long for the days when Frank Prial was the wine critic for the NYT. He actually wrote columns that were relevant to my own lifestyle. Today's column deals with wines that I either: (1) can't find at all, (2) can find, but only with great difficulty, or (3) would not generally purchase anyway because they cost more than I want to pay for anything other than some special occasion. And I don't think that there are enough special occasions left in my life to use up all the wines that I've been saving for special occasions. Maybe my pallete is more attuned to Nortwest wines, but I'll go with one of the better Oregon PN's any day. The only thing that I'll feel that I'm missing is the elegant Burgundian label. I know this is going to sound parochial, and I'll admit it probably is. But I think Eric Asimov's columns are parochial too, except that he doesn't live close to the places where the wines he writes about are made. Except when he gushes about Long Island merlots or Finger Lakes rieslings.

Vino

I must confess; while I am an avid fan of white Burgundes, I have not yet acquired a taste for the 'better' Pinot's - preferring the village appelations.

We were in the Cote d'Or again this last June, staying in Puligny Montrachet and savoring the various Premier Cru vin blancs that we love - but I ventured into some reds to try and expand my palate. As before, I balked at the Premier Cru level wines - too flinty, too oaky, and lacking the fruit character that I love with CA and Oregon Pinots. But I really enjoyed some of the village level wines I had - one Aloxe Corton in particular, but I can't recall the name just now. Will have to dive through my notes from the trip.

Thanks for the tip on the article - it amy reveal some wines to me that I'll enjoy!

PS - while tasting there this year, I heard frequently that '03 was a particularly hot year; and the whites are considered too flabby as a result, but all the vignerons were raving about the '03 reds.

hey, Lafarge was already a household name (agree re Marechal, though). Not really surprised that '03s are drinking better than '02s right now,

Mark Lipt> Eric Asimov of the New York Times once again ventures into wine geek

Funny, that's how I feel about Asimov ;-)

Interesting observation. I don't know how pricing works in Seattle, but for me most low-level Burgundies are cheaper wines than Pinots from CA and Oregon. Have you ever dealt with Garagiste?

Asimov's columns are very geared to NYC consumers: many of the wines he reviews aren't sold much outside of NYC. OTOH, he *does* write for a paper based in NYC, so perhaps that's intentional. You're quite likely about your palate being differently attuned: it took me 15 years of wine drinking to be able to appreciate Burgundy, and one of the biggest problems for Pinot-lovers is that much of the Burgundy that hits these shores is pretty dismal stuff. I'm *very* selective about which producers' wines I'll buy, and this article gives a short list of them. OTOH, be glad if you don't find Burgundy appealing: it's like heroin addiction, except costlier (a lifetime of misery for the occasional fleeting transport to ecstasy).

Mark Lipton

The bigger red Burgundies can require extensive time in the cellar to become enjoyable. You might try some 1ers from the Cote de Beaune in good-but-not-awesome years like '01. They should be more approachable than their bigger brethren.

That's interesting advice. I found the few '03s that I've tried to be rather atypical, tasting roasted and overextracted. But, they may be easier for a lover of bigger CA Pinots to appreciate.

Mark Lipton

I was not aware of them. I guess they keep a pretty low profile. I note that they are open by appointment only. They are not located in the classiest part of town, either. But thanks for the tip.

I'm sure you're right on all counts. One of my favorite writers for the NYT is R.W. (Johnny) Apple, Jr. He writes about a lot of things and he has one of the best prose styles I have ever encountered.

Vino