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A love letter to Burgundy
· Simon Herriot Simon Herriot on
Working in the wine trade, one is often asked the question by those with a more casual relationship with grapes: “So, what is your favourite wine region?”. My reply is quick and never wavers. “Simple. The region that changed and shaped my life. Burgundy”. It was March 2004. As a fresh faced 18-year-old (temporary) university dropout, I was, unknowingly, about to embark on a vinous voyage that would not only go on to define my love of this hallowed wine region, but also change my life forever. I arrived at the Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel, then one of the finest small luxury hotels in the Lake District, eager to learn about restaurants and fine dining. Nine months later, I left as a Junior Sommelier with a passion for the finest Burgundy, having been paid to navigate one of the most underrated Côte d’Or-focused wine lists in the
country at the time.
It was not all plain sailing; Burgundy is a complex mistress after all. On one of my first days, I distinctly remember serving a discerning couple who pointed to and ordered a bottle of 1999 Domaine Roulot, Meursault Les Meix Chavaux. Lacking in knowledge and decent French, I butchered the pronunciation of “Roulot”, “Meursault” and “Les Meix Chavaux”! They obviously saw something in my youthful ignorance, as they gave me a glass to taste. I can still remember the clarity, definition, energy, concentration and length of that wine. It was like nothing I had tasted before, all citrus peel, pear and white flowers, wrapped around tongue-tingling minerality. Obviously, at the time, I could not describe these sensations, but what I did know was that this was the region for me, and I wanted more!
When not running the gauntlet of a Michelin starred service, I would be found with a copy of The World Atlas of Wine by my side. From there, I began to decipher the difference between Chablis and Chassagne, Gevery and Givry, Montrachet and Mâcon, Volnay and Vosne. I was helped on this journey of study by having access to such producers as Domaine Raveneau, Coche-Dury, Roumier, Rousseau, Denis Mortet, Lamy and many more. I must add, all of which were much more affordable to the mere mortal back then!
Fast forward twenty years, I now find myself a veteran of over 15 years in the wine trade, many of those having been spent working for some of the most recognisable names in the world of wine. This industry has not only offered me a job which I am passionate about, it has given me the opportunity to visit and explore, on numerous occasions, the region which defines my love of wine and for which everything else is compared to: Burgundy.
But what is it that makes Burgundy so romantic and special to me, and many others around the world? Is it the wines themselves? The terroir? The winemakers? The history and heritage? The beautiful surroundings? Or the people you drink it with? Once again, the answer is simple. It is all of the above. Great wine is best shared in great company and with those who appreciate what
you are consuming. I have been fortunate enough to drink some of the finest, most memorable and valuable bottles of wine with people who I am lucky to call my friends. I have visited cellars with them, tasted with winemakers and walked through extraordinary vineyards.
Burgundy brings you closer together through shared experiences, whether that is the monumental highs of sipping perfect bottles of 2002 Corton-Charlemagne from Domaine Coche-Dury, 1990 Rousseau Chambertin and 2004 Montrachet from Ramonet, or encountering the earth-shattering disappointment of opening a faulty bottle of 1992 Domaine Leflaive Bâtard or a corked magnum of 2009 Dujac Clos Saint-Denis. Whatever the highs or lows, Burgundy is a region that you will never forget. It is both a constant and yet leaves you wanting more, itbecomes part of the wine lover that you are. Cheers to discovery. Cheers to vinous pleasure at whatever the cost. Cheers to Burgundy.