On Burgundy
From Maddening to Marvellous in 59 Wine Tales
Published on 4. October 2023
Book
Hardback
280 pages
978-1-913141-53-0 (ISBN)
Description
"You might not be able to afford the top wines, but you can still read about them." - Decanter
"It's a book full of all the grand gestures - sweeping statements, effusive adoration, intense emotion, hyperbole and predictable cliches. Few authors have held back. But somehow, because it's burgundy, it's OK. Thank goodness for drunken wolves." - JancisRobinson.com
"...a compilation that delivers on the title. Did you know there were once wolves in Burgundy?" - Bloomberg
"Some anthologies preserve, some embalm; this one's exuberantly alive, a divergent parliament, a busy talking place with no whispers." - World Of Fine Wine
Burgundy is France's most prized and prestigious wine region today as well as being one of its oldest and most traded, if not always by the English. Its wines, to quote Jay McInerney who contributes, are "for lovers, lunatics and poets..." and are the textbook definition of what terroir is all about. Villages mere metres apart produce wines of startlingly different personalities, and it is one of the rare regions in Europe whose red and white wines are equally celebrated. For all of its precious history it is also a region at the forefront of vinous innovation, with many winemakers certified as biodynamic. It is home to some of the world's most famous wine estates, and its top wines are all made from just one red and one white grape, yet the range of wine styles across the region, from Chablis in the north to Beaujolais in the south is significant. On Burgundy explores all of these themes and ideas with contributions from many of the world's top wine writers, looking at the kings, popes, mavericks and pioneers who have made wine in this region for generations.
"It's a book full of all the grand gestures - sweeping statements, effusive adoration, intense emotion, hyperbole and predictable cliches. Few authors have held back. But somehow, because it's burgundy, it's OK. Thank goodness for drunken wolves." - JancisRobinson.com
"...a compilation that delivers on the title. Did you know there were once wolves in Burgundy?" - Bloomberg
"Some anthologies preserve, some embalm; this one's exuberantly alive, a divergent parliament, a busy talking place with no whispers." - World Of Fine Wine
Burgundy is France's most prized and prestigious wine region today as well as being one of its oldest and most traded, if not always by the English. Its wines, to quote Jay McInerney who contributes, are "for lovers, lunatics and poets..." and are the textbook definition of what terroir is all about. Villages mere metres apart produce wines of startlingly different personalities, and it is one of the rare regions in Europe whose red and white wines are equally celebrated. For all of its precious history it is also a region at the forefront of vinous innovation, with many winemakers certified as biodynamic. It is home to some of the world's most famous wine estates, and its top wines are all made from just one red and one white grape, yet the range of wine styles across the region, from Chablis in the north to Beaujolais in the south is significant. On Burgundy explores all of these themes and ideas with contributions from many of the world's top wine writers, looking at the kings, popes, mavericks and pioneers who have made wine in this region for generations.
Reviews / Votes
"You might not be able to afford the top wines, but you can still read about them." - Decanter "It's a book full of all the grand gestures - sweeping statements, effusive adoration, intense emotion, hyperbole and predictable cliches. Few authors have held back. But somehow, because it's burgundy, it's OK. Thank goodness for drunken wolves." - JancisRobinson.com "...a compilation that delivers on the title. Did you know there were once wolves in Burgundy?" - Bloomberg "Some anthologies preserve, some embalm; this one's exuberantly alive, a divergent parliament, a busy talking place with no whispers." - World Of Fine WineMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Illustrations
13 Illustrations, black and white; 113 Illustrations, color
Dimensions
Height: 254 mm
Width: 198 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
1072 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-913141-53-0 (9781913141530)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Susan Keevil started her life in wine as a 'cellar rat' cooling Chardonnays in Australia's Hunter Valley, none of which prepared her for the world of book publishing back in the UK where she honed her wine knowledge working with Hugh Johnson on six editions of his international best-seller, The Pocket Wine Book. Susan then landed her dream job as editor of Decanter magazine (the path to many worldwide wine adventures) and later became author of the Which? Guide to Wine as well as a regular magazine columnist and contributor. The launch of the Academie du Vin Library in 2019 saw a return to specialist wine books for which Susan is a writer and editor-in-chief.
Content
FOREWORD Aubert de Villaine 9
INTRODUCTION Jasper Morris MW 10
PREFACE Susan Keevil 13
WHY BURGUNDY? Jay McInerney 14
1 The Secrets in the Contours 17
VILLAGE LIFE - Hugh Johnson 18
THE DRYSTONE WALLS OF BURGUNDY - Jasper Morris MW 28
MESSAGES FROM THE EARTH - Allen D Meadows 32
THE ENIGMA OF SOIL - Remington Norman 39
HOLY GRAIL OR CHARISMATIC ILLUSION? - Professor Alex Maltman 46
2 Red Versus White 55
LOOK AT THEM NOW - Sophie Thorpe 56
THE RED SLOPE AND THE WHITE - Hugh Johnson 59
50 SHADES OF CHARDONNAY - Jasper Morris MW 63
'BURGHOUND' - Randall Grahm 68
PINOT NOIR: CRACKING THE CLONAL CODE - Anne Krebiehl MW 71
IN PRAISE OF THE GOLDEN WINE - Clive Coates MW 78
BURGUNDY'S MAGIC MOUNTAIN - Gerald Asher 81
ALIGOTE REBORN! - Elaine Chukan Brown 88
3 Saints Preserve Us! 91
WHO ARE THE BURGUNDIANS? - Jasper Morris MW 92
A SAINTLY JOB (BUT SOMEONE'S GOT TO DO IT...) - Bart Van Loo 101
CHAMBERTIN, THE SAINT AMONG WINES - Matt Kramer 106
THE GODFORSAKEN SIXTIES - Hugh Johnson 108
THE RIVALS - Simon Loftus 111
WHOSE SIDE ARE THE ICE SAINTS ON? - Margaret Rand 119
4 Bottled Alive! 125
OF MONTRACHET AND MOON PHASES -
Monty Waldin, Clive Coates MW and William Kelley 126
BURGUNDY IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE - Tim Atkin MW 132
LIVING ON AND ON - Douglas Barzelay 139
SPEED THE PLOUGH - Sarah Marsh MW 150
HUMANIZING THE DIVINE - Kelli White 159
5 Cads, Bounders, Blenders and Bone-Setters 167
A DELICATE TOPIC IN BURGUNDY - Douglas Barzelay 168
RENDER UNTO CAESAR THE THINGS THAT ARE CAESAR'S - Roy Richards 175
WOLVES AT THE DOOR - Don and Petie Kladstrup 179
BLAME IT ON NAPOLEON - Margaret Rand 182
THE DISLOYAL GAMAAZ - Matt Kramer 187
6 Wine into Words 191
Oz Clarke * Maurice Healy * Hugh Johnson * Serena Sutcliffe MW
Roger Scruton * Evelyn Waugh * Steven Spurrier * Cyrus Redding
Rex Pickett * Andrew Jefford * H Warner Allen * Jay MacInerney
John Arlott * George Meredith * Michael Broadbent
7 Off the Main Drag 201
CHABLIS, A BUYER'S TALE - Kermit Lynch 202
SLOW BEAUJOLAIS - Natasha Hughes MW 207
MAKE MINE A MACONNAIS - Jane McQuitty 213
BURGUNDY IS KING IN CHINA - Jeannie Cho Lee MW 219
8 Princes, Peasants and Pioneers 223
AUBERT DE VILLAINE - A TRIPLE LEGACY - Raymond Blake 224
BECKY WASSERMAN, THE SAGE OF BURGUNDY - Eric Asimov 230
DOMAINE DUJAC STICKS TO ITS GUNS - Stephen Brook 235
HENRI JAYER, THE JEDI MASTER - Daniel Johnnes 241
BOISSET: THE RISE OF A NEW STAR - Raymond Blake 246
ANNE-CLAUDE LEFLAIVE - LA FEE MARRAINE - Fiona Morisson MW 252
9 The Road to Romanee 255
BURGUNDY A TABLE - Raymond Blake 256
BURGUNDY'S BENEVOLENT HAUNTING - John Atkinson MW 261
BURGUNDY ON THE SPOT - Anthony Hanson MW 264
On Burgundy, The Authors and Experts 268
Sponsors' page 273
Index and Acknowledgements 274
INTRODUCTION Jasper Morris MW 10
PREFACE Susan Keevil 13
WHY BURGUNDY? Jay McInerney 14
1 The Secrets in the Contours 17
VILLAGE LIFE - Hugh Johnson 18
THE DRYSTONE WALLS OF BURGUNDY - Jasper Morris MW 28
MESSAGES FROM THE EARTH - Allen D Meadows 32
THE ENIGMA OF SOIL - Remington Norman 39
HOLY GRAIL OR CHARISMATIC ILLUSION? - Professor Alex Maltman 46
2 Red Versus White 55
LOOK AT THEM NOW - Sophie Thorpe 56
THE RED SLOPE AND THE WHITE - Hugh Johnson 59
50 SHADES OF CHARDONNAY - Jasper Morris MW 63
'BURGHOUND' - Randall Grahm 68
PINOT NOIR: CRACKING THE CLONAL CODE - Anne Krebiehl MW 71
IN PRAISE OF THE GOLDEN WINE - Clive Coates MW 78
BURGUNDY'S MAGIC MOUNTAIN - Gerald Asher 81
ALIGOTE REBORN! - Elaine Chukan Brown 88
3 Saints Preserve Us! 91
WHO ARE THE BURGUNDIANS? - Jasper Morris MW 92
A SAINTLY JOB (BUT SOMEONE'S GOT TO DO IT...) - Bart Van Loo 101
CHAMBERTIN, THE SAINT AMONG WINES - Matt Kramer 106
THE GODFORSAKEN SIXTIES - Hugh Johnson 108
THE RIVALS - Simon Loftus 111
WHOSE SIDE ARE THE ICE SAINTS ON? - Margaret Rand 119
4 Bottled Alive! 125
OF MONTRACHET AND MOON PHASES -
Monty Waldin, Clive Coates MW and William Kelley 126
BURGUNDY IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE - Tim Atkin MW 132
LIVING ON AND ON - Douglas Barzelay 139
SPEED THE PLOUGH - Sarah Marsh MW 150
HUMANIZING THE DIVINE - Kelli White 159
5 Cads, Bounders, Blenders and Bone-Setters 167
A DELICATE TOPIC IN BURGUNDY - Douglas Barzelay 168
RENDER UNTO CAESAR THE THINGS THAT ARE CAESAR'S - Roy Richards 175
WOLVES AT THE DOOR - Don and Petie Kladstrup 179
BLAME IT ON NAPOLEON - Margaret Rand 182
THE DISLOYAL GAMAAZ - Matt Kramer 187
6 Wine into Words 191
Oz Clarke * Maurice Healy * Hugh Johnson * Serena Sutcliffe MW
Roger Scruton * Evelyn Waugh * Steven Spurrier * Cyrus Redding
Rex Pickett * Andrew Jefford * H Warner Allen * Jay MacInerney
John Arlott * George Meredith * Michael Broadbent
7 Off the Main Drag 201
CHABLIS, A BUYER'S TALE - Kermit Lynch 202
SLOW BEAUJOLAIS - Natasha Hughes MW 207
MAKE MINE A MACONNAIS - Jane McQuitty 213
BURGUNDY IS KING IN CHINA - Jeannie Cho Lee MW 219
8 Princes, Peasants and Pioneers 223
AUBERT DE VILLAINE - A TRIPLE LEGACY - Raymond Blake 224
BECKY WASSERMAN, THE SAGE OF BURGUNDY - Eric Asimov 230
DOMAINE DUJAC STICKS TO ITS GUNS - Stephen Brook 235
HENRI JAYER, THE JEDI MASTER - Daniel Johnnes 241
BOISSET: THE RISE OF A NEW STAR - Raymond Blake 246
ANNE-CLAUDE LEFLAIVE - LA FEE MARRAINE - Fiona Morisson MW 252
9 The Road to Romanee 255
BURGUNDY A TABLE - Raymond Blake 256
BURGUNDY'S BENEVOLENT HAUNTING - John Atkinson MW 261
BURGUNDY ON THE SPOT - Anthony Hanson MW 264
On Burgundy, The Authors and Experts 268
Sponsors' page 273
Index and Acknowledgements 274