Welcome to Terroirist Tuesday! This week’s topic: Cote Chalonnaise, Part 2 of 3
by L.M. Archer, FWS
Mercurey, in the heart of Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy FR
" data-orig-size="1936,2592" data-image-title="Mercurey 4" class="attachment-thumbnail" data-orig-file="http://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/img_0537.jpg" data-image-meta="{" width="112" alt="Through the doorway. Vineyards, D. du Meix Foulot, Mercurey, Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy FR | Image: L.M. Archer© 2013" data-medium-file="http://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/img_0537.jpg?w=224" mini="mini" />
Mercurey, in the heart of Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy FR
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Mercurey, in the heart of Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy FR
" data-orig-size="2592,1936" data-image-title="Mercurey 3" data-orig-file="http://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/img_0579.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" width="150" alt="Clos, D. du Meix Foulot, in Mercurey - Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy FR | Image: L.M. Archer© 2013" data-medium-file="http://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/img_0579.jpg?w=300" aperture="aperture" />Welcome back, dear readers! Well, how did you do on last week’s Côte Chalonnaise Geek Quiz? Answers below:
1. The Cote Chalonnaise includes the following subregion(s): Côtes du Couchois
Nice try. Cote d’Or claims The Châtillonais , and Chablis the Grand Auxerrois.
Some other fun factoids about Côtes du Couchois:
- It’s small – ~15 acres total. (~5.90 hectares.)
- #1 Varietal: Pinot Noir.
- It holds a Regional appellation: Bourgogne du Chouchois.
2. Côte Chalonnaise produces: More white than red wine.
- White production = 55%
- Red production = 45%
Major white wine producing villages include:
- Bouzeron: 100% Aligote.
- Rully: Chardonnay accounts for 2/3 wine production Also, the first Burgundian appelation to craft sparkling wine in the méthode traditionnelle, and the center of Burgundy’s Crémant de Bourgogne production.
- Montagny: 100% Chardonnay.
3. Cote Chalonnaise soils: Most resemble Côte de Beaune to its north.
Complex question, just like Burgundy’s soils!
Here’s the story: A big, bad gap, called the Blanzy Rift, separates the Côte de Beaune from the Côte Chalonniase. Despite the rift, the soils of northern Côte de Chalonnaise most resemble Côte de Beaune’s Jurassic limestone and marls.
Moving south, the soils age. Southern Côte Chalonnaise’s Montagny mix it up with Liassic and Triassic limestone, sand, clay and quartz.
A map of Burgundy’s Côte de Chalonnais wine region, including Côte de Couchois.
" data-orig-size="550,776" data-image-title="cote de chalonnais map" data-orig-file="http://binnotes.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/cdcmap.jpg" aperture="aperture" />4. Burgundy’s only village appellation for aligoté: Bouzeron.
Hold on to your hats for this one! Bouzeron is Burgundy’s only 100% Aligoté appellation!
A vigorous white varietal with bigger berries than that of Chardonnay, Aligoté produces a lean, clean wine of medium weight.
Bouzeron’s most famous producer of aligoté’? None other A. et P. de Villain of Cote de Nuits’ esteemed DRC.
Well, that concludes this week’s Terroirist Tuesday…hope you had fun and learned something!
Join binNotes for the next Terroirist Tuesday: Côte Chalonnaise, Part 3: Meet the Winemaker, featuring Agnès Dewé de Launay of Domaine du Meix Foulot, Mercurey. Santé!
NOTE:
binNotes travels closer to home this week for a peek inside the 2014 Washington State Wine Awards. Stay tuned!
Thank you: BIVB
Test your wine skills – take a binNotes Geek Quiz here:
Côte Chalonnais: Geek Quiz
Chablis: Geek Quiz
Maconnais: Geek Quiz
Burgundy Geek Quiz
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Filed under: Burgundy, Burgundy, France, France, French Wine, Wine Tasting Tagged: a & p de villaine, aligote, bivb, bouzeron, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, mercurey, montagny, rully, wine
