Don’t expect part 2 to follow part 1 so quickly ever again!
But nonetheless here it is! (Part 3 will be tomorrow at the earliest, and next month or so at the latest…)
Our group had a great time at Moissenet-Benard, but some pieces were missing. The missing pieces were the 6 folks who arrived in Beaune later in the morning so could not make the Moissenet journey! But being good friends we left Pommard and went back to the hotel in Beaune to pick them up before the next tasting and lunch.
For this event we stopped at Domain Comte Senard in Aloxe Corton.
From the Domaine’s web site regarding the village of Aloxe Corton: “The Burgundy village of Aloxe Corton (692 acres) lies midway between the côte de Beaune and côte de Nuits. It is the only appellation which has Grands Crus in both red and white : 250 acres of red Corton, 121 acres of Corton Charlemagne (white), 94 acres of Aloxe Corton 1er Cru and 237 acres of Aloxe Corton village. The combination of clay and marly limestone soil with the Pinot Noir vine provides tannic and powerful red wines whose finesse develops well over the years. The chardonnay grape brings us the world-reputed famous Corton Charlemagne and white Corton with its beautiful golden tint and unique minerality.”
Key words for us were Grand Crus in both red and white!
What’s all the fuss about Grand Cru? This is a French regional wine classification that designates a vineyard historically known for its favorable reputation in producing great wine. While official wine classification began in the 1850s in Bordeaux, The designations of Grand and Premier Cru in Burgundy were developed later in the 1930s. But what does it mean to us? It means that in general the best of the best is labelled as Grand Cru. But as always you should follow your own senses as to what is best to you.
Our amazing lunch included several Grand Cru wines followed by a stroll into the vineyard and a visit to the wine cellars.
Perhaps you recognize the little rat in the pictures below. This little fellow was renamed “Jean-luc” for our trip and you can see a lot more of his French travels at the Vino Etc Facebook page. Not all of his pictures are necessarily shown there as some things that happen in France should probably stay in France! Just saying.
