burgundy's treasure trove

7/30/2019 Burgundy's Treasure Trove

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AWAY MAGAZINE (PRESSE DE BELGIQUE) 01/04/2013

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BAILLY5242326300524/NVF/MSK/2

Elments de recherche : Presse trangre

Paola Westbeekdiscovers

the great wines af Burgundy s

Cte Chalonnaise.

T

o the wine connoisseur,the rgion of Burgund yis synonvm wu! with theCte d'Or Otten reterredto as th e golden sjope', the

east-facmg escarpment produces someof the world's most prestigious win esThink ot big names such as GevreyChambertin and Puligny-MontrachetThse are the giants that have madethe rgion fam ous

Panaramtc drtm

it! tasttngs anti

visite to interest!}!

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A bottle beari ng such a name is ofcourse not withm everyone s budget,but if you head fur rh er south, YOU wi llfind the Cte Chalonnaise - an areathat is simi lar to the Cte d'Or vetproduces wines that are sign ihcan tlymore abordable and certainly worth

discovermg

Nestled between the Cote de Beaun etc the north and the Maonnais tothe south, the Cte Chalonnaiseboasts hills ol rolling vmeyards th atmtermmgle with orchards, meadowsand woods Irs vmes were plantedby the monks oi Cluny more than athousan d year s ago and today, thevstretch out ovei around 25 kilometresand are found at altitudes between220 and 400km The two mostim por tan t grape varienes producedon the rgion's clay- hm eston e soilsare pinot noir (for red wines) andchar don nay (for white wines) The

exception is the Bouzeron appellation,


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T R A V E L & L E I S U R E

Le

which produces mamly white winesmade almost exclusive!/ from theAligot grape

So why not plan a cnp to the area anddiscover for yourself the appellationscf this relatively underestimated winedist rict panoramic drives throughthe vineyards, plenty of tastings andvisits to interesting restaurants areguaranteed.

B O l ' / r R O NFollowtng the Route des Grands Vins,your journey through the five mainappellations of the Cte Chalonnaisebegins m the tmy village of Bouzeron,famous for its pale golden Aligotewines Thse 'mmerally' whites withhmts of citrus and white flowers arevery refreshmg though they mightlack fruit and can be shghtly acidicThis makes them the perfect choicefor the local apritif known as Kir(made with four parts Aligot andone par t Creme d Cassis) Aligotwines are best paired with seafood(especially oysters), but they are alsodehcious with poultry in a creamsauce or salads with goat cheese Aclassic combmation is Aligot withthe rgional speciahty of parsleyedham (jambon persill) When visitmgBouzeron, gourmands will wam tostop at Restaurant Le Bouzeron wherethe chef Ludovic prpares classicFrench dishes with the finest seasonalproducts. Not to be missed are theirstarters with foie gras served in threedifferent ways as a mousse, pan-friedor in a terrine

RI m

Heading towards the D981, the nextappellation is Rully which producesmore whites than reds and has 23vineyards thai are 'Premiers Crus'.When aged, the cnsp, pohshed whitesacquire soft hmts of honey and dnedfruits They are hvely, well-roundedwines that go well with veal anddelicate fish dishes. In their youth, thereds tend to have rather firm tanninsthat are best balanced with creamydishes (risottos, offal or rich pastas)Besides us wines, Rully has been the

centre for sparkling Crmants (anaffordable alternative to champagne)smce the 19th Century

But there's more to Rully than wine.The majestic Chteau de Rullydating back to the 12th Century, isperched on a hill overlookmg thevmeyards and is one of the town'smain monuments Tours of the castleand wine tastings can be arrangedby prior appointment Hungry'

Many restaurants in the rgion offera reasonably pnced menu du jourA great choice is Restaurant LeVendangerot, where for only 17 youcan enjoy a meal that mcludes cheeseand a dessert

ML R C U R F Y

Continumg south on the D981, followthe signs to the next appellationMercurey On your way, you'll comeacross many scenic views wherewinding roads cut through vmeyardsand lead to village churches far in thedistance. Upon entering Mercurey,you will defimtely want to make afew stops on the Grande Rue Thestret is home to vanous wmerieswhere you can enjoy tastings andtalk to passionate growers who havemade wine their life's quest Twohighly recommended choices are LeClos Antonin Rodet and the CaveauDivin Mercurey, where 35 estates arecollective^ represented

Mercurey, the most importantappellation by far, has 32 PremiersCrus vmeyards spread over roughly

650 hectares It is the distnct's largestvolume producer. In fact, the CteChalonnaise was once called the'Rgion de Mercurey'. The appellationis known for its deep ruby reds thatwhen aged develop hmts of cocoa andtobacco Keep them for five to eightyears and enjoy the rich, fleshy wineswith Charolais steaks, duck confitand potato gratins

G I V R Y

Just a few kilometres further on,you'll fine the village of Givry, whichtogether with Dracy-le-Fort and


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Burgundy beaus

Jambles, is home to 26 Premiers Crusvineyard^ The appellation produc.esbalance d whites but is mostly knownfor irs reds Young reds tend to bequit e tanmc, so keep them fo r ami nim um of three to five years Theyare a fine choice for terrines an d ptes,but the) are also wonder ful withthe region's Bresse poultr y or strongcheeses (reblochon) Du rin g> ou rvisit to Givr y, stop at the Htel deVille (cne of France's most bea utifu ltown halls built in the 18th Century

as a monumental port) and La HalleRonde (a urcula r grain marketsituated in the centr e ot town chatdates back to 1825 1830)

MON] \C,^\

The final destination of your wine tourof the Cte Chalonnaise is MontagnvThe appellation spans tour v illagesMontagnv, Buxy, S aint Vallenn andJuil) Ies BMX) White wines are solelyproduced and the appellation has thehighest concentration of Premiers C rus\i ne yar ds -n am el) 49 I he whites iredeliiateh floral, fresh, and with their

brilliance, pertec t partn ers ler aromaticdishes such as fish tagines, p aella orAsian fare Well worth a visit is thefnendly village of Bux>, which has asuperb restaurant (Aux Annees Vins) awmem aker s musum and a cooperativecave offenng fine rgional wines

Althou gh th e Core Chalonnaise docsnot boast any Grand Cru app ellationsor enjov the prestige ot the Cote d'Or,us w ines offer great pleasures to thosewho are unafraid to look just a hidefarther afield Whether it be wine,

gastronomy or simply enjoymg theunspoilt French countrv side, the CteChalonnaise delight^ the senss in amult itud e of ways It s perfect for asprmg getaway After al l , f rom Brusselsyou re just six hours away fromone of Prance's most beaut iful (andaffordable ) wine producmg districts

WHERE TO STAY

Hotel Le Dracy: in the countryside(yet close to the motorway) betweenGivryand the lively city ofChalon sur-Sane Its restaurant(La Garenne) serves great seasonalmeals 4 rue du Pressoir 71640

{Dracy le Fort), www hotelledracy com

Moulin Madame- 5km from Chalon-sur-Sane The stone house datingfrom the 14lh Century features five

bed-and breakfast rooms and twogtes A table d'htes made withhome grown organic produce is alsoservedRue du Moulin Madame, 71640

(Givry), www moulmmadame com

Moulin de la Canne: just outside the

tmy v liage of Cersotand close toBuxy the beautiful^ restored watermill features plenty of French charmand is a perfect place to stay for

familles or small groupsMoulin de la Canne, 71390 (Cersot)

www moulmdetacanne ni

Pi ACF

burgundy's treasure trove

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