Stoney vineyard
Clos Henri Vineyard, Marlborough

Stoney vineyard
the richmond range, marlborough



Press releases and upcoming events.

 
 
 

   

 

Central Otago Pinot Noir Celebration 2012

 

The elusive ‘Cru’ in Burgundy.

 

Just when you think you got the hang of it, you face an in-swinger or a bouncer to unsettle your nerves.

 

Understanding Burgundy’s cru system is a tricky business. You learn a little and it seems to make sense. Sure, there are many names to remember but it has a clear hierarchy and order, steeped in tradition. So you fall into a comfort, until you find an exception to the rule, an unexpected surprise, and inconsistencies.

 

It’s a multi-layered puzzle requiring both patience and a small fortune to comprehend. There are numerous Grand Crus and Premier Crus – most are single vineyards, some are monopoles, and a few are multi-vineyards. Then there are village-level wines taste as good as Premier Cru wines, while some Grand Cru wines are overvalued and disappointing.

 

To complicate the matter further, producers’ dedication and interpretation are laid upon the traits of soil and local climate, so you end up with unlimited expressions of a single grape.

 

And each vintage has its personality, sometimes filled with joy, and occasionally loaded with despair. Is this a hyped vintage without much justification, or an under-rated vintage you should be buying up heavily?

 

Tasting Burgundy in a formal setting is a critical passage in understanding this mysterious region capable of producing spellbinding beauties. Each time you try a Burgundy you are one step closer to solving and unravelling the mystery.

 

One of the most informative and insightful tastings available in New Zealand is the Formal Burgundy tasting held during the Central Otago Pinot Noir Celebration (26-28 January 2012). This year’s tasting will be led by M. Thibault Liger-Belair of Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair with an outstanding line-up of wines from the 2006 vintage.

 

Wines to be tasted are:

 

Domaine Jean-Marc Boillot Pommard 1er Cru, Les Rugiens

Domaine Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru, Clos des Epeneaux

Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru, Les Saint-Georges

Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru, Les Saint-Georges

Domaine Amiot Servelles Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru, Les Amoureuses

Domaine Sylvie Esmonin Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru, Clos Saint-Jacques

 

For more details visit www.pinotcelebration.co.nz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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