Burgundy cellar

Burgundy

21 - 25 October 2007

Visit the classic French vineyards of Burgundy just after harvest time when there are plenty of exciting new stories to catch up on, and when there may still be some activity in the vineyards and cellars. The vineyards will be at perhaps their most beautiful with autumnal copper tones.

Our first evening is in the attractive city of Auxerre, with its many churches, riverside setting and medieval streets. Our first day’s wine tasting is in the vineyards of Chablis, very near Auxerre. We spend the morning exploring Auxerre before continuing to Domaine Emmanuel Dampt whose wines are from both the Tonnerre and Chablis appellations. Here the family (generally with all three generations) arrange an informal buffet for us whilst we taste their outstanding value wines.

Our next base is Beaune, ideally located for exploring the Côte d’Or. Beaune is the wine capital of Burgundy. The old centre is wonderfully preserved; many of the town’s medieval buildings still stand and you can walk the entire circle of battlements. The most stunning building in the town is the Hotel Dieu, with its superb multi-coloured glazed roof tiles. It was built in 1451 for the sick and poor.

We explore the Côte des Nuits and visit Gevrey-Chambertin where we taste a range of serious Premier crus at Lucien Boillot. The winemaking here is traditional with ‘pigeage’ by foot, and sometimes whole body immersion! The wines are great. Lunchtime and early afternoon are then free in Beaune.

In the late afternoon we visit the village of Santenay at the bottom of the Côte de Beaune where the wines seem to echo those of the northern Côte de Nuits. Here we have a tasting of the Premier Crus from the length of the Côte de Beaune with Prieur-Brunet. This is followed by dinner at their restaurant, matched with a vertical tasting of their Santenay-Maladière.

Next morning we visit Château de Chorey, (Domaine Jacques Germain), which has a superb array of dark and brooding Beaune Premier crus. There are also great value wines fromSavigny and Chorey and a white Pernard-Vergelesses, that was once judged to be the perfect wine for Colchester Oysters!

That afternoon there is an optional visit to Château de Monthelie, great traditionalists and leaders in the organic movement.

On our way home we stop off for lunch with a small Champagne producer in the Côte des Blancs where Champagne’s Chardonnay grapes are grown. - More bargains for the coach.