Yes, I know! Before you report me to the French Wine Police who are particularly active re Champagne, but also protective of other great areas of wine production (and quite rightly so, I might add), I am aware that Burgundy can only be made in the officially demarcated area in Eastern France.
Also, if I were placed in a corner and asked which was my favourite area of French wine production, I’d probably say Burgundy. Plus, it is perhaps (I’m hedging my bets here) the area which, for me, makes the best white wines in the world. Why am I telling you all this? Well, it’s because I want you to know that I’m a devotee of Burgundy wines – therefore, it gives the South African Pinot Noir I recently tasted even more kudos.
The link, many of you will know, is that Burgundy red is made with Pinot Noir, that difficult grape variety which is fussy where it grows, to the point of being obstinate. For example, there isn’t much Pinot Noir in Spain; it doesn’t really like it here! Brave winemakers in other countries have also fallen foul of moodiness, planting it only to see that is doesn’t respond at all as they’d like. Nothing at all like Burgundy!
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