Vive Le France - Beaune (Pt 2)

After an amazing introduction to Burgundy, Wayne John and I made our way back to the cobblestone streets of Beaune in search of our next destination; the Castle of Bouchard Pere et Fils. We wandered through the streets aimlessly looking for the entrance until we finally stumbled upon a building bearing the name "Bouchard Pere et Fils". Little did we know that we were at the back of the building. Down through the gardens we went, searching for the door. We were met with a large moss laden wall. Wayne and I both looked around, but there was no turning back as John quickly leaped over the wall, adamant that he hated being late. We followed suit and finally made our way through the front door of the main offices of Bouchard. Here were greeted by Isabelle, the director of Public Relations for Bouchard Pere et Fils.

Isabelle led us across the street and into Bouchard's tasting room; a wonderful cavernous room that was illuminated by subtle lights in every corner. We were greeted with 16 wines from Bouchard and William Fevre (a company under the Bouchard umbrella). The standouts of the tastings were the whites from Bouchard. Each wine had bright fruit flavours and brilliant crispness (something that has definitely been lacking from the previous few vintages). As the tasting ended, we were all anxious for lunch. Tasting over 30 wines with no breakfast left each of our stomachs growling with hunger.

Isabelle took us up a stair case and through a door in which we were greeted by a large, well lit lunch room where a table with 4 settings awaited our arrival. Typical of Burgundian lunches, we sat and dined for over 2 hours, learning about the history of Bouchard, musing about the differences in weather and discussing the state of French wine in the Nova Scotia market. Each course was paired beautifully with a selection of 3 Bouchard wines. The last wine, and by far the most special, was a 1976 Beaune Greves Vigne de 'Enfant Jesus. Served with a selection of local Burgundian soft cheeses, this 33 year old bottle truly captured what Bouchard was all about; history and beautiful wine.

After lunch, Isabelle left us in the hands of her trusty assistant as she raced off to another appointment. Her assistant led us out the door and took us down in the Cellars (the place John had been raving about the entire trip). As we walked into the cellar, it was clear as to why John had been so excited; this truly was a piece of history. After a quick lesson on the background of these cellars (which can hold 1.8 million bottles) we entered the wine museum. The Bouchard collection was breathtaking. It's very difficult to put into words the feeling that overwhelms you when you see a bottle of wine from 1846, because it truly was an experience like no other. As we weaved our way through the collection, John and I snapped shot after shot of dust covered bottles; trying to get the perfect shot to capture the moment. Below is one of my better attemps: A 1955 Bouchard Puligny Montrachet. Pure gold in the bottle.

Finishing up in the cellars, I was dumbfounded by what I had just seen. Wayne and I walked around the gardens, absorbing what we had just experienced and talking about how young our country truly is after seeing this. However we had little time to absorb everything as we quickly hopped in a vehicle and headed out to where everything begins; the vineyards. We made our way directly to Puligny Montrachet and pulled over to walk into the vineyards and examine the terroir. Between our guide's description of the different appelations and John's knowledge of farming and the vineyards, Wayne and I quickly learned why grapes grown just feet from one another could produce such distinctly different wines. Through the appelations we went, from Puligny Montrachet to Meursalt and on to Savigny les Beaune; each vineyard bearing its unique characteristics.

As our tour ended, we thanked our wonderful host (as she was in a hurry to pick up her sister from Paris) and climbed into our vehicle. With our first day in Burgundy under our belt the only thing left for us to accomplish was finding a nice place to eat and take it all in. John and I decided a few bottles from the local wine merchant would help in our decision. To no suprise, it did, as we had a beautiful meal at a quaint little restaurant in Beaune called Le Beneton. It's starting to become clear to me why the French have such a passion for wine, as I am quickly becoming a convert!


Au Revoir,
Matt