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THE COLLECTOR’S JOURNAL · VOL.02 · BURGUNDY

Why Burgundy’s smallest distances can lead to some of its greatest differences.

In Burgundy, a stone wall can separate two vineyards with very different reputations. A few rows of vines may be enough to cross from one appellation into another. The grape variety might remain the same. So might the village, the vintage and even the person making the wine.

Yet the names on the labels — and the prices attached to them — can change dramatically.

It is tempting to believe that every boundary must correspond to an equally dramatic difference in the glass. Burgundy is more complicated than that. Its extraordinary patchwork of vineyards reflects centuries of observation, but also geology, history, human decisions and, inevitably, the influence of reputation.

The real question is not whether a few metres can change a wine. They can. It is how much of that difference we can genuinely attribute to the land.

01 / A vineyard with a name and a history

Burgundy has a word for a precisely identified vineyard site: climat.

A climat is more than a vineyard name on a map. It represents a place whose boundaries and identity have emerged through generations of cultivation, observation and historical recognition.

In the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, the landscape is divided into an intricate mosaic of these named sites. Some are enclosed by walls; others are separated by little more than a path, a change in slope or an invisible administrative line.

Consider the extraordinary concentration of renowned vineyards around Vosne-Romanée. Here, sites with very different classifications exist within a remarkably small geographical area. The legendary Romanée-Conti Grand Cru, represented by Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’s 2015 vintage, illustrates how a precisely delimited piece of land can acquire an identity recognised far beyond Burgundy.

For centuries, growers and landowners noticed that particular parcels could produce wines with different characteristics and reputations. These distinctions gradually became part of Burgundy’s commercial and cultural identity.

In 2015, UNESCO recognised the Climats of Burgundy as a World Heritage Site. The designation celebrates not simply the vineyards themselves, but the remarkable relationship between the landscape and the people who have interpreted it over time.

A climat, then, is not a guarantee of flavour. It is a record of place.

02 / What changes beneath the surface?

Burgundy is often reduced to two words: limestone and clay. Both are important, but neither tells the whole story.

The limestone bedrock varies in age, structure and composition. The soils above it differ in depth, texture and their proportion of clay, stones and other material. Water may drain more freely in one parcel than in its neighbour, while differences in soil depth can affect the conditions in which vine roots develop.

Exposure and topography add further complexity.

A south-facing slope generally receives sunlight differently from one facing east. Higher sites may experience cooler conditions or greater wind exposure. A vineyard positioned halfway up a hillside can have a different balance of drainage, soil depth and temperature from land at its foot.

Even within a single named vineyard, these factors can vary.

None of this means that a particular type of limestone automatically produces a particular flavour. Minerals in vineyard soils cannot simply be translated into tasting notes. The relationship between geology and what we perceive in the glass is indirect, shaped through vine growth, fruit composition and winemaking.

Terroir is not a recipe. It is a set of conditions.

03 / Why the middle of the slope matters

Look at a cross-section of many celebrated Burgundy hillsides and a pattern begins to emerge.

Numerous highly regarded vineyards occupy the middle slopes, where exposure, drainage and soil conditions can offer a favourable balance for growing grapes.

This is one reason so many prestigious Premier Cru and Grand Cru sites are found in these positions.

Yet some of Burgundy’s most fascinating vineyards challenge the idea that prestige follows a simple formula.

Take Cros Parantoux, a small Premier Cru vineyard in Vosne-Romanée, situated above Richebourg. Its reputation demonstrates how a site with Premier Cru classification can command extraordinary attention from collectors. The 2016 Vosne-Romanée Cros Parantoux by Emmanuel Rouget is a compelling example of the distinction between official classification and the standing a particular vineyard can achieve.

A steep slope is not automatically superior to a gentle one. Nor is higher always better. The precise geology, orientation and local climate matter, and Burgundy has important vineyards that do not fit a simple model.

It is also worth remembering that vineyard reputation developed over centuries. The boundaries we see today are not the result of a single scientific experiment comparing every metre of land.

They reflect accumulated experience, followed by historical recognition and legal definition.

Nature created the hillside. People drew the map.

04 / What does Grand Cru actually guarantee?

Burgundy’s hierarchy is often presented as a straightforward ladder: regional appellations, village wines, Premier Cru and Grand Cru.

The structure is useful. It identifies progressively more specific origins and gives legal recognition to vineyards with historically established standing.

Yet it is not a guarantee that every Grand Cru bottle will outperform every Premier Cru.

Unlike a score awarded to an individual wine, Grand Cru status belongs to a delimited place. It does not automatically measure the quality of each harvest, the precision of each grower or the condition of a bottle decades later.

Consider Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, one of the celebrated Grand Cru vineyards of Gevrey-Chambertin. Its classification identifies a historically distinguished site, but the character of an individual wine remains inseparable from the producer and vintage. A bottle such as Armand Rousseau’s Chambertin-Clos de Bèze 2014 brings these elements together: a famous vineyard, a particular growing season and the interpretation of a specific domaine.

A brilliant producer working in a Premier Cru vineyard can make a more compelling wine than a less accomplished producer working in a Grand Cru. A difficult vintage may narrow differences that seem obvious in another year.

Even two wines from the same classified vineyard can differ because of their particular parcels, vine material, vineyard management and cellar decisions.

Classification gives the collector an important starting point.

It cannot replace judgement.

05 / The producer is part of the terroir

Burgundy’s emphasis on place sometimes encourages us to treat the winemaker as a transparent messenger, simply allowing the vineyard to speak.

In practice, every wine is also shaped by choices.

Pruning, canopy management, yields and harvest timing influence the grapes that reach the cellar. Fermentation decisions, the use of whole bunches in red winemaking, extraction, oak and the length of élevage can all affect the finished wine.

Two producers working neighbouring parcels may approach every one of these decisions differently.

This is no less relevant for white Burgundy. In the Côte de Beaune, Montrachet is one of the most celebrated Grand Cru vineyards devoted to Chardonnay. Yet the name of the vineyard tells only part of the story. The 1998 Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche, produced by Joseph Drouhin, illustrates the relationship between an exceptional vineyard, a particular vintage and the decisions that shape a wine over its development.

This creates a challenge for anyone attempting to isolate terroir.

If two wines taste different, is the reason soil, exposure, vine age, harvest timing or winemaking? Usually, several factors are involved.

The most revealing comparisons are those that control as many variables as possible: neighbouring sites made by the same producer in the same vintage, for example.

Even then, the evidence deserves careful interpretation.

Burgundy’s fascination comes partly from this uncertainty. The more closely we look, the harder it becomes to reduce a wine to one explanation.

06 / The difference between a boundary and a bottle

For collectors, vineyard names are indispensable. They allow us to trace origins, understand historical reputations and explore distinctions that have fascinated winegrowers for generations.

But a boundary on a map should not become a boundary in our thinking.

When assessing a Burgundy, begin with its origin, then look further. Who made it? How did the vintage develop? How was the bottle stored? Is the wine still youthful, approaching maturity or already showing the effects of age?

The answers may matter more to the experience in the glass than the difference between two neighbouring classifications.

The most interesting way to understand Burgundy is not always to compare a famous Grand Cru with an unrelated village wine. Sometimes it is to place two wines from adjacent climats alongside each other, made by the same producer, and pay attention to what changes.

Perhaps one appears more structured, another more aromatic. Perhaps their differences emerge through texture rather than obvious flavour. Or perhaps the resemblance is more striking than expected.

None of these outcomes invalidates the notion of terroir. They remind us that terroir is complex, and that its expression is never entirely separate from the people who work the land.

A few metres can change a wine.

Understanding exactly why may take a lifetime.

BELGIUM WINE WATCHERS

Explore the vineyards, producers and vintages behind Burgundy’s remarkable diversity.

Explore our Burgundy collection

THE COLLECTOR’S JOURNAL · CELLAR NOTES

Why some wines grow more fascinating with age — and others simply grow old.

There is something wonderfully irrational about buying a bottle of wine and deciding not to drink it. We put it away for years, sometimes decades, and hope time will make it better. Occasionally, it does.

But a bottle does not become great merely by surviving. A wonderful young wine may turn into an extraordinary old one. It may also become a weary version of itself. Age and maturity are not synonyms, and maturity and quality are not the same thing.

The question is less how long a wine can live than what we hope to find when we finally pull the cork.

01 /

What happens while nothing appears to happen

Behind the glass, wine remains chemically active. Red wines contain phenolic compounds, including tannins and the pigments known as anthocyanins. As wines develop, these compounds participate in reactions that alter colour and mouthfeel; some eventually form insoluble material that settles as sediment.

That sediment is usually no reason for alarm. Nor does a mature wine feel supple simply because every tannin has vanished. The chemistry is more intricate: tannins and pigments change in size, composition and interaction, and our perception of astringency changes with them.

Aromas are equally mobile. Fresh fruit may become less prominent while dried fruit, leaf litter, tobacco, earth or truffle-like impressions emerge. Sommeliers call these tertiary characteristics, but the term is not a medal of honour. A wine can acquire complexity while losing the freshness that once made it irresistible.

Acidity helps give many wines their shape, yet no single number—acidity, alcohol, tannin or sugar—predicts how gracefully a bottle will age. Balance and the particular chemistry of the wine matter far more than any easy formula.

02 /

The complicated business of oxygen

Oxygen has a poor reputation in wine, and not without reason. Excessive exposure can flatten aromas, accelerate browning and strip a wine of freshness. But controlled oxygen exposure also contributes to certain reactions that help shape its development.

The oxygen present when the wine is bottled, the oxygen in the headspace and the characteristics of its closure can all influence how it evolves. Even then, bottle ageing is not simply a story of air seeping slowly through a cork: chemical transformations can continue without a constant external supply of oxygen.

Natural corks are not perfectly uniform. Neither are cellars. Two apparently identical bottles can therefore develop differently, especially after years or decades. The label tells us how the wine began; it does not record everything that happened afterwards.

03 /

Two estates, two ideas of longevity

Consider Château Lafleur in Pomerol. The appeal of mature red Bordeaux comes partly from the transformation of a structured wine: fruit becomes less dominant, texture can become more integrated, and savoury notes may grow in prominence. Lafleur’s distinctive blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc offers a particularly compelling point of reference.

But an old Lafleur is never merely an estate name and a vintage. Its condition, storage and individual development matter. To discuss its mature character is not to pretend that every surviving bottle will smell or taste alike.

Then consider Château d’Yquem. Great Sauternes is made by a very different route. Under favourable conditions, noble rot concentrates grapes and contributes to aromatic complexity. Residual sugar, acidity and concentration help create wines capable of remarkable longevity.

As they evolve, youthful fruit and citrus notes may be joined by dried apricot, marmalade, saffron, beeswax or toasted-nut characters. Sugar alone does not preserve every sweet wine indefinitely, nor is the oldest possible Yquem necessarily the most enjoyable. Its beauty is that youth and maturity can offer different pleasures.

04 /

A bottle is not just a measure of volume

A half-bottle, a 75-centilitre bottle and a magnum do not necessarily travel through time at the same speed. Under broadly comparable conditions, magnums often develop more slowly; smaller bottles may advance sooner.

Part of the explanation lies in the relationship between the wine’s volume and the oxygen available around bottling or through the closure. The precise comparison depends on filling, headspace, bottle design and closure, so a magnum is not an insurance policy against poor storage.

It is, however, a format worth considering for wines intended to be cellared for many years. And, less scientifically, it brings people together. A mature magnum is almost always the beginning of a conversation.

05 /

Read the bottle before reading the score

The most useful question about an old bottle may not be “What did the critics give it?” but “Where has it been?” A stable, appropriately cool cellar matters. So do transport history, evidence of seepage and the condition of the closure.

Look carefully at ullage—the space between the wine and the cork. Fill levels normally change over long periods, and the meaning of a lower fill depends on bottle shape and age. A level that is unremarkable in a very old Bordeaux might be worrying in a much younger wine. It is evidence to interpret, never a laboratory diagnosis.

Capsules and labels offer additional clues but no guarantees. A pristine label cannot prove perfect storage; a worn label does not condemn a bottle. What matters most is a credible history of how that particular wine has been kept.

Provenance reduces uncertainty. It does not abolish it.

06 /

The moment to open it

Published drinking windows are useful guides, but they can suggest a precision that wine does not possess. There is no universal birthday on which a wine reaches its perfect moment. The same vintage may taste different from bottle to bottle, and drinkers disagree about what “peak” should mean.

If you own several bottles, open them at intervals. You will learn more from their evolution than from treating an estimated drinking window as a law. If there is sediment, allow it to settle and pour with care. Decanting can help separate wine from sediment, but hours of aeration may exhaust a delicate old bottle.

The most useful question is personal: do you want brightness and fruit, or quieter complexity? If you prefer the former, do not wait merely because the label is famous. If you love tertiary aromas, accept that patience sometimes ends in disappointment.

A cellar cannot manufacture greatness. It can only give a wine the chance to become what its composition, history and circumstances allow. The achievement is not keeping a bottle forever. It is knowing when to share it.

BELGIUM WINE WATCHERS

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The Tenors of Italy

Some tasting dinners are about the wines in the glass. Others are about the story that unfolds throughout the evening. The Tenors of Italy was very much the latter. A journey from Trentino to Piedmont, via Friuli, Tuscany and Veneto, showcasing some of the greatest names Italian wine has ever produced.

We began on a high note. Quite literally.

The 2007 Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore immediately set the tone. Mature, complex and perfectly in its drinking window, it displayed beautiful layers of brioche, toasted nuts and candied citrus, all supported by remarkable freshness. It was yet another reminder that Ferrari is not merely Italy’s benchmark for traditional method sparkling wine, but a producer capable of standing confidently alongside the finest prestige Champagnes. A sublime opener that instantly raised expectations for the rest of the evening.

The first battle of the night featured two 2020 Miani Sauvignons: Zitelle and Saurint. Unfortunately, the initial bottle of Zitelle failed to deliver. Tired and somewhat muted, it could not fully express why Miani has achieved cult status among wine lovers. Fortunately, a second bottle came to the rescue. Suddenly the wine revealed the precision, tension and minerality for which Enzo Pontoni is renowned. The contest immediately reached the level everyone had hoped for, once again demonstrating just how much influence a single bottle can have on a tasting.

What made the comparison particularly fascinating was that both wines came from the same producer, the same vintage and the same grape variety. Yet they displayed remarkably different personalities. The 2020 Zitelle leaned towards precision and freshness, while the 2020 Saurint offered greater breadth, texture and power. A compelling reminder that terroir often speaks louder than grape variety.

With the sweetbread course came two Tuscan monuments: Tignanello 2010 and Sassicaia 2013. This was where the evening’s first genuine debates emerged. Some guests were captivated by Tignanello’s freshness, energy and gastronomic precision. Others preferred the aristocratic elegance and seamless harmony of Sassicaia. There was no clear winner, and perhaps that was the most fitting outcome. Two icons, each expressing greatness in a completely different way, reminding us why Tuscany has remained at the pinnacle of the wine world for decades.

The undisputed star of the evening arrived with the main course.

The 2000 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste was simply magnificent. Everything had come together perfectly: the vintage, the traditional style of Rinaldi and more than two decades of bottle age. Roses, tar, truffle, dried herbs and an almost ethereal elegance made this the wine of the night. It was a Barolo that no longer sought to impress through power, but through emotion.

Alongside it stood the 2015 Giuseppe Rinaldi Brunate, a wine that offered only a glimpse of its immense future. Deeper, more structured and unmistakably youthful, it remains firmly in its developmental phase. Yet everything about the wine suggests that it will evolve into something truly extraordinary over the next decade or two. Together, the two Barolos provided a fascinating lesson in the beauty of Nebbiolo across different stages of maturity.

For the cheese course, a true rarity appeared in the glass: 1978 Recioto della Valpolicella from Giuseppe Quintarelli. It was not everyone’s favourite wine of the evening, though perhaps that was never its purpose. Mature Recioto demands attention, patience and an open mind. While opinions on the wine varied, there was unanimous agreement regarding the pairing. Alongside aged Comté cheeses, the combination was exceptional, with salt, umami, sweetness and complexity elevating one another beautifully. A reminder that great food and wine pairings can sometimes be even more memorable than the wines themselves.

Beyond the wines, Restaurant Marcel deserves special recognition. A tasting dinner of this calibre depends as much on execution as it does on the bottles being poured, and both the kitchen and service team performed flawlessly throughout the evening. The dishes were thoughtfully designed to complement the wines without ever overshadowing them, while the service was attentive, discreet and perfectly timed. It was the kind of hospitality that often goes unnoticed when everything runs smoothly, yet is absolutely essential to the success of an evening like this. Marcel once again demonstrated why it remains one of Belgium’s most respected gastronomic destinations.

And, as every great opera deserves an encore, the evening concluded with a classic that did not belong to the Italian script.

The 2012 Clos des Goisses from Champagne Philipponnat.

A wine that needs little introduction. Produced from the legendary steep hillside in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Clos des Goisses combines power, concentration and precision unlike almost any other Champagne. The 2012 already offers remarkable depth and complexity, yet still possesses a youthful energy suggesting that its finest years remain ahead. After an evening dedicated to Italian greatness, it provided a fitting finale. Not Italian, certainly, but a perfect reminder that true greatness knows no borders.

The Tenors of Italy delivered everything a great tasting should: outstanding bottles, unexpected twists, lively discussion, emotion in the glass and one wine that rose unmistakably above the rest. For many, the memory of that extraordinary 2000 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate Le Coste will linger for years to come. And perhaps that is the ultimate measure of a successful evening: when the conversations continue long after the final bottle has been emptied.