I have recently joined the Dedalus Team…Jason and Tim and I have a history that goes back a ways now, and I am excited to participate in the growth of their (ad)venture!!  I have been around the block once or twice and tasted a few wines…to this day I am still humbled by what I do not know about wine, not by what I do know.  One of my missions, which I can already see will be a lengthy process, is to develop a strong Burgundy presence at Dedalus.  We anticipate that this growth from within (specifically, the inventory of wines we will be bringing in) will be accompanied by education without…as we bring in new selections we want you to have not only the most current information, but also we want you to know what the long rich history of Burgundy’s past can offer.  Appreciating Burgundy is a combination of tasting and education…this, too, is a process that we all can benefit from.

Okay, let’s jump right in!!  I recently attended a tasting with a group I have a long association with in Connecticut (yes, I certainly will travel some distance to share a glass of wine with friends!)…and guess what…this was a Burgundy tasting. Specificallywe were attacking the great whites of Meursault (just a fancy geographical name for Chardonnay).  All blind, the tasting covered vintages from ’96 to ’06, village wines to premier crus (there are no Grand Cru’s in Meursault).  Wine of the night…1996 Meursault “Les Narvaux” from Domaine Leroy (the domaine of the “irascible bitch of Burgundy”, Madame Bize-Leroy).  It was quite yummy, with a dense earthy nose, and an elegant, pure Meyer lemon finish. Nicely complex and a good poke of caramel… this one paired up quite nicely with the tuna tartare I prepared!

Some of the group had recently attended another tasting that, blind, pitted red Burgundy with West Coast Pinot Noir…and the results were interesting.  In each and every pairing, it was clear which was the domestic wine, and which was the Burgundy. And again, in each case, the French was the clear first choice.  Now, it is not my intention to be critical of New World Wines. In fact our group has tended to purchase Northwest Pinots as we have watched the prices skyrocket in the Cote d’Or.  But keep in mind, the French have been making wine for many, many, years. Combine that with the association of the soils of the vineyards with the flavor profiles of the juice and you have something that in many cases is exceptionally special.

What does this mean for you?  Well, as we progress with our efforts at building a Burgundy portfolio, keep in mind that while prices remain high in France, we will be searching for out-of-the-way producers and single vineyard village wines that will deliver big value. And what a prospect! There is little that’s more fun for an old wine geek like me than scoring a great deal on an out-of-the-spotlight producer, or a so-called  “lesser” vineyard, grabbing a case and stashing it in the cellar (yes, many French wines benefit from a bit of ageing)…then going back after a year or two and enjoying the transformation as the components come into harmony!

Obviously, I have a soft spot in my heart for Burgundy Some of my most ethereal experiences have come from this source.  But it takes work, it takes time, and it takes patience to successfully explore its riches.  They are there…they need to be discovered, they need to be explored, they need to be savored.  We look forward to experiencing some of these nuances with you. I should be in the “shop” most every Thursday – officially BURGUNDY DAY at Dedalus. Stop by sometime and talk Burgundy with me!!

So what have we got, and what are we going to get?  Well, as I looked at our inventory, I realized that we are really in need of those wines that your hand reaches out to immediately, and grabs because they’re under 20 bucks.  We bought a few Burgundies just prior to the holidays, and while they are excellent representations of the geography and are very good values, they are not in this price range. So I guess it would make good sense for us to offer a couple of White Burgs and a couple of Red Burgs in this price range…and that is what we are going to do!!

Right now we have only a few – but they’re real good examples!  Starting out with a pair of clean, vivacious whites, we’re loving the 2007 Bourgogne Chardonnay from Domaine de la Cadette for $14.75 a bottle and the  2007 Macon-Villages from Henri Perrusset. On the Red Burg front, we just snapped up a few choice cases of Pierre Guillemot’s classically dirty, bawdy and thoroughly delicious Bourgogne, 2006. Imagine our surprise to find that we could sell this beauty for less than 20 bucks. It’ll only set you back $18.75, and it’s one of the most satisfying values we’ve come across in ages.
We hope to have a plenty more wines in this price range soon. Wines that express the “terroir”, the unique character of the land that nurtured the vines and ultimately the grapes – these are the key wines for us. I want you to experience the range of styles and flavors this region is so well known for. I am on the hunt for a good Givry (again, just a fancy geographical name for Pinot Noir) as they are often juicy and fleshy as well as inexpensive and can be a great “introductory” red.