Bourgogne Vezelay - An Heirloom Gem of the Burgundy Landscape

June 10, 2021
by Edouard Bourgeois

In France for just over a week now, I have rediscovered the charm of the medieval commune of Vezelay.

Part of the Yonne department, south of Chablis and the Sauvignon Blanc AOC of Saint-Bris, Vézelay is a Chardonnay-only AOC that was recently promoted to village-level classification (like Meursault or Chassagne-Montrachet), in 2017. Red wines produced in the region qualify for only the Bourgogne AOC.

It is in the south of the Grand Auxerrois territory which also includes the Irancy and Saint-Bris villages and other regional appellations such as Bourgogne Épineuil and Bourgogne Coulanges-la-Vineuse.

Vézelay wine is produced predominantly from Chardonnay grapes grown on limestone rich soils. In total there are just 66.5 hectares (164 acres) under vine. A little Melon de Bourgogne (best known in Muscadet), Pinot Noir and the regional specialty César are also grown, though wines made from these grape varieties are classified as Vin de France.

The vineyards are mostly planted on south facing slopes around the four villages, at varying altitudes of 180 to 300 meters (600 to 1000ft). The continental climate here contributes to the fresh, steely style of the white wines in particular. Most of the wines are produced by a Vézelay based cooperative, Cave Henry. However several smaller domaines make excellent wines. Here is a list of some of the best producers:

Domaine de la Cadette, Les Faverelles, La Croix Montjoie, Aegerter, Camille Thiriet and more…

The picturesque village of Vezelay has not lost its medieval heritage

A protected Roman ruin with the proud edifice of the Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine in the background. The monastery has been one of the major starting points for pilgrims on their way to Camino de Santiago.

What's Pressoir Drinking?

by Raj Vaidya
Tuesday, February 15th, 2021

Inspired by Max’s Lunar New Year feast of Poon Choi, I decided to celebrate the new year with some Cantonese seafood delivery (call it the poor man’s banquet!) I chose eel sautéed with peppers and onions and wilted pea shoots for the main course.

The sweet and savory flavors of the take out prompted me to open a bottle which paired extremely well with the wide range of flavors I had in play. I wanted something with a seriously saline and even gamey edge, yet something low in tannins and delicate in structure, as I find that high tannin wines tend to clash with the spice elements in some Cantonese dishes. Digging around my wine fridge, I came across this lovely, mature example from one of my favorite domaines in Burgundy. 1990 was a warm vintage, and a very lauded one for sure, but often I find the wines a tad overripe, sluggish and in the worst cases, somewhat boring. But this bottle proved to be a tremendous and happy exception! The wine had a beautiful perfume, with notes of dried flowers and a distinct mushroom aroma akin to black trumpets. On the palate there was a sucrosity which preserved the fruit, cherries in particular, and this paired beautifully with the sweetness and spice of the eel as well as with the dish’s somewhat oily texture. Domaine Lafarge’s Bourgogne Rouge is sourced from a vineyard called ‘Petit Pré’ in the regional appellation just east of the Volnay vineyards. The domaine treats this simple Bourgogne just as seriously as the Volnay and Beaune wines, with aging of around 18 months in barrel. Back in 1990 the vines here were about 25 years of age on average. A perfect bottle for the new year!

What's Pressoir Drinking?

July 7, 2020
by Edouard Bourgeois

A “grand vin” in disguise

It is no news that you can find amazing Burgundies made from the regional appellation “Bourgogne”. We like to promote these humble wines at La Paulée with the “Petits des Grands” events. The idea is to show off the quality of these “entry level” appellations when made by the best winemakers. This Bourgogne from Domaine Lamy Caillat surely drank better than many Chassagne-Montrachet, including some premiers crus I’ve had from other producers. With its tiny production, Sebastien Caillat makes Haute Couture cuvées that consistently over deliver in a particularly cool cellar where these gems rest longer than usual, which helps achieve great freshness and backbone. The 2017 is superb right now.