9 Outstanding Red Burgundies You Can Drink Right Now—or Cellar for Later
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The original home of Pinot Noir, Burgundy (or Bourgogne, as it is known in its home country) is our go-to when we have an appetite for this variety. French for “black pine,” it gets its name from its tight grape clusters, which look like pinecones. Even at the entry level, “Bourgogne Pinot Noir” or “Bourgogne Rouge,” can be excellent if it is from a high-quality producer. From north to south, the four major red wine producing subregions in Burgundy are C?te de Nuits, Haute C?te de Nuits, C?te de Beaune and C?te Chalonnaise.
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Ninety-five percent of the wine made in the C?te de Nuits is red, coming from fabled appellations such as Nuits-Saint-Georges, Gevrey Chambertin, Vosne-Romanee, Chambolle-Musigny and the walled Clos de Vougeot vineyard. Slightly lesser known but no less impressive in the glass are neighboring Fixin and Morey-Saint-Denis. The majority of red Grand Cru appellations are in the C?te de Nuits. Farther south, the C?te de Beaune is home to Pinot Noir producing powerhouses Pommard, Pernand-Vergelesses, Aloxe-Corton, Volnay and Beaune, which is the largest city in the area.
Unlike many robust versions from the New World or elsewhere in Europe, Burgundian Pinot Noir has an elegance and lightness on the palate that is unexpected in a red wine. In addition to the classic flavor of cherry, expect flavors of raspberry or cassis with earthy notes of truffle or forest floor alongside touches of black pepper and baking spices. Moderate acidity and soft tannins make it a match for a wide variety of foods beyond red meat, including roast chicken, grilled tuna or salmon, Peking duck and mushroom-based pasta or risotto dishes.
Domaine Parent 2018 Pommard Premier Cru Les Chanlins Burgundy
Winemaker Anne Parent is the one of the first women winemakers responsible for crafting excellent and sought-after wines in Burgundy. Ruby-garnet colored in the glass, this enchanting wine has aromas of red raspberry, red currant and a lifted note of tobacco leaf. It is medium bodied and elegant in the palate with flavors of cherry and black raspberry framed by a sturdy backbone of minerality. The finish goes on and on…Drink now through 2038.
Michel Magnien 2020 Premier Cru Climats d’Or Morey-Saint-Denis Burgundy
Frédéric Magnien converted his father Michel’s vineyards to biodynamic farming principles over the last two decades and now ages his wines in neutral oak barrels and terracotta amphoras. His Climats d’Or has aromas of baking spice, crushed violet and forest floor. In the mouth there are ripe red berry flavors with a touch of freshly ground black pepper and a nice long finish. Only 6,200 bottles were made in 2020.
Domaine Pierre Gelin 2019 Fixin Clos Napoleon Burgundy
Grapes for this delightful wine are sourced from vines planted in the 4.5-acre monopole owned by the Gelin family and are now more than 60 years old. In the glass the wine is ruby colored with aromas of black cherry, toasted hazelnut and wet earth. In the mouth there are ripe red fruit flavors with a touch of brown baking spices in the finish. This is a great example of a fuller-bodied Burgundian wine from the small village of Fixin.
Joseph Drouhin 2018 Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Burgundy
Grapes for this intriguing wine are sourced from multiple Premier Cru parcels including Noirots, Borniques and Combottes. It is ruby colored with aromas of forest floor, ripe cherry and purple flowers. In the mouth there are soft tannins, flavors of candied cherry and notes of freshly shaved truffle. Drink now or hold for up to two decades.
Albert Bichot Pommard 2019 Clos des Urselines Domaine du Pavillon Burgundy
Located in southern Pommard, the 9.8-acre Clos de Ursulines is named after the Ursuline nuns who once owned the land where vines are now planted. This voluptuous wine has aromas of dried Mission figs, black cherries and red cassis. In the mouth it is full bodied with round tannins and flavors of red fruits, Christmas baking spices and just a touch of mocha in the finish.
Chateau de la Tour 2017 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru Burgundy
Aromas of rose hips, ripe red cherries, red raspberries and brown baking spices lead you in to sublime flavors of ripe red fruits accented by a touch of saddle leather and sweet spices on the palate. The tannins are silky soft and there’s a touch of bright acidity in the finish.
Méo-Camuzet 2018 Cuvée Etienne Camuzet Bourgogne C?te d’Or Burgundy
Aromas of red raspberry, red cassis and black cherry lead you to a fruit filled palate showcasing red cherry, black currant, with a touch of purple flowers as a top note. It is medium bodied, has silky tannins and has a finish that goes on for days. Drink now or within the next 10 to 12 years.
Domaine Denis Bachelet 2019 Bourgogne Pinot Noir Burgundy
Ruby colored in the glass, this Burgundian Pinot Noir has a top note of rose petal leading to aromas of black cherry, red raspberry, and brown baking spices. In the mouth the tannins are round and elegant showing off flavors of red fruits, crushed violet, and pomegranate. Drink now or over the next 10 years.
Pierre Damoy 2015 Bourgogne Burgundy
This seven-year-old Appellation Bourgogne is drinking very nicely right now, it’s from 2015 which is considered by many to be a good vintage. It has aromas of freshly picked ripe red cherries and red raspberries. In the mouth it has silky tannins with flavors of red fruits and cranberries and there’s a touch of pleasant acidity in the finish. Drink now or over the next five to seven years.
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