Pinot Noir, Bourgogne Style

My good friends at Marquis Wine Cellar (http://www.marquiswines.com/ ) have work diligently to bring the Burghund here to Vancouver for a series of tastings and seminars this coming month. In an effort not to be completely blank when people start talking about the great wines of Burgundy, I have opened a decent bottle of Pinot Noir, Bourgogne-style.

Bouchard Pere & Fils is an interesting wine story, as most stories that revolve around wine are. It turns out that the family can trace it's wine roots back  to the wine routes of the early 1700's and an ancestor who dealt with the trading of cloth, and subsequently wine. "Why wine?" you ask. "Why not!" I retort.

The photo (courtesy of the Burghund) tells the whole story. Really, who wouldn't want to be involved in this? But seriously there must be a good family story in there somewhere, and maybe one day I'll have the chance to learn it.

What I do know is that this dedicated family now has over 150 hectares of planted vineyard & is producing note-worthy wines (the notes are everywhere on the Net). One of the most predominant notes (for me) was the Burgundy report of 2009 ( http://www.burgundy-report.com/autumn-2009/bouchard-pere-et-fils-2009-update-2007s/ ) which says that the main problem for Bouchard's 2007 vintage isn't the wine itself, but rather the export market! That is to say, French winemakers are finding the same challenge faced by our own winemakers here in the New World: A Depressed Economy.

Fortunately, Bouchard makes wines for every budget, and the Reserve Pinot Noir comes in at a modest $22 CAN in BC and around $15-$17 in the US... good value, very good value indeed, when I look at the sadly small number of New World wines of quality that are sold for a similar price.

2007 Reserve Pinot Noir

12.5%, $22 CAN (BC)

• visually a light ruby color with slight brickish rim
• after being opened and vacu-sealed for 2 days:: pronounced fully intense aromas of Burgundian terroir (leathery gamey meat) I swear to god I smell calves liver and venison - please don't judge me - it's really what I smell. Fruit in the background - black and red berries
• moderate+ acids, moderate+ chalky tannins, moderately intense palate similar to the nose but milder... soft leathery oak, a presence of gamey meat with the red berries coming through with more vigor, especially red currants and a dash of blackberry

• moderate- body, good structure (flavors last 10 seconds+) and a good to very good balance - I would agree with some sommeliers who say they like to serve this in the Summer, slightly chilled
• Serves with terrine. My mind naturally goes to little French boulangeries and a fat wedge of terrine forrestierre (with wild mushrooms & thyme), some cornichons (little sour pickles) and baguette. Vive le France! Vive le Bourgogne!!

Cin-Cin! Slainte!