INTERVIEW / As we approach the new edition of the Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction, Michel Chapoutier proclaims, loud and clear, his love for Burgundy and the wines from this region.
Michel Chapoutier : "Pinot Noir is a woman with a strict and severe looking but who can be a sex bomb if you understand her secrets"
You often speak about Burgundy and the wines from this region. Why?
Michel Chapoutier “Burgundy is a region I always found extraordinary. So fascinating that our daughter is named Mathilde Monthelie, named after the Monthelie village near Beaune. In Burgundy, the scenery is beautiful, people love great food and the wines are delicious. Burgundy realized quite early that a single grape variety could make fine wines, that there was no need to blend grapes for more complexity. And in that sense, in my own opinion, a great Burgundy is the right note ! ”
Pinot noir or Chardonnay?
Michel Chapoutier: “In Burgundy, talented winemakers – and there are many ! – show that it is not necessary to have an inky color in the glass to make a rich, intense and complex wine. On the contrary, a great Pinot Noir wine reveals some richness and roundness on the palate, it is both elegant and succulent. Pinot Noir is a woman with a strict and severe looking but who can be a sex bomb if you understand her secrets. The “sex bomb” part is there, underlying, it just needs to be revealed. Then comes an intense pleasure with wines like a Musigny Vieilles Vignes 1978 from Comte de Vogue, a 1999 Richebourg Domaine de la Romanee Conti or a 1959 Chambertin from Rousseau.”
What about Chardonnay?
Michel Chapoutier “Being able to be successful in both colors with great reds and extraordinary whites , that’s also what makes me love Burgundy. This achievement is a real challenge for the winemaker. Chardonnay feels at home in Burgundy. It proves a unique ability to provide minerality without being obliged to be full of acidity. And then comes a Meursault Perrières from Jean Marc Roulot or a Bienvenues Batard Montrachet from Ramonet. For all these reasons, my desire to make wine in Burgundy has never been as strong as today! ”
(You can reach the writer at info@vitabella.fr)
