Category Archives: Burgundy

Ups and Downs in the Côte d’Or

Posted on January 24, 2017 by intoxreport

On that subject, a book could be composed—a column couldn’t do the subject justice. But this story is purely territorial—the tale of two tipples, identical in price and weight; one from the extreme northern nose of the Côte d’Or, the … Continue reading →

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Burgundy, 2014: Terroir vs. Tempests

Posted on June 27, 2016 by intoxreport

When I asked a prominent Burgundian vigneron at what point during a growing season a winemaker knows for sure that the vintage will be great, she replied:  “On the day of harvest.” To me, that single upchuck of cold, hard … Continue reading →

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Woman-ness in Wine

Posted on April 14, 2016 by intoxreport

Throughout my quarter century of writing about wine I’ve tried to avoid controversial topics, because frankly, who needs the grief? Well, I suppose that’s not strictly true.  In fact, it’s not even vaguely true.  In my twenty-five years of wine … Continue reading →

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Château de Maltroye and Why I Don’t Write Wine Books Like Hugh Johnson

Posted on December 22, 2015 by intoxreport

Someone whose palate I respect poured a wine saying, “This is what California Chardonnay wants to be when it grows up.” Behind such a statement I can find many points with which to agree, but in general, although the idea … Continue reading →

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Gevrey-Chambertin and the Hangover of Guy Accad

Posted on September 18, 2015 by intoxreport

A bat and a ball cost a dollar and ten cents in total. The bat costs a dollar more than the ball. How much does the ball cost? On the surface, the question seems easy.  That’s the way our brains … Continue reading →

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Chassagne-Montrachet And Hyphen-Mania

Posted on March 1, 2015 by intoxreport

In Burgundy’s Côte d’Or, attaching a big, famous name to your own plebian, obscure name has been an effective technique in the never-ending wine hustle.  So much so, in fact, that négociants often purchase the local hyphen supply en primeur, … Continue reading →

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Nuits-St-Georges Aux St. Jacques: Odoul’s With An ABV

Posted on February 26, 2015 by intoxreport

A spitball’s throw away from the hallowed estates of Vosne-Romanée lies the somewhat less hallowed estates of Nuits-St-George, but the difference in prestige (and price) may be comparable to Prince Fielder’s salary in 2015 and Jackie Robinson’s in 1957. It’s … Continue reading →

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Bourgogne Passetoutgrain: Gamey Gamay

Posted on January 3, 2015 by intoxreport

Pinot Noir doesn’t need my stamp-of-approval of course, but Gamay is a groovy grape that occasionally wears a stamp-of-ignominy because of Beaujolais Nouveau—which I also like—and which, in any case, is as absurd as dissing Zinfandel because of Sutter Home. … Continue reading →

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L’Enfant Jésus: Good to the Beaune

Posted on December 24, 2014 by intoxreport

Everything about Burgundy is eternal; nothing about Burgundy is predictable. Except for one thing: The Little Drummer Boy could not have afforded L’Enfant Jésus. When I was a fledgling fan of French phantasmagora, I used to use the mnemonic Beaune—pronouced … Continue reading →

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Château Palmer: Margaux Your Own Way

Posted on December 23, 2014 by intoxreport

If you find the Bordeaux Classification of 1855 irrelevant, confusing, frustrating or all the above, rest assured: You are in good company. The snit of owner Baron Philippe de Rothschild over Mouton’s second-rate status led to decades of lobbying, resulting in … Continue reading →

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