Wine
Regiions
Old World
France
Burgandy

CHALONNAIS

South across the valley from Santenay where the Cote d'Or comes to an end, another belt of vines begins. This district rakes its name from the town of Chalon to the east, but its northern anchor point is the somewhat dreary town of Chagny (which does, however, have the one three-star restaurant of the Cote d'Or region). The country side of the Cote Chalonnaise is less regular than the Cote d'Or: the escarpment is more broken up by valleys, and other crops interrupt the vines. It is leafy sleepy country.

Five communes here have their own appellations, and in addition much wine is made under the regional appellations as straightforward red and white burgundy. The Chalonnais also makes a considerable amount of sparkling wine. The smallest and most northern of the commune appellations is Bouzeron, where the Bourgogne Aligote reaches such a high standard that since 1979 its sale with the name of the village added has been permitted. As you go south the next district is Rully, where a lot of new planting has been carried out since the 1970s. Red Rully is often a fairly modest, light wine, although there are also estates that make surprisingly substantial, strong colored kinds. White Rully nearly always merits attention, however, not least because of the reasonable prices asked for it. It can taste cool and juicy at the same time, with an attractive perfume and a slightly fruity aroma. A number of producers of sparkling wines are based in Rully including the leading and influential firm of Andre Delorme. The Cremant de Bourgogne appellation is worth looking out for. Most of the wines that are "champagned" in Rully do not come from the local vineyards but from other Chalonnais communes; and estates in the Cote d'Or also have their sparkling wines made here (then sell them under their own labels).

Mercurey

The best-known Chalonnais Village is Mercurey where 95 percent of the vintage consists of red wine. A number of Cote d'Or firms and estates have considerable holdings in Mercurey (a village of not much more than one long street) and in various of the surrounding hamlets. Among them are Chateau Philippe-le-Hardi of Santenay with 75 hectares (185acres); Faiveley of Nuits-St-Georges with near 60 hectares (148 acres); Bouchard Aine of Beaune with more than 20 hectares (50 acres); and Chateau Genot-Boulanger of Meursault with almost 13 hectares (32 acres). A good deal of the local wine is therefore handled outside the district. Red Mercurey is usually a firm, good-tasting wine that seldom converts either finesse or exuberance. but can have fruit, rennin and suppleness. While Mercurey does not always satisfy as is sometimes lacks breeding and vitality.

The little village of Givry lies due nest of Chalon-sur-Saone and is growing as commuters move in. Fortunately. However the best wines arcs have been protected from the continuing threat of urbanization. Givrv was once the wine center of the Chalonnais. nor least because the French court and nobility drank so much of the local wine Henri IV in particular liked Givry, a fact that is still commemorated on man! labels. Today Givry makes a lot less wine than Mercurey . In Givry, too. the emphasis is on red an often strong, rounded wine that benefits from bottle-age. The best of the whites can be subtle and fruity.

Montagny

Montagny, a Chalonnais appellation, is named after a small hillside village The district also takes in the communes of Buxy, Jully-les-Buxy and St-Vallerin. Montagny's wine is exclusively white. It is often firm, slightly nutty in taste and somewhat less lively than white Rully. A curious rule allows all Montagny of l 1.5 percent or stronger to be sold as Montagny Premier Cru.