Romanee Conti

Romanée-Conti is the greatest of all Burgundy wines and the most expensive wine in the world. The origins of the vineyard of Romanée-Conti are connected to the priory of St Vivant, who owned it in the Middle Ages, at a time when it was known as the "Cros des Cloux". The name changed to"Romanée" around 1651. Prince Louis-François de Bourbon-Conti bought it in 1760. Production averages 6,000 bottles per year.

Clos de Vougeot

The Cistercians created Burgundy's largest wall-surrounded vineyard, the Clos de Vougeot, in 1336. More importantly, the Cistercians, extensive vineyard owners as they were, were the first to notice that different vineyard plots gave consistently different wines. They therefore laid the earliest foundation for the naming of Burgundy crus and the region's terroir thinking. The Renaissance Château du Clos de Vougeot, situated inside the wall, was added in 1551 by rebuilding and enlarging a small chapel and some other buildings previously existing at the site.

In the French Revolution, all vineyard possessions were taken from the church by the French state, and sold off to private buyers. In 1818, the château and vineyards of Clos de Vougeot was bought by Julien-Jules Ouvrard, who also bought the Romanée-Conti vineyard in 1819. Ouvrard later moved to Château de Gilly.

The monks from Cîteaux identified Burgundy's Climats nine centuries before they were officially recognized in 2015 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Château has 12,000 active members of the Confrérie and over 80 owners.

What makes the region of Burgundy unique in its wines ? Unlike Bordeaux, the great Burgundies both red and white, are un-blended wines made from a single grape variety, Pinot Noir for the red wines and Chardonnay for the white wines, whose aromas and tastes vary depending on the soil from which they are grown. Pinot Noir is at its best on the cool limestone slopes of Burgundy, and is grown mostly in the Côte de Nuits. Any wine from this region will be expensive but all should be of good quality. The wines from each village area have their own character: sturdy, tannic and long-lived from around Nuits-St-Georges, aristocratic, rich and complex from Vosne-Romanée for example, Corton is the only red Grand Cru of the Côte de Beaune. Pommard (just south of Beaune), Volnay, Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny.

Terroir

The idea of terroir was first recognized by the monks when they noticed that wine from certain parts of the vineyard was better than others. They began to divide up the land according to terroir for example Clos de Vougeot. Grand Cru Vineyards include Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosnee Romanee. Morey St Denis, Nuits St George. Unlike Champagne, the great Burgundies are made from a single grape variety.

History

Historically, monks and monasteries of the Roman Catholic Church have had an important influence on the history of Burgundy wine. The first known donation of a vineyard to the church was by king Guntram in 587, but the influence of the church became important in Charlemagne's era. The Benedictines, through their Abbey of Cluny founded in 910, became the first truly big Burgundy vineyard owner over the following centuries. Another order which exerted influence was the Cistercians, founded in 1098 and named after Citeaux, their first monastery, situated in Burgundy.

The first monastery in Burgundy was at Cluny, started by the Benedictine monks in 940 AD. With over 1,000 monks in residence, more than the population of most towns of that time. The abbey became grander and grander as its power over the whole of Europe increased. It organised pilgrimages, oversaw hundreds of other monasteries and governed by the power of excommunication

Cote de Nuits Wine Adventures

Châteaux, historic abbeys, canals, beautiful countryside, great food and wine all in a relaxed rural lifestyle await you in Burgundy, and only 1 1/2hrs by TGV train from Paris. There are 5 wine regions in Burgundy: Cote d’Or, Cote Chalonnais, Chablis, Maconnais and Beaujolais. Only Pinot Noir and Gamay grapes are permitted to produce red wines in these regions. Pinot does best in the Cote d’Or region of the Cote de Nuits. The idea of terroir was first recognized here by the monks when they noticed that wine from certain parts of the vineyard was better than others.

Multi Region Journeys