The foundation of the originality of Burgundy winesThe terroir, in Burgundy, is the basis of the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée.In Burgundy, terroir is a broad concept which includes both natural and human factors. It was wine growers, sometimes aided by the work of monks, who discovered, identified and then developed the terroirs. Centuries of hard work were necessary for this concept, whose origin goes back to the early Middle Ages, to be passed down to us and be officially recognized and described in the middle of the last century with the creation of the I.N.A.O. and appellations of origin. Today, after more than 1000 years, the terroir continues to assert itself in Burgundy as a modern concept, copied all over the world because it represents and conveys values of origin, authenticity, tradition and typicity that are dear to consumers. The basis of terroir is above all the sub-soil and soil from which the vine draws its nutrients and which create a secret alchemy of colours, aromas and flavours.  In Burgundy, the geological origin and the physical and chemical composition of the soils are highly diversified and vary from one vineyard to another, but also within the same vineyard, the same village and the same locality. This explains why the Burgundian vineyard is like an immense mosaic made up of thousands of plots of land (called ‘climates’ in this context), often very small indeed (Romanée is the smallest appellation in the world with 0.8 hectare). In spite of this diversity of soils, Burgundy has a certain unity of geology and soil and climate conditions from north to south: sedimentary soils composed of clay, marls and limestone, deposited here 150 million years ago in the Jurassic period on an even older substrate (250 million years ago) composed of granite, lava, gneisses and a variety of schist. The decomposition of marine sedimentary rocks is thus at the origin of the clay-limestone soils on which the Burgundian grape varieties can express their personalities to the full. • The Pinot Noir loves well-drained marl and limestone soils on which, depending on the proportion of limestone and the situation of the plot, it will produce a light, elegant red or a powerful, vigorous wine. • The Chardonnay prefers marly-limestone soils that are quite clayey, where it develops all its elegance and smooth flavours. It is the proportion of clay in the soil which determines the more or less aromatic, full style of the great dry white wines of Burgundy. If the nature of the soil is the key element of the terroir, many other natural factors have an influence on the quality, typicity and expression of a wine: the exposure to the sun of the plot of land, its altitude, the depth and drainage of the soil, the climatic conditions of the year, the micro climate and so on Lastly, the role of man is a determining factor in the production of an appellation d’origine contrôlée wine: from the vine, with the choice and practical application of the cultivation methods, and pruning to the grape harvest, and in the cellar during the wine-making maturation processes. |  For further information…Coming out soon on your website : a reference document, very precise and downloadable, which will present more specifically the notions of “Terroirs” and “Climats” throughout history, geology or even climatic aspects. |
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