2010 Joseph Roty Bourgogne Rouge

Domaine Joseph Roty is a 25-acre estate in Gevrey-Chambertin, in Burgundy. The Roty family has made wine in the area since the early 18th century, and the estate is now run by Philippe, Joseph’s son, with help from other family members. The estate’s Charmes Chambertin and Mazis Chambertin are its signature Grand Crus, and Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that those two Roty wines “can be virtually perfect in top years.” The estate also makes premier cru and villages wines. Burgundy expert Clive Coates notes that Roty’s wines “are very distinctive. They are full, very intense, very perfumed and very harmonious. They are certainly immensely seductive.”

The Côte d’Or literally means the “slope of gold” and to Burgundy collectors it is sacred ground. It is home to most fabled Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards in the world, as well as historic domaines that trace their traditions back hundreds of years. The 30-mile long ridge stretches from just south of Dijon on the north to a little past Santenay in the south. At its widest, the Côte d’Or is a mere 1.5 miles across and sometimes it is merely a few hundred yards across. During several geological periods shifting sea beds left calcium-rich shellfish deposits on the ridge, creating unique, rocky soils that have become excellent vineyards. The Côte d’Or is further divided into a north and south. The Côte de Nuits is more or less the northern half, and is most famous for its Pinot Noir, while the Côte d’Beaune is the southern half, and is especially noted for its Chardonnay.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.