2014 Morey-Coffinet Bourgogne Rouge

Morey-Coffinet is on the southern edge of the village of Chassagne. It was started in 1978 when Michel Morey and his wife Fabienne combined vineyard parcels they’d received as wedding gifts. Michel Morey is the son of the late, highly regarded producer Marc Morey, and Fabienne is from the distinguished Pillot winemaking family. Both families have deep roots in the region and generations of history as winemakers, and together the couple worked their 22-acre domain. Now their son Thibault is sharing responsibility for the estate. Three-quarters of the estate’s wines are Chardonnay, mostly from Chassagne-Montrachet. Morey-Coffinet’s domain includes grand cru parcels in Batard Montrachet and Corton Charlemagne, as well as numerous premier crus.

Burgundy in eastern France is, if not the most famous and storied wine region in the world, certainly one of the top two or three. Its winemaking history dates from the Roman era, and its relatively small size and reputation for outstanding wines means that the best wines of Burgundy are generally among the world’s most prized – and costly – wines. At about 110,000 vineyards acres, Burgundy is only 40% as big as Bordeaux, and its system of dividing up vineyards into small, family-owned parcels makes understanding the wines of Burgundy a life-long pursuit for Burgundy enthusiasts. The three main grapes of Burgundy are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Gamay. Burgundy is a long, narrow, north-south running region consisting of five main areas. They are Chablis in the north, Côte D’Or, Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais and Beaujolais, which is just above the Rhone Valley. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are grown throughout most of Burgundy but Gamay is grown primarily in Beaujolais. The appellation system and rules about labeling can be confusing and the system classifies regions, villages and even individual vineyards. Grand Cru is the most prestigious appellation category, followed by Premier Cru and many village and regional appellations.

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.