2011 Benoit Ente Bourgogne Rouge

Domaine Benoit Ente was established in 1998, when the then 30-year old Benoit Ente started his own domaine with seven acres of vineyards inherited from his grandfather. For almost a decade before that he had worked some family property with an aunt, growing grapes and selling them to negociants. But Ente wanted to make his own wine. His debut vintage was the 1999 and since then he has added impressive parcels to his estate. He has Puligny-Montrachet premier cru parcels in Champ Gain, Les Folatières and Les Referts, as well as parcels in Chassagne-Montrachet. Benoit is the younger brother of Arnaud Ente, a well-regarded grower and winemaker in Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet. Clive Coates has called Benoit Ente “an address to watch.”

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.