2020 Maison Harbour Bourgogne Côte d'Or Blanc

Maison Harbour in Savigny-les-Beaune makes Premier Cru and villages Burgundy in a traditional style, though the maison’s backstory is anything but traditional. In a region where maisons and domaines typically are held in the same family for generations, Maison Harbour is a new producer started only a few years ago by a young Canadian/American couple with no previous winemaking experience and no family background in Burgundy or any other winemaking region. Colleen and Nicholas Harbour’s leap into the storied world of Burgundian winemaking started in 2011, when the couple quit their banking jobs in Luxembourg and enrolled in viticulture programs in Beaune. To support themselves they worked at a local negociant and domaines, and they bought grapes from local growers, which was itself an accomplishment considering their lack of history in the area. Remarkably, they were able to purchase grapes from Premier Cru parcels in Pommard, Gevrey-Chambertin and Chassange-Montrachet, as well as villages grapes from Gevrey-Chambertin and Vosne-Romanée. They make their wine in their garage and their very limited production is available normally only through a mailing list.

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 white variety originated in Burgundy, but is now grown around the world. Its flexibility to thrive in many regions translates to wide flavor profile in the market. Chardonnay is commonly used in making Champagne and sparkling wines.