2018 Francois Mikulski Bourgogne Cote d'Or Pinot Noir

Francois Mikulski inherited much of his Meursault domaine from his late uncle, Pierre Boillot. Mikulski worked for his uncle in the vineyards and eventually as winemaker for several decades before formally taking charge in the early 1990s. The Pierre Boillot label was used until Boillot’s death in 2004. After Boillot’s death all the wine began carrying Mikulski’s name. The 20-acre estate has Premier Cru parcels in Meursault and Volnay, and the estate also makes village wines. Of special note is the estate’s Les Gouttes d’Or and Les Caillerets Premier Crus. The Les Caillerets is a rare Meursault red wine. Mikulski produces about 4,000 cases a year, and Clive Coates calls him “an intelligent man with a biological approach to viticulture….These are very good wines.”

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.