©2007, The Birmingham Post
The traditional Christmas dinner is a feast set to a familiar pattern. Centred on a turkey roast, there are a host of suitable matches, but if push comes to shove, the white should be Chardonnay and the red Pinot Noir.
Chardonnay has the weight to match white meat, and the butteriness to season and moisten. It's also a wonderful standby for a fish-based starter, such as smoked salmon.
As for Pinot Noir, it just has an affinity with poultry. It creates a low tannin red with red fruits and the silkiest of textures, with enough oomph to cope with the trimmings.
The birthplace of both these varieties is Burgundy, and while the flexible Chardonnay has found a suitable home almost wherever it's planted, in its native region, it effortlessly shows minerality and complexity seldom achieved elsewhere.
By contrast, the highly temperamental, thin-skinned Pinot Noir has problems adapting anywhere else. Notwithstanding the fine examples from New Zealand, Victoria and Oregon, it still demands the right soil, climate and geography to be at its best.
As a wine region, Burgundy can be confusing, frustrating and inconsistent. In global terms, production is tiny and the heart of the region, the Cote d'Or, is less than 30 miles in length.
The problem is that French inheritance laws have led to the fragmentation of holdings, so that it is no longer possible for a small grower to commercialise his wine. The corollary is that the region is now dominated by negociants and co-operatives who buy up these parcels for blending, to be sold onto supermarkets or multiples.
Of course, at the highest level, Burgundy is still the preserve of the well-to-do, but the same applies to all prestige wines. In the past 25 years, quality has improved beyond recognition, and there are many splendid examples across the spectrum to suit all pockets. That said, fine Burgundy, particularly red, is never cheap.
The engine room of Burgundy is Macon, which produces three times as much white as the rest of the region. The reds, based on Gamay, are best avoided, but in a region dominated by co-operatives, the quality really kicks in under the appendages "Villages", or the village name itself.
The finest are from Pouilly-Fuissé, St. Véran, and the recently formed Viré-Clessé, and command prices that allow barrel-fermentation or ageing. The multi-layered Jadot 2005 Pouilly-Fuissé (£11.99 Tesco) will satisfy the most demanding palate.
Lying to the north, the Cote Chalonnaise is also the source of some exceptional value whites and, to a lesser extent, reds. At entry level, try the Blason de Bourgogne Chardonnay 2006 (£5.99 Tesco, Budgens, Co-op and Morrisons), an understated white that comes alive with food.
About 50% of total production is simply labelled AOC Bourgogne and, once again, the whites are more reliable. From Majestic, try the minerally, appley Fortin 2005 (£7.99) or the more complex palette of flavours offered by the Jadot Chardonnay 2004 (Tesco £8.99, Threshers £11.99, but 3 for 2).
With regards to red, Jadot offer a glimpse of real Burgundy. Their Pinot Noir 2004 (as before) is simply succulent, but mention, too, should be made of their classier Cote de Beaune-Villages (Waitrose/Sainsbury £9.99).
To invest more, seek out a specialist. A recent visit to SH Jones in Banbury (01295.672296) identified a stunning Montagny 1er Cru "Les Bassets" 2005 by Cognard (£15.10), a white with amazing minerality and balance. Also drinking well was a red St. Romain 2004 by Violot-Guillemard (£14.25), that was elegant and silky-smooth.
Connolly's reputation is founded on their Burgundy (0121 236 9269), and I've particularly cherished the range of affordable reds by Nicolas Potel, from the entry level Bourgogne Rouge 2005 (£9.95) to the Volnay Vieilles Vignes (£18.95) and above. Chris also lists such top-notch producers as Rene Engel, Michel Lafarge and Comte Armand. The basic Chardonnay from Matrot, a leading Meursault producer, is best-in-class at only £8.95.
Tanners are specialists, too (01743.234500). At a recent tasting, the Pouilly-Fuisse 2005 by Guerin was stunning, and a steal at £11.70. More upmarket is the white Chassagne-Montrachet 2005 by the incomparable Etienne Sauzet (£29). Surprisingly approachable now, it will just get better with time.
The Hautes-Cotes de Beaune 2005 by Michel Prunier (£9.80) is living proof that it's possible to source a decent red for less than a tenner. In fact, 2005 is just a breathtaking red vintage, as the wines are delicious young, but will develop further as they mature. Fancifully, I'd buy a case of Meo-Camuset 2005 (£20.60) and happily drink a bottle with my Christmas dinner over the next 12 years!
Finally for those with deeper pockets, let me commend three stunners from the 2004 vintage, which though still young, are surprisingly forward. These are Corton-Bressandes by Tollot-Beaut (£39.90), Mes Cinq Terres Gevrey-Chambertin by D.Mortet (£41.60) and Bonnes-Mares by Drouhin-Laroze (£53.60).