Village Wines in Burgundy

This is perhaps just an argument about whether a glass is half full or half empty but, with only few exceptions do I find myself in a situation where the ‘right” wine is a village level Burgundy. If it is a dinner with friends who know wine I will surely reach for a Premier Cru and if I am with friends who do not I am more likely to reach for something fresh and fruit driven at the generic level that does not merit contemplation or discussion. Nor do I subscribe to the view that village wines in an especially good vintage “taste like Premier Crus”. They don’t. They taste like village wines in an especially good vintage. Referencing the comment Charles Rousseau made a long time ago to Clive Coates in the Vine, I share the view it is better to buy a well made Premier Cru in a difficult year from a talented grower than a Village level wine in a so called great year. You will always get something more interesting from the Premier Cru.

The few exceptions of course are those village wines that are priced like Premier Crus - and come from singular plots within the village designation of particular repute - some of the better lieu dits in Meursault, for example, or in Vosne Romanee Liger Belair’s Clos du Chateau or Anne Gros’ Les Barreaux or possibly Bruno Clair’s Champ Perdrix. But there are limits to this too.  Some of these sites are up for promotion to Premier Cru anyway.

No doubt of course one’s view on the function of Village level Burgundy in one’s cellar ultimately depends on one’s budget. Burgundy prices show less variation based on the vintage’s perceived quality than most other regions. This is addressed in another post.  It is surely true today that the cost of a Premier Cru in a more challenging vintage (when there is normally also less of it to offset any perceived quality diminution factoring into the determination of its price point)  would anyway normally still exceed the price of a village wine in a high profile year. Which makes it difficult today to live up to Charles Rousseau's  recommendation for even money. In recent times, the premier cru will be more expensive every year. Perhaps this was not so when Charles made his comment to Clive Coates nearly three decades ago, when I recall there was more price variation between vintages than today and premiers crus really only cost a little more than village wines anyway. So back then a Village level wine in a much heralded vintage likely would cost the same as a Premier Cru wine in an ostensibly lower quality year.

I am sure it is very personal to my particular situation. And is not to say that Village level Burgundy in any way lacks the qualities that draw me to Burgundy. I just don’t find myself reaching for one very often when we are hosting, especially in the case of reds.