“Wine enters through the mouth,
Love, the eyes.
I raise the glass to my mouth,
I look at you,
I sigh.”
Patriarche Père & Fils winery has been a
landmark in Burgundy’s wine industry since the Romans left Gaul. For those with a master’s degree, but lacking
a proper high school education, Gaul was the Roman name for France…is it coming
back to you now? Julius Caesar, veni vidi
vici and all that? By the way, the
Romans left in A.D. 486.
Ok, so I exaggerated Patriarche’s longevity by 1200 years or
so. The winery truly emerged in 1780.
Enough history. Let’s
jump forward to 2016 and a visit to the caves of P P & Fils. I’ve gotten you past the tollgate (€17.50 pp),
the oaken-barrel-lined hallway leading to the beautifully restored Chapel, and you’re
ready to descend into the underground.
In the Chapel |
What’s in the caves?
Wine tasting, while wandering like lost souls in the caverns of
Hades. Dark? Yes, it is.
Lit only enough to cut down on stumbles and lawyers' fees. But not to
worry. You're greeted by an astute and friendly guide who offers an intro to the wines. And after your guide slips quietly into the shadows, there's an audio-visual to help you at every tasting station. Four or five kilometers (about
3 miles) of caves hold hundreds of thousands of bottles, some of which date to
the turn of the century. I’m speaking of
19th to 20th.
Everywhere you look, dusty bottles lie patiently stacked, like the
sleeping soldiers of Charlemagne. The caves themselves are part and parcel of
the Visitandines convent, which
Partriarche purchased in the 1700s.
So, what are the Visitandines? Very short answer: nuns.
A bit more? Ok, Visitandines is
only one of several sobriquets for The
Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary.
Need more? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Visitation_of_Holy_Mary
Now, how about some tasting?
Your toll taker gave you little silvered metal tasting cups and you’re
welcome to help yourself, on your stroll from station to station. You’ll sample more than a few whites and more
than twice that many reds, including a couple of Grand Cru. By the way, in Burgundy, reds are
overwhelmingly Pinot Noir, and whites are Chardonnay. But, what is Grand Cru? Let’s leave it at ‘the best of the
best.’ In Burgundy only 2% of the 69,000
acres (28,000 hectares) are classified as Grand Cru, but the caveats are many. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Burgundy_Grand_Crus
- Dry
as your mouth, while riding a camel through a sandstorm in the Sahara
-
Aroma
and flavor held in high esteem by the dirt eaters of Mississippi and Georgia
-
Lingering
tannins that strike the back of the throat like well driven nails
In French Wine for Dummies By Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan, I found a remark I wholeheartedly agree with: “Nothing quite
compares in aroma and flavor to a great red Burgundy.” Yes, and nothing says I love you like a good
spanking.
If
you’re like me, you enjoy a fruity nose, smooth flavor, from the start to the mellow,
well-rounded finish. In which case
Burgundy may not be your first choice. A
big HOWEVER. I did find several
eminently drinkable bottles in sidewalk cafés.
Still,
touring Patriarche caverns is a picturesque step into the bowels of the wine
business and the varied Burgundy vintages.
No way to tell without tasting.
I’ve found that two red wines (or
whites) from the same vineyard may taste entirely differently. It may be due to different slopes with
different sun exposures, different soil compositions, or any of a hundred other
reasons.
My
advice? Taste. Period. Don’t be swayed by wine snobs. Don’t rely on large black rating numbers from
a magazine. Don’t even listen to me.
Although
I may personally get astonishingly pensive and shaky at the mention of a bottle
of Burgundy, you may find yourself celebrating the very same wine at the pop of
the first cork.
And
even if the wines of Patriache are not to your taste, a stroll through the
caverns is worth every cent to a photographer, or anyone who wants a shortcut
education in the fermented grape, its heritage and possibilities.
“High and fine
literature is wine, and mine is only water; but everybody likes water.”
“What wine goes with
Captain Crunch?”
“Let us have wine and
women, mirth and laughter, sermons and soda water the day after.”
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