Burgundy grands crus

Ever true to his passion for terroir, Jacky Rigaux pursues his patient and precise research with this book dedicated to the Grands Crus of Burgundy. Fervently defending the notion of terroir, which is often criticized or misunderstood, he defines "climates" as "carefully defined parcels that are each capable of giving birth to a wine with a definite personality".

It is true that the Burgundy winelands continue to create the impression of peaceful tranquillity, charming visitors with its pleasant vista of vines running along the contours of hills and dales... The eye cannot see these delimitations, their minute precision, their subtle divisions or the skilfully orchestrated classifications that define the vines and the wines they produce.

Since the 1930's, the organisation of the Appellations d'Origine Contrôlée (the French wine of origin control system) imposes a hierarchy on four levels. Of these, the Grand Cru wines are the most prestigious, the flagship. The author tells us about the Burgundy Grands Crus with their history, their legends, their characteristics and that which creates their prestige. This journey starts at Chablis, travels through the Côte de Nuits and ends with the Côte de Beaune. Maps by Sylvain Pitiot, sketches by Michel Campy and photographs by Christian Bon accompany the reader.

Each of the 33 Grands Crus of Burgundy is introduced and Jacky Rigaux reveals their personality and their complexity with all the subtle nuances of words that fill one with a desire to know