#Les Champs Fulliots

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2009 Domaine Faiveley Monthelie 1er Cru "Les Champs Fulliots"

Recently Burgundy has been growing on me.

For some time, I've considered Burgundies pleasant but underwhelming next to the raw power and concentration of Bordeaux. Switching from a glass of Pauillac to a glass of Cote d'Or is like switching from a playlist of hyper-compressed French house music (think Justice or Daft Punk) to a playlist of classic jazz trios. The former turns the volume up to 11 with raw power and constant intensity; the latter presents a softer, relaxed experience that requires more of the listener's attention to hear and appreciate the complexity and details of the music.

I think I am finally getting Burgundy. To borrow from my music analogy, it generally has more dynamic range and complex arrangements that require more of the drinker; its message is quieter but for the those who will listen closely, the rewards are immense.

I've nursed this bottle of Monthelie over the past three days, constantly intrigued with its depth. On the first day, it presented a perfumed fruit-forward bouquet of red raspberry. On day two, it mellowed and delivered more earthly flavors. Finally, on day three it hit its stride completely and came up with a gorgeous nose of herbs with standout notes of rosemary. I wish I could look forward to day four, but with the bottle down to its final sips, it has run its course. I may be forced to cellar a few bottles for a decade to find out what "day four" is about.

Readers hooked on Robert Parker's loud pop band cranked to 11 need to approach wines like this with a different mindset. Burgundies need to be appreciated and evaluated for what they are. Just as one wouldn't review a classical symphony based on aesthetic paradigms of rock, one shouldn't grade Burgundy based on concepts like absolute power and intensity derived from Bordeaux. 

Different circumstances call for different music and different wines. There is a time and place for most things, including the more delicate and subtle passages of life (OK, not everything - some things, and wines, just suck and/or are boring).

Get familiar with Burgundy, and rotate it in your playlist when the time is right :)