WTN /WineAdvisor: A Burgundy family (Moillard 2004 Bourgogne PN "Tradition")

[Robin Garr]

A Burgundy family

So far in this weeklong review of relatively affordable red Burgundies we've looked at the products of a very large negoçiant, Louis Jadot, and a smallish family producer, Paul Pernot et ses fils.

Today let's wrap up the week with a look at yet another $15 Bourgogne Pinot Noir from a middle-sized producer, Moillard, an old, established firm that has prospered over more than two centuries in family hands.

The company originated as a vine grower in Nuits-Saint-Georges before the French Revolution in 1789, according to the Moillard Website. <i>Paterfamilias</i> Symphorien Moillard, inspired by customers flooding into the Cote d'Or after newfangled rail service began on the Paris-Lyon line in 1850, became a negoçiant, assembling wines from smaller producers and selling them under the family label.

Over the years, the family's properties have grown, and nowadays it produces respected wines from more than a dozen Burgundy appellations; it also owns Domaine du Château d'Eau in Languedoc, producing Vin de Pays d'Oc table wines; and they've recently acquired vineyards in the Dealu Mare region of Romania, of all places, planting primarily Pinot Noir, of course, along with a bit of the traditional Romanian red grape variety Feteasca Neagra.

Moillard's 2004 Bourgogne Pinot Noir Tradition came highly recommended from a trusted local merchant, Gemelli Wines in Louisville. It wraps up the week with another fine example of Burgundy at the low end, demonstrating that while you may not get Grand Cru or Premier Cru complexity and ageworthiness in simple Bourgogne, you won't pay Grand Cru prices either; and the wines we've tasted this week absolutely justify their mid- to upper-teens prices in quality and value.

If you're serious about the pursuit of quality <i>and</i> value in Burgundy, I invite you to seriously consider our upcoming <I>Terroirs of Burgundy</I> tour this summer with French Wine Explorers. Aimed directly at thrifty, value-seeking wine lovers, we're planning a serious exposure to the best of Burgundy at a "QPR" price. Click for the details, or feel free to contact me by E-mail at wine@wineloverspage.com if you'd like to know more.

<table border="0" align="right" width="170"><tr><td><img src="http://www.wineloverspage.com/graphics1/moil0214.jpg" border="1" align="right"></td></tr></table>Moillard 2004 Bourgogne Pinot Noir Tradition ($15)

Clear ruby, not overly dark. Fresh and delicate aromas focus on red fruit with fresh herbs in the background, whiffs of tarragon and thyme. On the palate it's crisp, light-bodied but concentrated; red-berry and tart cherry flavors, distinctly acidic, with subtle earthy notes joining the choir in a long finish. U.S. importer: USA Wine Imports Inc., NYC. (Feb. 14, 2007)

<B>FOOD MATCH:</b> Beef is a classic pairing with Burgundy, and pan-seared grass-fed Green River Kentucky rib eye steaks made a perfect companion.

<B>VALUE:</B> Consistent with this week's other Burgundy reports, this well-balanced, fresh Bourgogne justifies its mid-teens price.

<B>WHEN TO DRINK:</B> Like the other relatively modest Burgundies featured this week, it's not meant for cellaring, but also like the others, it might be worth a try if only because even low-end Pinot Noir can suprise you - for better or for worse - with cellar time.

<B>PRONUNCIATION:</B>
<B>Bourgogne</B> = "<I>Boor-GON-yuh</I>"
<B>Moillard</B> = "<I>Mwahl-yahr</I>"

<B>WEB LINK:</B>
Moillard's Website is available in French and English. Click the small "FR" or "ENG" icons for the language of your choice.
http://www.moillard.com

<B>FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:</B>
Moillard offers some of its wines for sale online to European consumers at the CouleurVin E-commerce site,
http://www.couleurvin.com/

Compare prices and locate vendors for Moillard's Burgundies on Wine-Searcher.com:
[url=http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Moillard%2bBourgogne/-/-/USD/A?referring_site=WLP]http://www.wine-searcher.com/
find/Moillard%2bBourgogne/-/-/USD/A?referring_site=WLP[/url]

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Hey Robin,

Thanks for doing the cheap Burgundy roundup this week. A subject close to my heart! I'll have to go find these and try for myself. I'd love to go on that Burgundy trip sometime too, but probably not this year ...

Dave

[Robin Garr]

Thanks for doing the cheap Burgundy roundup this week. A subject close to my heart! I'll have to go find these and try for myself. I'd love to go on that Burgundy trip sometime too, but probably not this year ...

Things have come to a pretty pass when we refer to $15 to $20 Burgundy as "cheap," Dave, but I take your point. In the post-Sideways age, there's an awful lot of cheap, <i>bad</i> Pinot Noir around, and frankly, I find even Bourgogne Pinot Noir awfully variable. I'm rarely impressed by Louis Latour, for example, much less some of the more "industrial" negociants ... it just amazes me how often Jadot hits the mark with his lower-end wines.

Anyway, it's a cherry-pick, but I think the three I dug up this week (and the Saintsbury Garnet, too) definitely justify their price tags.

Ah, well, I've been stocking up this month on the expensive cheap Burgundy I guess, the Jacky Truchot Bourgogne at $25, and the Domaine Bertagna Hautes Côtes de Nuits at $27. I'm looking for something a little under that to fill a little more space.

Of course I wish the price points were a little lower too, but really, there's not a drop of decent Oregon pinot any cheaper than the high teens either. I have a NZ Pinot - the 2004 Kiwi Pinot Noir Red Table Wine at $10 - that I tried to convince myself that I could drink. That lasted for a bottle or two, but now I'm not satisfied any more. The low-end Burgundies don't seem that overpriced to me in comparison - the problem is in grabbing the best ones while they're available.

I have a couple bottles of the Pernot coming next week. That was easy, as it's imported by Louis/Dressner, and they seem to have good distribution. Unfortunately it looks like the Moillard is only available in a few markets, but not mine. Too bad. The Saintsbury I've tried before and not been that excited about. In a California Pinot, I'd go for a basic Au Bon Climat. I think that comes in at around $20. The Jadot I'll save for later ...

Dave