Home > Editorial > 2025 > A field guide (of sorts) to Burgundy

 

A field guide (of sorts) to Burgundy

 

Words: Remy Osman
Published: 7th January 2025

FOUR-MINUTE READ

 

What do the vineyards of Burgundy have in common with the vacant lots of the world’s largest city-state? More than you might think, says Remy Osman, one of our Singapore-based Account Managers.

The humble field might seem an unlikely subject of fascination. But for me, fields represent an endless source of exciting potential. Where I live, in Singapore, our “fields” are typically vacant plots of land dotted around the island. I enjoy photographing them, as it is very unusual to see an open expanse of land in a city-state. They also represent the country’s continued economic development. If I return within a few years, the empty space will have been replaced by something towering and new.

The other time I have seen fields this year was on my recent trip to Burgundy for the 2023 En Primeur tastings. I was reminded that every famous vineyard that we covet is, essentially, just a field somewhere in the Côte d’Or. And yet, each has its own story to tell in terms of geography, nature and human history.

01: The iconic Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, as seen from a field. Photo: Remy Osman

02: Fields of a different kind, in the Côte d’Or. Photo: Remy Osman

 

 

For me, it is only by visiting Burgundy that you can really “get” the region. Seeing the patchworks of fields, you realise just how small they are. Similarly, it is striking to consider how the wines from one field can command a huge price premium whereas the field next door, or across the road, garners no particular interest.

Having tasted hundreds of wines during the trip, I have no doubt in my mind that terroir is a real thing. And I was often struck by just how much you can taste it in a vintage like 2023. Visiting Domaine Jean-Noël Gagnard, for example, Caroline Lestimé gave us a tasting tour of various vineyards around Chassagne-Montrachet. Each had a distinct, unique flavour, reflecting the place it had come from. Wines from vineyards with more limestone tasted fresher and more saline; those which were south-facing, and a bit warmer, tasted notably riper and fruitier.

03: Caroline Lestimé of Domaine Jean-Noël Gagnard. Photo: Jason Lowe

04: Brothers Benoit and Jean-Baptiste of Domaine Jean-Claude Bachelet. Photo: Jason Lowe

 

My favourite wine at Gagnard was the Blanchots-Dessus Premier Cru, which was also a highlight when I visited Domaine Jean-Claude Bachelet last year. I was eager to see the vineyard with my own eyes afterwards. Standing there, it was incredible to see how it is right next to the legendary Montrachet Grand Cru, just at a slightly lower elevation. Could the slight dip in terrain really cause such a difference between a fantastic Premier Cru and the superlative Grand Cru? Well, yes. Apparently, it can. Indeed, the difference in taste, complexity and concentration between those wines is even more pronounced than the dip in the land itself.

 

 

Another wonderful opportunity for some field-observing came one lunchtime in the Côte de Nuits. We took our baguettes up a narrow country track to the top of the escarpment overlooking Vosne-Romanée. From this vantage point you can survey the whole hill and trace the various Burgundy vineyard classifications with your own eyes. You can literally see the world’s most expensive Grands and Premiers Crus transitioning to village-level vineyards; down into the regional Bourgogne-level fields; before turning to grassland.

05: Singapore-based Remy Osman takes in the view at Vosne-Romanée

06: Nicole Lamarche has a unique style. Photo: Jason Lowe

 

Yes, it is amazing to see the fabled Romanée-Conti: how small it is, and how there is no security anywhere. My attention, however, was drawn to its neighbour, the tiny Grand Cru called La Grande Rue. This is a monopole, solely owned by Domaine Nicole Lamarche, who we had visited just before lunch. I had enjoyed discovering Nicole’s unique style, which is for very light-coloured wines yet with a real intensity of flavour. The highlight of her range was, unsurprisingly, La Grande Rue. There is a real excitement which comes with knowing that this is almost literally as close as you can get to the likes of La Tâche and Romanée-Conti. Standing among these iconic vineyards, you can appreciate how Burgundy’s wines can be so profoundly impacted by both subtle human and natural differences.

 

 

You might think all this talk of fields does Burgundy a disservice. But rather than diminishing it, thinking of the great wines of Burgundy in terms of their respective fields heightens my sense of awe. It is remarkable to consider just how much time I spend discussing the fruits of these tiny fields with my customers. However, it is precisely because wines of this quality can be made only in these specific fields – and nowhere else on Earth – that we are so interested in them. Even in large vintages like 2023, most producers make just a handful of barrels of each wine. The volumes are simply tiny in comparison to other regions. The great châteaux of Bordeaux, for example, might harvest grapes from numerous fields around them to produce their flagship wine.

The fields of Burgundy and Singapore might seem worlds apart, but both evoke a real sense of excitement and potential. In Burgundy, the subtle variations in soil, elevation and exposure are exploited by the finest winemakers to create wines of extraordinary depth and profundity. In Singapore, a field represents an opportunity for development and the relentless drive of progress. Whether creating fine wines or building nations, it is upon these fields that human ambition and artistry converge to create something truly extraordinary.