Columns — Burgundy Wine

To truly understand wine, you have to drink it – ideally in the company of fellow explorers just as curious as you are. This time, without any prior agreement, the evening turned into a Chambolle-Musigny focus around the wines of Nicolas Groffier, an undeniably gifted winemaker who has shaped a style entirely his own.

The genius and craftsmanship of Jean-Yves Bizot defy understanding: his wines evolve and change from vintage to vintage, yet they always retain their unmistakable, unique style. His feeling for wine is as complex an idea as time itself – or rather, its passage. And just when we manage to grasp even a fraction of the meaning of his wines, they slip away and move ahead, just like time. At least, these are my impressions from his wines and from meeting Jean-Yves during a visit to his domaine many years ago.

Wine is not just grapes; it is the meaning and essence of a winemaker’s life. Wine is not merely the result of technical actions in the cellar, but the quintessence of a vigneron’s sensations, filtered through the prism of their work in the vineyard. All of this together is what we call terroir – something we now keep trying to reduce to talent and experience, while behind it stand years of work, feeling, and an intimate understanding of wine.

Using this flight as an example, I’d like to reflect on the evolution of wine, its balance, and its terroir‑driven character. Today, you can expect almost anything from white Burgundy: a reductive style, a rich and opulent expression, or even an oxidative‑reductive approach reminiscent of Jura. But a mineral, limestone‑driven profile has become much rarer, especially in Meursault.