Exotic Burgundy
Finally it arrived.The 3rd weekend in November. And indeed, glorious it was.
A civilised week of gentle celebrations exploded into an enormous 3 day party that spread through Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy and surrounding villages.
Large crowds of knowledgeable locals, global wine professionals and the just plain curious paid little heed to the constantly drizzling rain as the weekend swung into high gear with much gusto.
Following tradition, The Three Glorious days kicked off on Saturday evening with a black-tie dinner accompanied, of course by some sumptuous wines and hosted by a chapter of the Brotherhood of Knights of Tastevin at the magnificent Clos de Vougeot, an old monastery adjacent to the famous walled vineyard. Home to the Confrerie des Chevaliers since 1945, the revelry, clever and witty speeches, songs and induction of new members marked this marvellous Burgundian feast for around 500-600. All this ceremony gave international guests the opportunity to learn more about the history, wines and culture of the Burgundy region.
http://www.tastevin-bourgogne.com/en/index.php?page=106
Meanwhile back in Beaune bands play, costumed groups parade, restaurants do a roaring trade, the Christmas lights burn brightly and an expectant air accompanies last minute preparations for the big day; the 150th Hospices de Beaune charity wine auction. A grey, damp Sunday dawns on a town transformed. High topped white marquees form a circle around the old central Place de Carnot, creating a scene reminiscent of a medieval jousting field in the centre of a tent town of regional clans.
Every avenue is abuzz with stalls offering food, wine and all manner of frou-frou. The regions of Burgundy are well represented – toasty raclette, cheeses and wines from the Jura, wine and hay-smoked hams from Chablis, goats cheeses, hams and sausages from the Morvan. Everyone offers tastings, bliss.
Wafts of warm garlic butter float on the cold air from stalls doing a roaring trade in grilled snails in the shell. The double-tent restaurant serving only pan braised frogs legs with chunks of fresh baguette draws us in and is well worth the push to get a seat. The chicken gyoza with a red bean paste prove utterly irresistible.
East Drinks West
In the midst of all this happy tasting, sampling, eating, drinking and making merry, an air of expectation builds, centred on the old covered market, Les Halles, site of the imminent wine auction. Huge queues snake around the square, Very Important People rush about – celebrities from the worlds of wine, music, athletics, China and the media. A common aim bonds us all, waiting, waiting – suddenly a hush descends, and from the podium, a stanza of a Victor Hugo poem, an acknowledgement to the crowds of people listening outside the hall and the first barrel, or piece as it is called in Burgundy is knocked down for 5000 euros to enthusiastic applause from an audience of more than 300 buyers, a mix of private clients, negociants and wine merchants.
Wine On The Line
The 150th Hospices de Beaune charity wine auction is underway.
A smooth, well-humoured auctioneer keeps a snappy pace with bids off the floor against those coming in from the phone banks stationed at the sides of the room. European bidders dominate the day with interest but little buying from Asian and this year, even less from American interests.
Finally the time has arrived for the sale of the star lot, “La Pièce des Présidents” or “President’s Barrel”, so named in tribute to Nicolas Rolin, who as a Duke of Burgundy built, in 1443, a hospital for the sick and poor in Beaune. Beginning in 1859, the proceeds of this annual auction continue to support the local hospital.
French actor Fabrice Luchini is the guest of honour for the sale of this ‘piece’ to the delight of the crowds. Gasps and stutters of sheer joy greet the sale at €400,000. A stunning new record is achieved. The barrel, 500 litres of Beaune Premier Cru Cuvée Nicolas Rolin was bought by a local, Jacques Boisseaux, the owner of Beaune wine estates – Maison Patriarche Pere et Fils, Chateau de Meursault and Chateau de Marsannay. The proceeds of this sale will go to the Association for Life and Hope Against Cancer.
The Hospices de Beaune wines are sold as ‘vins primeurs’ from the current year’s harvest, which are in barrel but have yet to be tended. Buying a barrel corresponds approximately to 288 bottles, so 24 cases of 12 bottles, or 6 magnums. They are presented for sale in barrels and the great variety means there is something to satisfy all budgets, from great whites (Meursault, Corton-Charlemagne) to a wide variety of reds (Beaune, Volnay, Pommard, Gevrey-Chambertin).
Christies Hammer Man
Following the sale, you will entrust your wine to a local négociant in Burgundy, who will tend your wine until it is ready to be bottled. This is generally done between 12 and 24 months after the sale. A condition of sale is that the wine is bottled in Burgundy.
http://ayearinwine.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-message-buy-now.html
One last lot and it was over. We left the hall still pumped with excitement but now desperately seeking a glass of wine, which we found at a favourite spot- ‘Les Mille et une vignes’ at 65 rue Lorraine 21200 Beaune. The welcome at this eclectic, funky little bar by the charming Darine is always warm and she offers some good value local wines, by the glass or bottle and delicious simple tapas plates.
Fortified, we stepped back onto the streets where the party and the parades continued but we were heading home to prepare ourselves for the closing of the Three Glorious Days – Monday lunch, officially called the “La Paulée de Meursault”. Actually, tickets for this lunch are as prized as gold nuggets, and we felt we had used up all our special requests from our Burgundy chums over the summer, we felt lucky to be granted a briefing prior to the event. Now, next year…
Held at the Chateau Meursault in the beautiful old village of Meursault, this lunch for around 650 is the culmination of “Les Trois Glorieuses”, and marks the end of harvest with another vintage safely cellared in Burgundy. Originally a local event for the winemakers, workers, friends and their associates, each winemaker would bring along a few prime bottles and this celebration lunch would be accompanied with speeches and songs interspersed over hours of jovial tasting of many wines.
While these days the Meursaut Paulee attracts international attention from wine buyers and media, it still retains the air of a grand local lunch.
The awarding of the crown for the Paulee Literary Award add immensely to the occasion. The prize, 100 bottles of Meursault is presented by the reigning Writer Laureate for a book essentially about wines or the vines, fact or fiction. Each year the honor of supplying the prize is rotated among Meursault producers, a novelist Regine Deforges was the 2010 winner, with wine from Domaine Roulot, one of the great white Burgundy producers.
The Mayor of Meurault opens proceedings, the important people are introduced, the local male chorus resplendant in cellar aprons, works up the crowd with folk songs, peppered with choruses of “Le Bon Bourguignon,’’ a popular drinking song which will be repeated, at full volume many time this afternoon with great waving of napkins by proud Burgundy natives.
Narrow tables, as far as the eye can see will be filled with an extraordinary assortment of guests and every wine glass continually replenished from the moment lunch starts. Famous wine identities, local vignerons and wine negociants mingle and pour wine for each other, friends, competitors, tourists and wine media.
A most delightful lunch, including foie gras, scallops, veal, tournedos of beef, cheese and dessert, will be served over many hours, and the wines will continue to flow. Bottles are opened and tasted, the pace is fast and furious and immediately it is time for the next, one is lucky to catch the name on the label as they whiz by.
Good natured fun will see some ‘foreign’ bottles, often of very good wine, filter in from vineyards outside of this area, they will be poured and drunk in good spirit, with gusto but really, today is very much about Burgundy wines, especially the whites.
Word has it that the lunch may start to wind down around 7pm…
For a terrific update on this years event, some of the wines and a taste of the ambience, go straight to the following blog. Lucky attendee!
http://nicolemma.com/2010/11/24/la-paulee-de-meursault-2010/
http://www.ot-meursault.fr
http://www.bonjourlafrance.com/france-regions/burgundy/festivals.htm
