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Domaine Bonneau du Martray
Vintage: 2009
Despite less than ideal climatic conditions, featuring storms which threatened an otherwise perfect year, most parts of California had an excellent year for viticulture. Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs were picked at optimum ripeness, and Californian white wine was just about as good as it could be. Surprises and overcoming difficulties summed up much of the United States' wine industry in 2009, and many of the results from Oregon, Washington State and all over California speak for themselves, with the flagship Cabernet Sauvignon grapes having developed healthy, thick skins and thus plenty of character and distinction. Elsewhere in the New World, South Africa had a very good year in 2009, and wineries across the cape of the African continent are proclaiming it a truly great vintage.
In most of Europe, fine weather and punctual ripening periods produced some excellent wines, with many of the best coming out of France's Bordeaux and the surrounding regions. Merlot had an exceptionally good year in France, and wineries are proclaiming that the 2009 Merlot harvest was one of the best in living memory. Indeed, across most of France, ripening was relatively even, and red wine grapes such as Cabernet Franc, Syrah and others were reportedly highly characterful, with plenty of the required tannin levels with which to make high quality wines. Italy, too, had a very good 2009. Piedmont reported extremely favorable conditions throughout 2009, and their signature Nebbiolo grapes were more or less perfect when harvested, having benefited from the slight drop in temperature at the end of their ripening period. Veneto, too, had an enviable year, producing superb Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay wines in 2009.
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir grapes have been cultivated in and around the Burgundy region of France for centuries, where they have long been favored by vintners for their wide range of flavors, their thin skins and for producing wines which have light, smooth tannins, and a beautiful garnet red color Whilst they remain one of the flagship varietals of this special region, their wide popularity and recent status as a fashionable 'romantic' varietal has led to them being planted in almost every wine producing country in the world. However, the Pinot Noir demands a huge amount of care and attention from the wineries that wish to grow it, as this varietal is particularly susceptible to various forms of mildew and rot. Despite this, the grape is otherwise a favorite with wineries for the fact that it requires little extra effort once it begins fermentation. Pinot Noir is also widely known for producing some of the world's most famous sparkling wines, being one of two key grapes for the production of Champagne, and several other sparkling varieties.
Region: Burgundy
The beautiful region of Burgundy in France is famously home to some of the most exquisite red wines to be found anywhere on earth, and is most commonly associated with the silky, elegant and flavorful Pinot Noir varietal wines which are commonly produced there. However, the superb and mineral rich soils fed by the Rhone river, and the long hot summers and mild autumns of the region produce a wide variety of fine grapes, and as such, Burgundy produces plenty of different wines which are equally as good as the produce the region is famed for. The region of Burgundy itself has a wine-making history which stretches back at least two thousand years, and as such, it comes as no surprise that the wineries which fill the dozens of controlled appellations of the region rely heavily on traditional methods and techniques when it comes to producing their famous wines.
Country: France
French winemakers are subjected to several laws and regulations regarding the wines they produce, and how they can be labeled and sold. Such procedures are designed to increase the overall quality of the country's produce, and also to ensure that wines made in each particular region or appellation are of a character and type which is representative of the area. Thankfully for consumers of wine world-wide, the French have a particularly high reputation to uphold, and seem to do so flawlessly. Every year, wineries from all over France produce millions upon millions of bottles of fine wine, making the most of their native grape varieties and the excellent terrain which covers most of the country. From the expensive and exquisite red wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, to the white wines and cremants of central France, the French are dedicated to providing the world with wines of the highest quality and most distinctive character.
Appellation: Cote De Beaune
France's beautiful and highly esteemed sub-region of Cote De Beaune is rightly regarded as the home to many of the world's finest, most complex and fascinating white wines. The white wine industry of Cote De Beaune is based almost solely around the Chardonnay grape, which flourishes especially well in the fine climatic conditions the region receives, and ripens well due to the mineral rich soils which typify the area. Chardonnay is renowned for its ability to express the best points of its terroir, and local winemakers claim that a mixture of traditional techniques and the stunning soils they work with is the secret to their success. There is also a huge red wine industry in Cote De Beaune, which, although not quite as famous as the white wines that leave the region, produces remarkable results from the excellent Pinot Noir grapes which grow there.