TERROIR

In Burgundy, the geological origin and the physical and chemical composition of the soils are highly diversified and vary from one vineyard to another, but also within the same vineyard, the same village and the same locality. This explains why the Burgindian vineyard is like an immense mosaic made up of thousands of plots of land (called ‘climates’ in this context), often very small indeed (Romanée is the smallest appellation in the world with 0.8 hectare).
In spite of this diversity of soils, Burgundy has a certain unity of geology and soil and climate conditions from north to south: sedimentary soils composed of clay, marls and limestone, deposited here 150 million years ago in the Jurassic period on an even older substrate (250 million years ago) composed of granite, lava, gneisses and a variety of schist. The decomposition of marine sedimentary rocks is thus at the origin of the clay-limestone soils on which the Burgundian grape varieties can express their personalities to the full.

• The pinot noir loves well-drained marl and limestone soils on which, depending on the proportion of limestone and the situation of the plot, it will produce a light, elegant red or a powerful, vigorous wine.

• The chardonnay prefers marly-limestone soils that are quite clayey, where it develops all its elegance and smooth flavours. It is the proportion of clay in the soil which determines the more or less aromatic, full style of the great dry white wines of Burgundy.

If the nature of the soil is the key element of the terroir, many other natural factors have an influence on the quality, typicity and expression of a wine: the exposure to the sun of the plot of land, its altitude, the depth and drainage of the soil, the climatic conditions of the year, the micro climate and so on
Lastly, the role of man is a determining factor in the production of an appellation d’origine contrôlée wine: from the vine, with the choice and practical application of the cultivation methods, and pruning to the grape harvest, and in the cellar during the winemaking maturation process.

by courtesy: BIVB