Bordeaux, Burgundy and a gift for the boss

by Shelby Ledgerwood on February 22, 2012

A friend sent me an email about buying a “nice bottle” of Bordeaux or Burgundy to give as a gift. Of course vintage always matters in these regions, but without knowing what store he was shopping at and/or what was available to him, I tried to create a list as general as possible – without vintages. Here are a few of my favorites (running about $35 to $125/bottle) – I would not be disappointed to receive a bottle from any of these producers, regardless of the vintage …

BORDEAUX
Any Bordeaux fan would be thrilled with one of these:

Chateau Grand Corbin Despagne, Saint-Emilion
Chateau Sociando Mallet, Haut-Medoc
Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac
(Yes, I prefer Comtesse to Baron)
Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere, Saint-Emilion

BURGUNDY
Reputation of producer is the most important factor when selecting Burgundy. Here are some excellent producers:

Bruno Clair
Henri Gouges
Dujac
Domaine de l’arlot
Dominique Laurent

Next, I would consider the level (village, premier cru, grand cru.) I highly suggest choosing at the Premier Cru (PC) level for a gift. You must see the words “premier cru” or “1er cru” on the label. There are many more PC than what I have listed below, so don’t be alarmed if you can’t find the exact one. Again, producer is more important in Burgundy. Personally, I would be thrilled with any PC, from any one of these villages, from any one of these producers.

Last, I would consider wine style preference. I prefer these villages, in this order:

Chambolle-Musigny
(PC: Les Charmes, Les Combottes) for nuance and delicacy
Gevrey-Chambertin
(PC: Clos Saint-Jacques, Les Cazetiers) for balance of fruit and power
Nuits-Saints-Georges
(PC: Les Perrieres) for juicy fruit

Kudos! Another friend forwarded me his post titled: what to give your boss as a holiday gift. A nice bottle is always appreciated – but a personal note goes so much farther than one could imagine! Thanks to Ken at Corporate Intelligence Radio!