Wine
book reviews
The Finest
Wines of Burgundy
Bill Nanson
First
a disclaimer. I’ve known the author of this book, Bill Nanson, for
a few years now. For a long time, both of us have been active
online, and Bill’s www.burgundy-report.com
has set the standard for online reporting on a specific region.
While I’ve given up the day job to work full time on wine
communication, Bill remains outside the trade, which is—I
think—quite a healthy place to be as it brings perspective. But he
puts in the legwork. Based in Switzerland, he’s able to make
frequent trips to the region, and usually works harvest there, too.
So as a long-time follower of Bill, I cannot claim this review is
entirely impartial, although I want to make it as fair and honest as
I can.
This book is the latest in the
attractively presented series from the World
of Fine Wine team, and they have to be congratulated for taking
the considerable risk in not just opting for someone inside the
trade, but rather backing Bill. This risk has paid off handsomely.
He writes really well, and his introduction to Burgundy (the first
50 pages of the book), with important sections on vital topics such
as actually enjoying the wines, is the best I have read. He also
deals very well with the thorny issue of premature oxidation that
has haunted white Burgundy over the last decade. It’s worth buying
the book for this introduction alone.
The bulk of the book is taken up by pen
portraits of producers, some 90 of them. It’s a personal
selection, including some famous names—but also leaving out some
of the better known domaines to make room for producers who may be
less well known but who are worth learning about. This is
particularly useful because famous names are now usually so
expensive.
I like the fact that this book isn’t
trying to replicate what has gone before. It’s not another
Remington Norman/Charles Taylor spin-off. One of the distinguishing
features of this Fine Wine Editions series is the photography of Jon
Wyand, and once again he’s managed to capture many of the growers
really effectively in his portrait work. It is truly remarkable how
such a beautifully written and produced book, in full colour and on
glossy paper, can have a list price of just £20, making it closer
to £10 when bought from Amazon. Utter bargain.
One criticism, and this isn’t Bill’s
fault. The index is a bit bizarre, in that many of the Domaines are
listed under ‘D’ for ‘Domaine X’. The index is also a bit on
the short side. For example, there are no entries for oxidation or
premature oxidation. It is a shame not to have commissioned a proper
index for a book of this quality.
It wasn’t so long ago that the wine
trade was bemoaning the demise of the Faber and Faber series of wine
guides, which later became the Mitchell Beazley Classic Wine
Library. But now we have this growing range of Fine Wine Editions
that’s filling the void, and the good news is that they are much
better. Even if you have a passing interest in Burgundy, buy
Bill’s book!
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