GG_N52_IT

BURGUNDY
APPELLATION
EMILIE PANSIOT IN HER WINERY
LES CHANTEMERLES AT DOMAINE PANSIOT
matured. The trading business is based on grape
supply contracts. Paul Aegerter, the owner and
winegrower now helms the family company on
his own. As his range covers all of Burgundy,
his insight into the ‘village’ level is particularly
relevant. Right off the bat, he stresses
that ‘village’ wines run the gamut in terms of
pricing, ranging from around 15 euros for a
Mâcon Village to €90-100 for a Meursault or a
Puligny-Montrachet.
The Aegerters have a fairly unique distribution
model for Burgundy as exports account for only
20% of sales, compared with 50% for the French
market and a balance of 30% to airline companies.
The French also tend to buy more Chablis,
Mâcon, Chorey and Maranges, whereas export
markets import Nuits-Saint-Georges, Vosne
Romanée and Puligny-Montrachet. Aegerter
then goes on to point out that all of these
wines are increasingly rare, particularly the
latest vintages which yielded small volumes.
Although new appellations such as Vézeley have
been established, they are few and far between.
Broadly speaking, the appellations are cast in
stone. Finding new vineyards to lease is virtually
impossible, particularly for the famous villages
where over the past few years some extremely
wealthy buyers have invested.
Increasingly, the wines therefore have to be sold
on a limited allocation basis so that everyone gets
a look in. Although prices have risen, they have
remained reasonable and have not compensated
for falling volumes. Aegerter therefore has greater
faith in the development of the regional appellations
of Hautes Côtes de Nuits and Beaune, where
the terroir is conducive to producing wines that
can improve, some of them single vineyard offerings.
This is where quality Burgundy can increasingly
be found, for under €30.
DOMAINE PANSIOT:
A HOST OF APPELLATIONS
This family estate is located in Corgoloin, in
southern Côte de Nuits. It now boasts 21 hec-
30 SUMMER 2023 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE