Deep Burgundy

‘There lies the dearest freshness deep down things’ — and also the dearest Frenchness. It is easy to be rude about the French governing elite; indeed, it is impossible to be polite about them. But there is a France profonde, with a deep-rooted identity, like gnarled, ancient vines. There are said to be nearly 400 French cheeses; la France profonde has at least as many capitals, where things are done in the old way, with a combination of commercial realism, ancestral piety and devotion to the terroir.

You will find all that in Gevrey-Chambertin, a modest, confident and enchanting little town, in which history is now, and Burgundy. This is especially true at the house of Pierre Bourée, which has been mentioned before in this column, in a vain attempt to do justice to the commitment which is devoted to the craft. ‘Justice’ is an appropriate word, for their Clos de la Justice is an excellent and deceptive wine. Balanced and harmonious, the 2013 was ready to drink now, but will last for 20 years. Today, the business is run by the Vallet family, descendants of the founding Bourées. In the past, I have paid Bernard Vallet some wholly inadequate compliments; I think that his wines are continuing to improve, from a very high base. Although the enterprise has only existed in its current form for 150 years, one might think that everything had been there for ever, which in a way it has. There is Roman masonry in the cellars. Men made wine here when Rome was still a republic and Caesar had not yet defeated Vercingetorix.

So, at least in the Bourées’ vineyards, Hopkins would have been wrong to complain that ‘generations have trod, have trod, have trod/ And all is seared with trade.’