Burgundy Showcase: 2017 Premier Crus

By Ilona B.

For our September tasting, the Toronto Vintners Club welcomed members and guests back after the summer break with an evening dedicated to one of the world’s most captivating wine regions: Burgundy. This time, the spotlight was on 2017 Premier Cru Pinot Noir, with a carefully selected lineup offering a journey through some of the Côte d’Or’s celebrated villages and vineyards.

The 2017 vintage proved particularly well suited to this exploration. Known for its purity, freshness, and aromatic precision, the vintage produced beautifully balanced Pinot Noir with moderate ripeness and a wonderful transparency of terroir. Now with nearly a decade of evolution, the wines are beginning to show an intriguing combination of vibrant fruit alongside the earthy, floral, and savoury complexity that makes mature Burgundy so compelling.

After the reception, guests were seated to begin the tasting, accompanied by appetizers selected to complement the wines. Our guest speaker for the evening, Kim Berdusco, guided members and guests through the fascinating world of Burgundy, helping us explore how differences in vineyard, soil, elevation, exposure, and winemaking can create remarkably distinct expressions of Pinot Noir-even among Premier Cru vineyards located relatively close to one another.

The evening’s eight wines took us through Savigny-lès-Beaune, Morey-Saint-Denis, Beaune, and Nuits-Saint-Georges, with respected producers including Louis Jadot, Marchand-Tawse, Rapet Père et Fils, Simon Bize & Fils, David Duband, and Rossignol-Trapet. The lineup ranged from fragrant and silky expressions to wines showing greater structure, savoury depth, and firm tannins, highlighting just how much diversity Burgundy can offer through a single grape variety.

Once all eight wines had been tasted, members and guests cast their votes for their favourites of the evening. Taking the No. 1 spot was the 2017 Marchand-Tawse Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos des Ormes.

The winning wine was a wonderful expression of Morey-Saint-Denis, showing bright red fruit, floral notes reminiscent of wilted rose petals, and subtle brown spice. On the palate, crisp acidity brought freshness and balance to ripe fruit and fleshy tannins, creating an expressive and immediately appealing Burgundy. Crafted with 25% whole clusters and 35% new oak, it combined elegance and structure with an inviting character that clearly resonated with the room.

The tasting was a fitting way to begin the Toronto Vintners Club’s fall season and a memorable reminder of what makes Burgundy so fascinating. Eight wines from the same vintage and the same grape revealed remarkably different personalities, each shaped by its vineyard and producer. With insightful commentary from Kim Berdusco, lively discussion around the tables, and an excellent flight of Premier Cru Pinot Noir, the evening offered a chance to experience Burgundy as it is meant to be explored: side by side, one terroir at a time.

Here’s how the group scored the wines: