REVIEW by CURTIS MARSH (“Book Review: The Must-Have Wine Book of the Year”, Asia Sentinel, December 7, 2010).
Although this book is the perfect Christmas present for Burgundy and pinot noir lovers, or all wine enthusiasts for that matter, it is imperative reading for anyone wanting to better understand the deep complexities of Burgundy and more specifically, the pinnacle of the region and the pinot noir grape, the appellation Vosne-Romanée – as Meadow’s puts it more evocatively, ‘The Pearl of the Cote’.
We were only just discussing the mysteries of Burgundy the other day at a most enjoyable Maison Louis Latour lunch and how the consumer grapples with the myriad intricacies with the region and its wines. Some comments were made to the effect that for the consumer to better understand Burgundy, the subject needs to be demystified and the approach to it more user-friendly.
Actually, I don’t agree with this at all. In reality you could not get an easier base level of wine to come to terms with than Burgundy, with only two personable grapes – chardonnay and pinot noir – to contend with. The genesis of the wines is intrinsically linked to their geography with an unmistakable ‘sense of place’.
However, the beauty is that you can take your level of interest to a limitless extreme in discovering the idiosyncrasies of the pinot noir grape and the myriad of complexities in the mosaic of different soils, vineyard aspects and orientation, micro-climates and man’s influence in the vineyard – essentially what the French call terroir, to the winemaking itself, all translated through the wines’ scents, flavors, textures and nuances.
Essentially, Burgundy can be a simple pleasure or as complex as you want it to be, but please, don’t try to dumb it down, you will strip all the pleasure out of wine!
As with the infectious nature of pinot noir, once you pick up this book, you will find it hard to put down. Even as I write this review, I admit I have not read all of it, and when I do finish it, I will probably read it again and again.
You could say it is a reference book, indeed the ultimate reference on Vosne-Romanée and its producers. However, as thoroughly exhaustive as it is, it is written in a way that one does not tire of – as one can with such comprehensive works. There is a seamless flow between a progressive and logical journey through Burgundies’ history and evolution from ‘The Monks, the Dukes, Pinot Noir and the Idea of Terroir’, to a tour through the villages and appellations, reaching a crescendo with ‘An Historic Tasting – The Genius Revealed’, an account of an unparalleled tasting in April 2007, of 74 vintages of Romanée-Conti spanning three centuries.
The fascinating and profound, all-encompassing account of this extraordinary event and tasting notes are reason enough to buy the book alone, with each chapter covering the village appellations with detailed and exacting notes on top producers, the trajectory of their wines and an extensive tasting notes on multiple vintages –as far back as 1870!
The book is beautifully crafted and presented with alluring, impressionistic photographs that make you reach for a bottle of Burgundy and the phone to call your travel agent at the same time. There are state-of-the-art vineyard maps and legends along with painstaking records of grower vineyard holdings that will be the benchmark reference.
Above all, it is written with extraordinary passion and precision in wine prose that is unparalleled, both on the subject of Burgundy and in individualistic style and authority.
Released in July 2010, it is Meadows’ first published book, all 350-pages of it, although many of us are already well-acquainted with Meadows as under his nom de plume Burghound, or www.Burghound.com, and his extensive quarterly review, devoted to the coverage of the wines of Burgundy, US pinot noir and chardonnay and a bi-annual coverage of Champagne.
Self-published, ‘The Pearl of the Cote’ is only available through https://www.burghoundbooks.com/ Meadows is personally autographing books up until 31st December, so another reason to order now. My copies arrived within four days of ordering, which is pretty impressive from the US to Singapore, so there is certainly ample time for Christmas orders, assuming there are copies available as I know the first print run is almost sold out.
Footnote:
Burghound in Asia – Having first met Allen Meadows in Hong Kong at the inaugural Acker, Merrall & Condit wine auction in 2008, my continued correspondence and a persuasive dialogue on the bourgeoning Asia wine market and the insatiable thirst for wine knowledge, I am delighted that Meadows has agreed to travel to Singapore to spread his passion for pinot noir and chardonnay and to expound on his new book, We are indeed privileged to have him emcee the event. Details are at www.burghoundinasia.com
EXCERPT from REVIEW BY SCOTT PAUL (“Best Burg Books Bonanza”, December 1, 2010). Reprinted with permission.
Leading Burgundy expert & critic Allen Meadows (“Burghound”) released his first tome late this summer, and it is a monumental work. It is a detailed and thorough study of the great wines of Burgundy’s most storied village, Vosne-Romanée. But it is so much more than that. In addition to the supremely accurate vineyard maps (custom for this book), the immense detail on every Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyard, the hundred of tasting notes for every wine going back to the 1800s, and excellent photography –The Pearl of the Côte also captures the absolute soul of Burgundy. This is required reading for any and all who have an interest in the vineyards and wines of Burgundy. Allen has re-set the bar for wine books with this one, and I give it an unqualified 100pts and hearty Chapeau! to Monsieur Meadows.
EXCERPT from REVIEW BY MIKE STEINBERGER (“Hyperdirected Oenophiles: Burghound, For the Love of Port, and other great niche wine sites,” SLATE, November, 2010). Reprinted with permission.
…because of the Internet, there are also probably more people than ever writing about wine. Anyone with a computer and a corkscrew can be a critic now; offering regional expertise is a way of standing out in an increasingly crowded field.
So who are the regional gurus worth following? Allen Meadows is the best-known and most successful of them, and his reputation for excellence is richly deserved. A California-based former banker, Meadows publishes a quarterly e-newsletter called Burghound, which as the name suggests focuses on the wines of Burgundy. A longtime Burgundy nut, Meadows launched his publication in 2001…and is widely recognized as the go-to guide for the wines of Burgundy – the place to not only get the skinny on new releases from the likes of Dujac and Mugnier, but to learn about up-and-coming producers and to receive detailed information on issues of concern to Burgundy aficionados, such as the “premox” mystery…. He just took the specialization a degree further by self-publishing a book about Vosne-Romanéee, the most acclaimed of Burgundy’s wine villages. The Pearl of the Côte is a beautifully designed, exhaustively researched tome that underscores why Burgundy is the most maddeningly arcane but ultimately rewarding wine region on the planet. It is truly porno for winos (particularly the last section, a sip-by-sip account of an epic tasting that Meadows attended of the fabled Domaine de la Romanée-Conti – some guys have all the luck)…
EXCERPT from REVIEW BY JAY MCINERNY, (“Two New Wine Books, for the Neophyte and for the Geek,” Wall. St. Journal, Nov. 3, 2010). Reprinted with permission.
… Allen Meadows’ Pearl of the Côte: The Great Wines of Vosne-Romanée is required reading for serious burghounds and aficionados of the great wines of the Côte d’Or….
Allen Meadows, the mighty Burghound, was a finance executive for 25 years before he retired to write a book on Burgundy. The book project evolved into a quarterly review/website which has become perhaps the ultimate reference for lovers of that region’s notoriously fickle wines.
The book itself has finally arrived, and for some of us it was definitely worth the wait. To describe it as a comprehensive view of its subject would be an understatement. Every single vineyard of the most famous region of the Côte s d’Or is examined here. Meadows parses out the tortuous history that led to the current vineyard and appellation boundaries, analyzes soil and exposition as well as the characteristics of the wines themselves. He provides photographs of every premier and grand cru vineyard.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the prose here is much more polished than that of his tasting notes on Burghound. There is more information here than many will wish for, but real Burgundy aficionados will be grateful for every detail. The book builds to the inevitable climax of a concluding chapter on Romanée Conti, the ne plus ultra of vineyards.
Few of us will ever get the chance to drink it more than once or twice, if at all. My advice is to spring for Meadows’ book and live vicariously.
Review by CLIVE COATES, MW- August 2010 (www.clive-coates.com). Reprinted with permission.
Vosne-Romanée not only possesses the greatest vineyards in the world, it houses some of Burgundy’s greatest domaines, not just the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Leroy, but Grivot and Cathiard, Liger-Belair and Méo-Camuzet, Dr. Georges Mugneret-Gibourg and Arnoux-Lachaux, as well as three of the four branches of the excellent Gros family, and others. Here is a splendid book which covers the village and its vineyards, and inter aia the producers, in all the detail you could wish.
Allen Meadows, known as the Burghound, has been producing a splendidly in-depth newsletter on the wines of Burgundy for ten years now. A retired banker in his 50s, he had many years of drinking the stuff before he dared start commenting. Today his quarterly review on the wines in cask is clearly the best there is on the region, and I strongly recommend it. I can also vehemently commend this book to you. It is written with verve, it is totally up to date and, as far as I can see free of factual errors. Moreover I can only agree with the vast majority of his assessments on the wines.
The meat of The Pearl is a climat by climat assessment of the vineyards, from Les Beaux Monts to Les Suchots in premier cru, in alphabetical order, and Echézeaux to Romanée-Conti, in order of prestige, in grand cru. Meadows adds no domaine profiles, which is a pity, but there is a detailed tasting report at the end of each chapter, and no lack of detail on the individual domaine approaches to their task. Meadows has consumed plenty of fine, mature Burgundy, and he speaks with knowledge of what he writes.
Bravo Burghound!
REVIEW BY PHILIP ABRAMS FOR RICHARD JENNINGS – August 2010 (view review at RJR ON WINE). Reprinted with permission.…The Pearl of the Côte, the Great Wines of Vosne-Romanée by Allen D. Meadows. Published by Burghound Books $59.99, and worth it.
You don’t usually begin a review of a book by quoting from someone else’s – but here goes, anyway: “Burgundians devote an extraordinary amount of attention – some say obsessively so – to just the soil.” So it’s no surprise to read this from Allen Meadows:
“I slowly got into the habit of going with the vignerons into their vineyards…I noticed that many them were always picking up chunks of soil in their various vineyards and crumbling them in their hands…One day I asked a gnarled old Burgundian why he smelled the soil. He said ‘because the soils smell different everywhere.’ And damned if he wasn’t right. Sometimes, the differences in smells between vineyard soils were extremely subtle but I persisted and over time, I developed the ability to readily discern these nuances.”
Here, in a few lines, in an aside in the chapter on Grands Echézeaux, is the key to why The Pearl of the Côte is a truly outstanding book. Mr. Meadows has both metaphorically and literally dug himself into what makes Burgundy the greatest of wines – in every sense of the term, he’s got his hands dirty.
Another writer, talking of his early years in the wine trade, wrote, “The difference between wines seemed so small. I came from a family which drank wine only rarely, and it is regular tasting which allows one to build up one’s knowledge. There is no substitute for experience.” Mr. Meadow’s, in an aside about his early drinking, back in the seventies, writes: “I also had the opportunity to taste an enormous amount of fine Bordeaux, primarily from the 1959 and 1961 vintages.”
Actually, that’s pretty much all you need to know. The author, following significant exposure at a young age to very fine wine, then spent thirty years visiting, studying and tasting burgundy. In that time he seems to have read every important book on the subject, tasted every wine, walked every vineyard and talked to every Burgundian. The two other authors quoted above, Matt Kramer and Anthony Hanson, have done a lot of that too, and produced terrific books – both are acknowledged here. But Mr. Meadows’ is both different and better. Different, because of its focus on a single village. Better, because the years since the other two have seen an explosion of scholarship, so he can tell us a lot more about the history of Burgundy. Here you can find the details of battle between the merchants who wanted big brands and the growers who were determined to bottle the product of a very particular patch of earth, fought out in court case after court case. And Mr. Meadows has the advantage of publishing this himself, so he’s written what he wanted to say, and then made a genuinely beautiful book – superb content married to superb pictures, on high quality paper, all beautifully bound.
So what’s in this large and handsome volume? A historical survey of how Burgundy became a wine region, and more on that fight for genuine wine (the growers won, thank goodness). Then fourteen short essays on the fourteen premier cru vineyards, a brief discussion of the village’s lesser wines, eight longer essays on the eight grand cru vineyards – Echézeaux, Les Grands Echézeaux, La Grande Rue, Romanée St Vivant, Les Richebourgs, La Romanée, La Tâche and La Romanée-Conti, all followed by tasting notes from a selection of vintages and producers. And a long closing chapter describing a sensational three day, 74 vintage tasting of Romanée-Conti.
At which point, I stopped for lunch. Today’s wine had to be a Vosne-Romanée, a bottle of Maizières from A.-F. Gros. Mr. Meadows has recently scored the other Vosne villages wines from this producer slightly higher. With respect, I disagree.Fortified by wine, and emboldened by a first disagreement, I’ll raise a few more quibbles. Too many of the photos don’t have captions. While it’s a wonderful idea to produce an aerial photograph outlining the vineyard for each essay, it’s too hard to relate them to their neighbours. I think he makes too much of the origin of the name La Grande Rue, the newest grand cru of the village. It means “the big road” – and lots of French villages have a Grande Rue, best translated as “Main Street.” Sound familiar? The production statistics for Les Grands Echézeaux are orphaned at the top of a page, above a photograph – I had to check twice before I found them. And I think he misses a trick on those statistics. Adding together his estimates for the total quantity of wine produced from all the premier and grand cru vineyards of Vosne-Romanée gives a figure of around 52,000 cases. Chateau Lafite in Bordeaux, admittedly one of the largest but arguably also the best, produces nearly that on its own. No wonder it is so hard to buy a decent selection of wines.
What else hasn’t he done? He mostly avoids giving prices – which is good, as they, and exchange rates, fluctuate so wildly. There are no grower profiles here – but both Clive Coates and Remington Norman have recently updated their books which are stuffed full of those kinds of details (yes, Mr. Meadows acknowledges them too). And he’s avoided something undesirable – sounding smug, arousing jealousy in readers –simply by writing well. Not for him eighteen wheeler truck prose, industrially efficient at noisily delivering vast quantities of information, but without any other merit. There’s room here for asides, for personal reflections, for interesting anecdotes, even the odd reference to Michelangelo and Balzac. The information comes along for the ride.
I finished this big book feeling I had spent a long time in the company of a wise and knowledgeable author, with a great sense of perspective. Ten years ago, he says, he quit his job meaning to write a book on Burgundy. Instead he founded the Burgundy enthusiast’s indispensable quarterly, Burghound. If this is the book he meant to write, it’s been worth the wait.
EXCERPT from REVIEW BY ERIC ASIMOV, October 4, 2010 (full review online at www.nytimes.com)
…[F]or those eager for … scalpel-like precision and scholarly depth, Allen D. Meadows has produced “The Pearl of the Côte: The Great Wines of Vosne-Romanée” (Burghound Books, $59.99), available only through burghoundbooks.com.
Mr. Meadows, who writes Burghound.com, an exhaustive online quarterly, plunges deeply into the history and vineyards of Vosne-Romanée, the commune in the Côte de Nuits that is home to legendary grand crus like La Tâche, Richebourg and La Romanée-Conti. He writes from a Burgundian point of view, assessing minute differences in terroir in exquisite detail and narrating with verve and spirit the history of Burgundy in general and Vosne-Romanée in particular.
“The Pearl of the Côte” is packed with helpful photographs and maps. …[F]or those seeking to understand why these wines are so prized, and why Burgundy is singular among wine regions, Mr. Meadows offers splendid reading.
Review by XAVIER AUERBACH (“Panache! My favourite Burgundies”, Nov., 2010). Reprinted with permission.
In July 2010, the great Burgundy connoisseur Allen Meadows (also known as Burghound) published his excellent book “The Pearl of the Côte” about the wines of Vosne-Romanée. His encyclopedic knowledge of these vineyards and wines is awe-inspiring. His tasting experience inspires equal awe and just the slightest bit of envy – imagine a three-day tasting of La Romanée-Conti all the way back to 1870… Why wasn’t I invited – it is unforgivable! For Burgundy enthusiasts this book (available from burghound.com only) is a must-read.
When talking about the (somewhat obscure) Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Rouges du Dessus he writes about the 2000 Jean Grivot rendition (page 88): “Though not a great wine, it is certainly one with breed, style and a certain panache that few vineyards outside Vosne, Chambolle and Volnay can consistently deliver.”
This statement got me thinking about this post. Panache: that is what I am looking for in Burgundy – or any wine really. Literally, the word refers to a plume of feathers worn on a hat or a helmet, in history in particular to the white plume of feathers worn on his helmet by King Henry IV of France. He is famous for his war cry: “Ralliez-vous à mon panache blanc!” More generally, the word refers to a dashing confidence of style, with connotations of flamboyance and even reckless courage. Yes, I will gladly admit to it: I like my wine to be dashing and stylish, I consider flamboyance a virtue (in wine anyway) and in this context a touch of recklessness is also thoroughly appreciated. So where do we find these “X-factor” wines in Burgundy?
For the reds, Allen Meadows’ quote already provides the answer: in Vosne, Chambolle and Volnay….
“The Pearl of the Côte is the reference I’ve been searching for to understand and simplify the complexity that Burgundy presents. As Mr. Meadows suggests, Burgundy can be compared to a symphony and Mr. Meadows is its conductor, providing a masterful effort to understand the Pearl of the Côte.”
– CR, Puerto Rico
“Your newly released book arrived and I just read Chapter 1. Bravo… it is a cogent and comprehensive analysis as to what makes Burgundy so special and why we love Burgundy wines so much. Your explanations and perspectives are unique; in a paradoxical fashion, you are like a special “Terroir”, as no one else that I know can explain (and bring up the mineralities from the depths) as you do! In addition to the great content, the book is beautifully done, well put together, great layout, photos – the whole thing!…I would like to order 8 additional books for Christmas gifts for friends/family.”
– DA, Massachusetts
“I received the book, and it is my favourite bedtime reading. It is everything I hoped for, with so much material about the terroir, the wines and the people of burgundy. Especially I love the fact that it gives so much detail about what makes every terroir so unique. It is by far the most pleasurable book (and the best) I’ve read about Burgundy.”
– ES, Greece
“I finished reading your book last night and was almost sad to have completed it. You did a remarkable job in presenting the history, people, vineyards, and wines of Vosne-Romanée. Bravo! I certainly learned a lot and look forward to rereading many sections. I especially appreciated the lyrical beginning with the musical references as well as the anecdotal story at the end. Your sincerity and thought for word-choice was evident at all times. It was great to delve into the history behind the many names I had come across in [the Burghound.com] database such as the La Romanée bottlers, and proprietors of La Tâche and Romanée-Conti. I was amused by the reference that Jayer hated artichokes after having subsisting on them in the war and that the roots gave him such trouble in Cros Parantoux. Throughout the book, but especially during the last two chapters, I was salivating for a good glass of Burgundy. And the Per Se event was really something extraordinary. Wow! I liked how you were constantly keeping ‘the best for last.’ Finally, in reading your descriptions of the ’66 DRC Montrachet and Romanée-Conti I now have a few vinous ideas for my husband’s 50th birthday down the road.”
– LC, California
“I have enjoyed the book tremendously. This book allows me, while at home going through it and watching the great pictures, to recapture the atmosphere and good moments I experience each time I visit my favorite place in Burgundy, Vosne-Romanée – which is quite often given the proximity with Luxembourg and my passion for burgundies, but still not as often as I would like.
Previous “reference” books on Burgundy did not provide that intimacy. One feels Mr. Meadows has lived in this place, has walked through the beautiful Vosne vineyards many times, unlike so many other wine writers or tasters. Of course, the great, well known estates, the big names are all in there – they have to. But the book goes well beyond and one can feel Mr. Meadows’ appreciation for the wines of some small or less known producers, like Jean-Yves Bizot or Bruno Clavelier. All in all, the book shows Mr. Meadows’ fondness and thorough knowledge of the great wines of Vosne.”
– CS, Luxembourg
“A quick note to let you know my signed book arrived in pristine condition today. I have not put it down. Congratulations to Allen and yourself on this wonderful work. I think I have most of the books you can purchase on Burgundy, but this was new, insightful, informative and engaging. It had us reliving our only visit of a year ago. Certainly stimulates the need to return. The website [www.burghound.com] is invaluable in aiding our collection and buying plans. But this beautiful book brings all the emotions and senses to life.”
– TP, Australia
“I can only say that you and Allen should be so proud. It is fantastic! But not only the content which was a given….but the book itself is beautiful! It is a pleasure to look at and savor slowly…like a great glass of Vosne Romanée. With the wonderful photos, layout and maps…it’s a wonderful example of why reading digitally will not rule the day. Congratulations!”
– M/NG, California
“I am lucky the book arrived on a Friday so I could devote my entire weekend to it. I could not put it down. It was beautiful to look at and fascinating to read. The detail in the maps was amazing and it is obvious a lot of research went into them as they are the most current of any maps of the region I have seen. I usually find history to be rather slow moving, but the history you have included was fascinating and I found myself wanting more. I have not been able to visit Burgundy yet, but you made the region alive for me and I know when I do visit next year I will have a much better understanding of the wines, the terroir, the history and the people. I feel like I just completed a degree course in wine. I learned so much while enjoying every minute. Burgundy is so confusing but you have a way of explaining it so well. I will re-read it many times and it is a great reference book.”
– SG, Russian Federation
“I have been reading every single book that I have come across about Burgundy over the last 10 years. There are some great ones but none has got the depth and passion that The Pearl of the Côte has. I have learned a lot about Vosne and especially the 1er Cru vineyards. Most books are covering the famous Grand Crus but this one is covering it all. Brilliant!”
– SG, Sweden
“I haven’t yet read a single word of text in your new book, but WOW, the production quality is a knock-out. It looks like the type of book that we used to be able to get from the Abrams art house and other similar quality publishers. You did a great job. Can’t imagine that it was self-published. Just goes to show you what you can do these days on your own with excellent help if you stick to the highest standards. Kudos to you.”
– CF, California
“Vosne Romanée is home to some of the finest burgundies and wines in the world…to write a book about this particular commune and its wines [is] a huge challenge. And let me say it right away – I think the book is great, and very exciting to read. There is a lot of knowledge put it to this Bible over the wines from Vosne-Romanée, and even though I thought I knew a lot about this Village, it is nothing compared to the wisdom covered in this book. There is a great balance between history and present time, and even if the chapters on the Grands crus are the most extensive, a lot of pages are dedicated to the 1. crus, which I am very glad for as it is quite expensive just to focus on and taste the Grand Crus ;o) The language in the book is straight forward, easy to read and understand. I am very glad for this book and look forward to read Allen’s next book – on Puligny or Gevrey-Chambertin hopefully.”
– OB, Greenland
“A book as elegant as the wines it describes…. And with detailed information beyond what even the most obsessive wine drinker could expect. Bravo! It’s a lovely book. Well done.”
– CR, Toronto/Canada
“…I tore open the box like a child, fumbling through the bubble wrap – not stopping as usual to pop a few. To my favorite reading chair I retired and for the past few hours have been lost in this wonderful book. It was a sensory overload as much as any book could be. The still warm book, smelling of printer’s ink, the crisp white pages turning to see some of the most amazing photos and maps of an incredible place. Of course, all I could do right now was to skim through it and glance at a few pages and read a few tidbits that caught my eye. Sir, in my opinion you have far exceeded any expectations that I had when you announced you were publishing this book earlier this year. I was concerned it would be a collection of tasting notes – but it’s not. The notes support the material nicely without overwhelming the book like others I have seen. The pictures are amazing. A personal favorite – you included the pronunciations of the regions – which for me was extremely useful given my lack of knowledge and poor use of the French language. On many of them, my dog watched me curiously as I read the names aloud.”
– GH, Arizona
“…; the production quality is absolutely superb…I drank Vosne last night and at lunch today to celebrate its arrival!”
– GW, Australia
“…The book is beautifully laid out, has a really nice balance of Allen’s personality and useful information, and is difficult to put down! Please pass on to Allen that for me, he has hit the Burgundy nail square on its head (as always). My thanks to you as well for your input and encouraging him to allocate so much of his time to a book which will sit next to Clive Coates’ ‘Cote d’Or’ on my shelf. “
– JF, New Zealand
“I can’t tell you how impressed I am! An amazing book. Stellar production and stellar content. The depth of research is astounding and fascinating. EVERYONE MUST BUY THIS BOOK – it is clearly the best Burgundy reference ever produced – it will be a classic and best seller. Congrats”
– MM (Allen’s father), Florida
“Today at 1:09, FedEx delivered your new book. I didn’t put it down until after 5:30. It’s a true tour de force and I can’t tell you how excellent I think it is. I’m going to have to buy a second copy to use as a reference, so I can save this autographed copy as pristine as it arrived.”
– FC, North Carolina
“Just received your great book, and have been poring over it ever since… I particularly like the spiritual tone to your introduction and conclusion – I think that sets the book up beautifully – especially for the “Burgundy’s a crapshoot” reader, inviting them to see burgundy as a quest. No instant gratification to be sought there. I also think the approach you take will appeal greatly to the Chinese and Japanese reader, so I do urge you to explore translations.”
– NB, Hong Kong
“Many many thanks for the book I received last week. I have been overwhelmed by the quality so far. It will be another great study and highly exciting read. I cannot wait till the last pages with the 3 days in heaven @ Per Se and 74 vintages of Romanée-Conti. Allen, thanks again for providing top of the line material. As a burg freak, this is THE book!”
– PE, Denmark
“The book is awesome. Tonight I ordered sushi to be delivered, opened a bottle of Burgundy (sadly not a Vosne) and curled into my leather chair. Three hours later, I’m in awe. The book is simply a work of genius. It’s so user friendly and not lofty…It’s masterful and I’m enjoying it thoroughly. Tell Allen, three thumbs up.”
– BS, Washington DC
“The Pearl of the Côte is a magnificent book. It provides an insight into the wines of Vosne-Romanée that is unsurpassed in my experience. The attention detail in the written word is matched by the same attention to detail in its physical production. Allen’s book has allowed me to access, in a most enjoyable and absorbing way, the complexities of the history, geography, and people responsible for making these superb wines. There is a significant body of tasting notes and advice throughout the book that will aid future purchase and enjoyment. Allen has produced a book that is almost as rewarding and enjoyable as its subject.”
– JK, United Kingdom
“The book was received [and] the attention to detail in packaging is most impressive, as is the printing. Regarding the content, though I can’t say that I have more than dabbled in the book, some sections have literally taken my breath away – especially the remarkable La Romanée-Conti tastings. That final section (which I admit to reading twice as soon as I came across it) has in fact reignited my interest in cracking bottles that I had long since mentally classified as ‘investment wines,’ owing to the astounding appreciation since purchase. There simply is no better Ambassador for Burgundy wines than Allen, and I hope you believe me that I do not make this statement lightly. Many thanks to you, Allen, and everyone else on your publishing team for enriching the lives of burgheads of all stripes – even grizzled old guzzlers like me.”
– DK, Hawaii
“I really loved the book. Extremely rich in [the] details of Burgundy, [the] vineyards and history. Vineyards delineating the wonderful pictures is very informative and helpful…[it is] a trip to the heart of Burgundy!!!! I have several friends who want to buy it.”
– FM, Brazil
“If anything, my comments were an understatement. In further reading, this time more than just a browse, I really am stunned by the detail, the insights, and all the research that must have gone into your Opus Magnum (no pun intended). It combines all the best of the Lavalle, Bazin, Coates, Hanson, Olney and other works in an invaluable resource for those of us Burgundy freaks who can’t get enough. Please tell me that you will follow up with works on the other major communes…”
– FC, North Carolina
“Congratulations on producing a great book. I am well into it and I must say that of my considerable library of wine books, it is one of the few with a fair level of technical content that I feel like reading cover to cover. As well as being a great reference, it is just a pleasure to read.”
– GP, Tasmania, Australia
“This is the best book on Burgundy that I have ever read. I particularly appreciate your focus on Vosne-Romanée rather than trying to do another comprehensive treatise on the whole of Burgundy.”
– JD, Illinois
“You both must be getting invaded with wonderful emails and cards as the book really is a masterpiece of great work. I know how I will be spending a lot of my free time in enjoying this great book. Having read almost a third of it I know it will be one I will read for years to come. I have ordered several more copies as gifts…What I really liked right off the bat were the outlines of the vineyards in the photos…brilliant! The tasting notes are so nicely integrated into the chapters instead of being “stuck” in the back of the book…”
– RD, Arizona
“Great book. The best I have seen for burgundy so far.”
– GV, Australia
“Please share with Allen that I love the book and can’t put it down. It is certainly THE reference work on Vosne Romanée. The knowledge of all the detail will come in handy when I visit Burgundy this Fall. Of course, everyone is wondering what the next book will be!”
– RN, Arizona