Côte D'Or: A Celebration of the Great Wines of Burgundy [Hardcover]

Clive Coates M. W. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1997

The heart of Burgundy, the Côte D'Or, produces Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines that are unrivaled in their quality, intensity, and ability to age in the bottle. On this "golden slope" in eastern France, with its unique terrains and climats, grow the vines for some of the world's finest wines, among them such heralded names as Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée, Puligny- and Chassagne-Montrachet, and Aloxe-Corton. Clive Coates, Master of Wine, has spent much of the last fifteen years in the Côte D'Or, and this book is the splendid result of his assiduous exploring, tasting, and assessing of the region's wines.
With his unique access to each clos and domaine, and to individual negociants and vignerons, Coates may know more about the Côte D'Or and its wines than any other living writer. In Part One, he describes the Côte D'Or's famous villages, introduces every manor grower and his wines, and evaluates each grand and premier cru, recommending the best sources in every climat. Part Two profiles the top sixty domaines, with notes on a vertical tasting of one of their wines. Part Three consists of vintage assessments on the best red and white years since 1945 and includes thousands of detailed tasting notes.
Côte D'Or is a work of love and passion, praise and criticism, understanding and scholarship. Above all, it is a celebration of one of the world's great wine regions, the people who live there, and their fabled wines. It is an essential addition to every wine library and an inviting read for any wine lover.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A fascinating and exhaustive look at France's most celebrated piece of real estate....Coates, who did an award-winning job in his last book, on Bordeaux, turns his considerable scholarship, wit and savvy, without pulling punches, on a region too often restrained by tradition yet driven by commercialism. A requisite book for the wine lover." -- Mariani's Virtual Gourmet Newsletter

"Not only gives ample factual information about what is considered the greatest wine growing region in the world but is also filled with colorful history and anecdotes." -- Adventures in Dining

"This book is a celebration both enlightening and entertaining of one of the world's great wine regions." -- Richmond Times-Dispatch

From the Inside Flap

"Clive Coates is a thinker as well as a writer and taster of distinction. . . . For me, he is indispensable reading."--Hugh Johnson

"A master class in Burgundy, given by one of the world's foremost authorities. Coates, who clearly adores the region, knows Burgundy intimately. His evaluations of its wine producers are delightfully opinionated."--Jacqueline Friedrich, author of The Wines of France

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1007 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (September 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520212517
• ISBN-13: 978-0520212510
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.2 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #634,865 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent single-volume work on Burgundy, December 20, 2000

By 

C. North "CCN" (London, England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Côte D'Or: A Celebration of the Great Wines of Burgundy (Hardcover)

This book is an excellent reference work for the serious amateur of Burgundy. The focus is very much on the top estates and domains of the Côte d'Or (Côte de Nuits & Côte de Beaune, as opposed to the Maconnais, Beaujolais, or Chablis -- all technically part of Burgundy in the French appellation system); while well organized and refreshingly jargon-free, debutants looking to ease themselves in to the most complicated wine region in the world might want to look elsewhere.

After living in Burgundy for six months, visiting almost 100 domains, and looking at just about every reviewer's notes, I trust Coates above anyone when it comes to Burgundy. He is a believer in terroir, and cares deeply about balance and finesse; those whose tastes track Parker's, who care most about extract, color, and power are probably looking at the wrong book. (They're looking in the wrong region, too -- and at the wrong varietal for that matter.)

This book is an absolutely essential part of every oenophile's library. Why only 4 stars? The reviews are somewhat out of date -- a problem for anyone with a relatively new wine drinking/collecting habit (latest vintage reviewed is 1996, I believe, and that one only briefly). Also, the tasting notes are not as comprehensive as one might wish -- Coates sometimes limits himself to notes from a single vertical tasting in a given vigneron's cellar.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Comprehensive Review of the Leading Domaines of Burgundy, January 22, 2000

By 

Alan S. Klee (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Côte D'Or: A Celebration of the Great Wines of Burgundy (Hardcover)

The author offers a comprehensive review of the history of the finest wine producing region in the province of Burgundy, France. The book not only provides a well written historical perspective of the evolution of the great wine growing in the Cote d'Or, but also a discussion of differences in terrior of each of the appellations. If you wondered what are the differences or similarities among Gevrey Chambertin, Vosne Romanee, Musigny, Volnay, etc., this is the book for you! Mr. Coates also provides very useful commentary about the leading domaines and negotiants within each appellation, including a very useful comparative analysis of the vintages through the early-1990's.

This book is a must for those who want to gain a greater knowledge of the Cote d'Or and the fabulous wines it produces. Very fine, indeed!

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply indispensible to every Burgundy wine lover, April 19, 1998

By 

Yak (Tel-Aviv, Israel) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Côte D'Or: A Celebration of the Great Wines of Burgundy (Hardcover)

The most recent and up to date definitive work on Burgundy! Clive Coates, in his sharp and wittily understated British style, has done it all! While coverage of the general and background aspects of Burgundy is not as superb as in Hanson's book, Coates survey of the producers and his countless tasting notes spanning the last 50 years(!) are by far the best of the lot. On top of dedicating at least a paragraph to every known and unknown producer, Mr. Coates gives us in-depth detailed 'profiles' of the best sixty domaines.