Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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 The reviews are somewhat out of date -- a problem for anyone with a relatively new wine drinking/collecting habit (latest vintage reviewed is 1996, I believe, and that one only briefly).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.

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!

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.

...this is it. Along with Remington Norman's Great Domaines of Burgundy, this is a must have reference book if you're serious about Burgundy. Coates understands Burgundy and covers it in considerable depth. No, you won't find tasting notes on every wine you look for, but you'll find quite a few. I find myself going back to this book regularly both for specific references and to refresh my knowledge.

Burgundy is one of the most difficult-to-grasp wine regions in the world. Many studies have been done on the soil, climate, wind direction, sun exposure, rainfall, etc., yet nobody really knows, yet, why one acre of Burgundy produces a certain kind of wine and the acre right next to it something different. Clive Coates book comes as close as humanly possible to explain it. He begins his sections with a "History" of the region, then continues with "Location", "Vineyard", and then defines and describes the wines made from the Grand Crus and the Premier Crus, recommending sources and also providing the size of each vineyard. Also, he covers vintages.

It's amazing how Coates takes such a difficult region and maps it out so succinctly for us. Far better effort than Parker's "Burgundy".

Clive Coates has written a scholarly yet lively and entertaining book. A confusing array of locations, producers and other vital information for the serious collector or the serious appreciator of Burgundy wines is clarified and successfully elucidated. Coates tackles the subject with finesse and a refreshingly unbiased viewpoint. A masterwork.

This is a great book about the wines of the Burgundy region of France to 1997. This book precedes the Wines of Burgundy, 2008 also by Clive Coates. Have been wanting to get this book for some time and so excited to see it on Amazon recently so we bought it.

There is so much information in this book, from the different crus themselves to the producers, as well as history. The only downside is that the vintage information is dated

Overall, the text is easy to read and it is educational. However, the individual wines reviewed are not even close to being up to date. Because this was written years ago, it doesn't cover many of the new up and coming wines and vintners.