for anyone experienced or not in Burgundy, Remington Norman’s third edition of The Great Domaines of Burgundy is a must purchase. Amazon has it for just $22. It’s a major update of the prior editions, very well-written and with gorgeous photography. I like seeing the vineyard holdings,too. Vintage summaries at the end of the book are helpful, as is the glossary that defines many French viticultural words. Norman is very “gentle” in his handling of some of the domaines, but he’s really just reviewing the top performers, so perhaps it is justified. There’s a wealth of information that will appeal to all levels of Burgundy enthusiasts, and it’s a sawbuck well-spent.
The book is good - however it is only an update of the previous edition, and what annoys me a bit: with exactly the same mistakes and faults - in the maps and elsewhere - nothing has been corrected so far.
Moreover there are some unexplainable errors in vineyard areas and other tiresome faults - I do not understand why someone undertakes the work of a new edition - and doesn´t correct those mistakes or even produces new ones.
However the domaine profiles are excellent, the photographs, too - so I do not regret buying it, but unfortunately it´s less than perfect.
Alan, thanks a lot for the suggestion. I ordered it, along with the Clive Coates book, which was also priced right. They both appear to be lighter than the Meadows book, which I am still reading, but it’s leaving a dent in my stomach that may not go away. Damn that thing is heavy for bed time reading.
comparing third to second edition: essays on Guy Accad and Henri Jayer now missing, vintages now updated through 2009 instead of 1995, new domaines reviewed including but not limited to Boillot/d’Eugenie/Michel Gros/Liger-Belair/Rapet/Latour-Giraud/Remi Jobard/Pernot/Jouard/more Moreys/Prudhon/more Chavys.
Most of the essays have been revised minimally and actually some interesting information removed in the later edition (Coche selling 1/3 of each vintage annually to Latour and Jadot was deleted from the new book), but many of them have been greatly expanded. For example, V. Girardin now occupies two full pages and is much more detailed. The Ramonets’ difficult personalities have been softened in the new edition, with no mention of their eccentricities, but their Chevalier/Batard swap is discussed–they give up 2.5 barrels of Batard for 1.5 barrels of Chevalier from Chartron. I didn’t know that they also get to look after the vines of that small bit of Chevy and do all the vinification–I had thought it to be a barrel swap.
Font size is now larger, and that works well for my older eyes. The book evidently won the André Simon Award for best wine book of the year, too.
As for map errors, well, I’m geographically impaired so I wouldn’t notice that, but I’d be interested to hear what is in error. One error about Coche has been fixed–an error that I had pointed out to Remington Norman some years ago–he wrote me a note of thanks.
Is there a huge change between the two editions? No, but I find the updated version to be worth owning–especially for those new to the Burgundy scene who have neither of the two prior editions. And for $22, it’s a huge bargain and certainly worth owning.
Well, by no means comprehensive, just a few points:
Morey-St-Denis map: Meix Reutier (correct: Rentier)
Chambolle-map: Combe dOrveau Grand Cru part is not indicated,
Veroilles Premier Cru missing
Vosne-map: Au Dessus de Malconsorts missing and wrong colour (Village), Gaudichots Premer Cru missing. Where is Clos du Chateau Village of Liger-Belair?
Headaches already in the 1st edition, the maps of Aloxe-Corton and Pernand-V.: in the former the GC is blue, Ladoix PC is yellow, Village is green,
in the latter GC is yellow, PC is green - very confusing.
In the Patrice Rion profile is stated, the he has added the NSG PC Clos St Marc as monopole.
OK, try to find it on the map - it took me an hour with several additional literature.
The surface of Clos-des Lambrays is given as 7.04 ha on p.41, the Domaine des Lambrays part of it as 8.66 ha on page.47 !
Clos de Tart is 7.51 ha on p.41, 7.53 ha on page 51.
In Chassagne-Montrachet the Dent du Chien (GC) part of Montrachet is green and PC.
And so on …
I do not say that maps in other books are perfect, but from a new edition I expected such errors to be corrected.
I have a review coming out in World of Fine Wine, so I don’t want to scoop myself, but a few things that I didn’t have space to note: map on p. 6 doesn’t show area south of Nuits itself as producing AOC wine (it’s partially shown on the Côte de Beaune map on same page), Prémeaux-Prissey map on p. 98 wrongly shows Les Terres Blances (sic) as Côte de Nuits-Villages instead of Nuits-St-Georges premier cru, report on p. 200 of Hubert de Montille’s death is, in the words of Mark Twain, premature.
I found this book a great disappointment after the superb second edition. It should be noted that the revision was entirely in the hands of Charles Taylor, a British MW and merchant, who also happens to sell wine from many of the domaines covered, not, I’m sure, that this has affected his judgement. Mr. Norman has been at work on an entirely new book to be published shortly.
There are some other subtle differences I don’t care for. If you compare the detailed descriptions of the winemaking techniques at the various domaines, in editions 2 vs. 3, you’ll notice some differences and omissions. In a couple of cases I can’t comment on yet, the omissions may be deliberate as there was apparently a winemaking technique change deliberately made, yet you aren’t told this in the third edition.
I will get this, with the understanding that the maps are lacking. I can live with those, though yhou do have to wonder who did them and what the problem is.
The Norman domaine profiles, which is where, I think, the real understanding of Burgundy emanates from…are incomparable, even if updated by someone else. I am ordering it to get those insights…we seem to all buy producers, rather than vineyards or vintages…and I’m in that group.
Alan, I could not agree more. I also recommend the Burghound book. The two books are strangely complimentary, in that you have two entirely different approaches to the material: One about winemaking (and other things), one about the vineyards.
Don’t fret about the missing Jayer essay. I saw somewhere that there is a book out (or coming out soon) on Jayer.
And I don’t think that anybody will miss the Guy Accad essay. Or Accad himself. Or Accad-influenced wines.
Remington Norman has a new book scheduled for release in September - titled Grand Crus Burgundy: The Great Wines of Burgundy Through the Perspective of Its Finest Vineyards.
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