As wine regions go, few are as hallowed as Francy’s Burgundy region. I credit Burgundy (both red and white) for getting me interested in wine in the 1990s, and I’ve made my own pilgrimage to the region to see the grapes and taste the wines in their natural state. Today I’m more likely to quaff a California Pinot Noir than an earthy Volnay – largely due to availability – but my fondness for great Burgundy remains.

As such, it was exciting to visit with a number of Burgundy producers here in San Francisco on a recent day, most pouring 2009 (red) and 2010 (white) vintages from all over the region. Lots of unready wines here, but also plenty of great ones, including wonderful Chablis from Domaine des Malandes, and beautiful reds from Maison Joseph Drouhin, Chateau de Corton-Andre, and Domaine Daniel Rion & Fils – the lattermost of which was pouring a series of wines from Nuits-Saint-Georges, each more beautiful than the last.

Thoughts on this lively event follow.

Tasting Report: Terroirs & Signatures de Bourgogne 2012

2010 Domaine Pagnotta Rully La Cree / B+ / bright and creamy

2010 Domaine Pagnotta Mercurey La Bussiere / B- / melon, bitter finish

2009 Domaine Pagnotta Mercurey 1er Cru Clos Voyens / B / earth tones, sharp finish

2010 Domaine Pagnotta Santeney / C / hard, bitter

2010 Domaine Louis Moreau Petit Chablis / B+ / earth nose, tropical body

2010 Domaine Louis Moreau Chablis / B / bigger body, more acid here

2009 Domaine Louis Moreau Chablis 1er Cru Vaulignot / B+ / minerals, nice balance

2008 Domaine Louis Moreau Chablis Grand Cru, Valmur / A- / lots of complexity, huge body

2010 Maison Trenel Fils Macon-Villages / B / very sweet, apples

2010 Maison Trenel Fils Saint-Veran / B / chalky notes

2010 Maison Joseph Burrier Pouilly-Fuisse, Classique, Chateau de Beauregard / B+ / huge body, lively

2009 Maison Joseph Burrier Pouilly-Fuisse, Vers Cras Chateau de Beauregard / B / balance feels off

2007 Maison Joseph Burrier Pouilly-Fuisse, Grand Beauregard, Chateau de Beauregard / B+ / milder than expected

2009 Domaine d’Ardhuy Savigny 1er Cru, Les Narbantons / B- / earth, brambles, sweet fruit

2009 Domaine d’Ardhuy Cote de Nuits-Villages, Clos des Langres, Monopole / B+ / earthy, layered, big backbone, very tannic

2009 Domaine d’Ardhuy Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru / B+ / spicy kick on the back end

2009 Maison Joseph Drouhin Chorey-Les-Beaune / A- / great balance

2009 Maison Joseph Drouhin Gevrey-Chambertin / A- / similar, more earth tones

2009 Maison Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru, Clos des Mouches / B / classic nose, but sharp finish

2009 Domaines et Vins et Propriete Meursault, Limozin, Domaine Bouzereau-Greuere / A / lovely melon, apples

2010 Domaines et Vins et Propriete Mercurey 1er Cru, En Sazenay, Domaine Tupinier-Bautista / A- / lighter, soft and brisk

2009 Domaines et Vins et Propriete Vosne-Romanee / A- / big, balanced, has years ahead

2010 Maison Louis Latour Pouilly-Fouisse / B / slightly hard edge

2009 Maison Louis Latour Meursault 1er Cru, Chateau Blagny / A- / great balance, creamy with silky fruit

2009 Maison Louis Latour Marsannay / B- / tough

2009 Maison Louis Latour Beaune 1er Cru, Vignes Franches / B / mild and light

2009 Maison Louis Latour Corton Grand Cru, Chateau Corton Grancey / B- / tight, closed for now

2010 Domaine des Malandes Chablis / A- / crisp, clean

2010 Domaine des Malandes Chablis 1er Cru, Fourchaume / A / massive tropical character, lovely

2010 Domaine des Malandes Chablis 1er Cru, Montmains / A- / quite similar

2010 Domaine des Malandes Chablis Grand Cru, Vaudesir / A- / huge body, lychees, tropical notes

2009 Domaine des Malandes Chablis Grand Cru, Vaudesir / A- / mellowing slightly

2009 Chateau de Corton-Andre Savigny-les-Beaune, Les Perrieres / B / green

2007 Chateau de Corton-Andre Pommard 1er Cru, Clos de la Commaraine, Monopole / A / lovely, cheese, minerals, earth

2009 Chateau de Corton-Andre Corton Grand Cru, Les Renardes / A- / also a winner, long finish, balanced

2009 Domaine Taupenot-Merme Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru / B+ / plenty of earth, and big fruit

2008 Domaine Taupenot-Merme Mazoyeres-Chambertin Grand Cru / B / smoky, barbecue like

2008 Domaine Taupenot-Merme Corton Grand Cru, Le Rognet / A- / sweeter body, lush

2009 Domaine Taupenot-Merme Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru, La Riotte / B+ / lots of earth, good fruit and body, long finish

2010 Domaine Daniel Rion & Fils Nuits-Saint-Georges, Les Lavieres / A- / fresh, drinking well already

2010 Domaine Daniel Rion & Fils Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru, Les Hauts Pruliers / A+ / delicious, a perfect Nuits

2010 Domaine Daniel Rion & Fils Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru, Les Vignes Rondes / A / rich, earthy core, good balance

2010 Domaine Daniel Rion & Fils Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru, Les Beaux Monts / A- / similar, tighter edge

2010 Domaine Daniel Rion & Fils Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru / A- / huge body, Shiraz-like

2009 Maison Lou Dumont Borgogne Rouge / B+ / simple, easy

2009 Maison Lou Dumont Morey-Saint-Denis / A- /

2009 Maison Lou Dumont Chambolle Musigny / B+ / smoky, smoldering

2009 Maison Lou Dumont Ladoix / B+ / intense earth, green pepper, fruit comes in late

2010 Domaine Parent Pommard, Croix Blanche / A- / lovely fruit

2009 Domaine Parent Beaune 1er Cru, Les Epenottes / B- / astringent

2008 Domaine Parent Corton Grand Cru, Les Renardes / B / very thin

2010 Maison Jean-Philippe Marchand Nuits-Saint-Georges, Les Argillats / A / unique tea, raspberry, lively

2009 Maison Jean-Philippe Marchand Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru, Les Pruliers / A- / similar, good structure

2009 Domaine Michel Briday Mercurey 1er Cru, Clos Marcilly / B / sausages, green finish

2009 Domaine Pierre Naigeon Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru / B+ / quite tight

2010 Domaine Pierre Naigeon Gevrey-Chambertin Echezeaux / A / big and beautiful

2009 Domaine Chanson Beaune 1er Cru, Clos des Mouches (white) / B+ /

2009 Domaine Chanson Corton Grand Cru Vergennes / A- / lush, brisk finish

2009 Domaine Chanson Beaune 1er Cru, Clos des Mouches (red) / B+ /

2009 Bourgogne de Vigne en Verre Jerome Sordet Beaune 1er Cru Les Chouacheux / A- / candy finish

2009 Bourgogne de Vigne en Verre Jerome Sordet Pommard 1er Cru Le Clos des Boucherottes / A- /

2009 Dufouleur Freres Nuits-Saint-Georges / A- / big, burly, smoky finish

2009 Dufouleur Freres Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru, Les Saint-Georges / A / awesome balance, great body

2010 Domaine Fougeray de Beauclair Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru / B+ / cheesy notes, difficult structure

2010 Domaine Tortochot Gevrey-Chambertin, Les Corvees / B / curious

2010 Domaine Tortochot Gevrey-Chambertin, Champerrier / B / meat character

2010 Domaine Tortochot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru, Lavaux Saint-Jacques / B- / very tart

2010 Domaine Tortochot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru, Les Champeaux / B+ / unbalanced a bit

2010 Domaine Tortochot Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru / A- /

2009 Domaine Tortochot Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru / A- / huge earth