(Originally published December 2004)

Burgundy remains one of the most intriguing wine regions in the world – and also one of the most intimidating. Who wants to take a chance on a $90 (or higher!) bottle only to be unsure about how it tastes, if it tastes “right,” or what’s so great about it anyway?

We’ve put together this simple, fun comparative tasting that helps get a handle on drinking and enjoying the famous Pinot Noirs from Burgundy. We’ve chosen a Burgundy grower that offers reasonably priced single vineyard wines and lined them up against four of the best from California – Calera’s single vineyard Pinot Noirs. This dollar for dollar tasting is a great way to explore the style and taste differences of the regions and form your own preferences!

Family winery Domaine Remoriquet dates back to 1890 and is today run by Gilles, the fourth generation of wine-making Remoriquets. The winery’s vineyards are located in Burgundy’s Nuits-St-Georges region and includes three premier crus. These are full-bodied, rich, meaty wines that are amazingly reasonably priced – especially when compared to many of the wines coming out of Burgundy these days.

Feel free to substitute wines from both regions – the idea here is to get a feel for the tastes and styles of both areas, not to match our list exactly. Generally speaking, the California Pinots will have riper flavors due to the warmer climate, while the cool climate Burgundy wines will offer a more tart fruit profile and more earthy, funky accents.

We recommend tasting all the wines from one region first, then all the wines from the other region. This way, you can better develop an appreciation for the regional differences, rather than getting stuck on your preference (or lack of preference!) for any one particular wine.

An array of aged French goat cheeses is a simple but delicious cheese pairing for this tasting. Look for Bucheron, aged Crottin De Chavignol, Saint Maure, Taupinere, Tome de Grand Mere, and Valencay. A fresh baguette and a choice of crackers, and you’re set.

Here are our tasting notes:

Calera 2000 Pinot Noir Mt. Harlan Selleck Vineyard ($55). Delicious, with an elegantly fruity and lightly spicy bouquet leading to an integrated, beautifully balanced wine. No one flavor dominates, with notes that include black plum, cherry, earth, mushroom and spice. Ready to drink now and over the next three or four years.

Calera 2000 Pinot Noir Mt. Harlan Mills Vineyard ($40). Mocha-scented blueberry and ripe cherry flavors, pick up allspice and a dash of funky earth. Dusty tannins are offset by a nice, bright acidity and lengthy finish. Ready to drink now and over the next five or six years.

Calera 2000 Pinot Noir Mt. Harlan Reed Vineyard ($45). Beautifully balanced, with deep red fruit flavors layered with baking spices and mint, milk chocolate, sweet tobacco and earth. Velvety texture and lovely, lingering finish. Delicious now and over the next five years. (Winery Spotlight 06/04)

Calera 2000 Pinot Noir Mt. Harlan Jensen Vineyard ($50). Full-bodied and structured, offering concentrated red cherry and berry fruit, smoky earthiness, mushroom, tobacco, allspice, and sweet vanilla. Rich, full finish. Tempting now, but will continue to evolve nicely over the next seven or eight years. (Winery Spotlight 06/04)

To shop for Calera wines, visit www.calerawine.com/winery_store/index.html.

Henri & Gilles Remoriquet 1998 Nuits-St.-Georges Les St.-Georges ($49). Aromatic bouquet that includes lots of spice and wet earth leads to ripe red cherry and raspberry flavors layered with spice, vanilla and smoke. Soft finish loses intensity rather quickly. Ready to drink now and over the next couple of years.

Henri & Gilles Remoriquet 1999 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Bousselots ($43). Rich vanilla bean and chocolate scented red raspberry and plum fruit flavors are soft and pretty, with a moderate finish that lingers nicely, picking up slight herbal notes along the way. Ready to drink now and over the next couple of years.

Henri & Gilles Remoriquet 1999 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Damodes ($41). Delicious, with full-bodied, concentrated black cherry and currant fruit layered with smoke, tobacco, and wet earth. Complex, full finish. Very good now and over the next five or six years.

Henri & Gilles Remoriquet 1998 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Allots ($41). A “wow” wine, with full-bodied, rich black currant and berry fruit laced with wet earth and integrated spices. Loads of acidity plus great big tannins add up to an age-worthy wine. Decant for enjoying now – should age beautifully for ten years or more.