Burgundy Tasting with ZIWA Wine Lovers

On the evening of Tuesday 14 May 2019, the ZIWA Wine Lovers Interest Group co-hosted a Burgundy tasting event jointly with the American Women's Club of Zurich at the AWCZ's spacious premises in Zurich. The event was organised by Barbara Gazley, who is a member of both clubs, and the wines were presented by Tim Magnus, who told us he hailed from Australia and had worked in the renowned Hunter Valley wine region.

Making the delicate canapes

Recently, Tim has set up his own company, Magnus Vinum, and is an expert on the Burgundy region around the city of Beaune in France. After enjoying a welcome glass of Crémant de Bourgogne, over twenty wine enthusiasts sat down to experience a comparative tasting of four white and five red wines. Small delicious canapés were also handed out at our tables to help the wine go down.

Ladies and their partners enjoyed socialising

The wines are listed below; the scores out of ten are my own judgements:

First the whites:

2017 Domaine Bersan Chablis: a Sauvignon Blanc grape type reminiscent of oyster shells - one of my favourites. Price CHF 23.90. Tasting score 9/10.

2017 Domaine Feuillat-Juillot Montagny 1er Cru Les Jardins: A Chardonnay, can keep for two to five years. Price CHF 24.90. Tasting score 8/10.

2015 Pascal Clément Savigny-les-Beaunes 'Guetottes': Sharp, easy-drinking, citrus notes. Price CHF 29.90. Tasting score 9/10.

2016 Domaine Fernand & Laurent Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet: Complex flavours, peach notes from Côte de Beaune. Price CHF 53.90. Tasting score 8.5/10.

Then on to the reds:

2015 Domaine Chandon de Briailles Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Les Vergelesses: Fresh tasting, from clay soils. Price CHF 44.90. Tasting score 8-.

2015 Domaine Rebourgeon-Mure Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets: From rocky soils, fine limestone. Soft, not tanniny, smooth. Price CHF 62.90. Tasting score: 8.5.

2015 Domaine Matrot Blagny 1er Cru La Pièce Sous Le Bois: A Côte de Nuits from the higher slopes. Price CHF 75.50. Tasting score 8-.

2015 Domaine Harman-Geoffroy Gevrey-Chambertin 'En Jouise': Napoleon's favourite, allegedly. Very dry. Price CHF 75.50. Tasting score 7.5.

Tim presenting his wines from Burgundy while we tasted

2012 Domaine Billard-Gonnet Pommard 1er Cru Chaponières Vieilles Vignes. From Tim's private collection. A seven-year old wine from old vines. No longer available to buy. Very dry with a strong flavour.  Tasting score: 8.5.

Map of the Burgundy wine regions:




In addition to tasting the wines, we also learnt more about the Burgundy wine region and its geography and geology, the Jurassic limestone soils of the region, wine classifications and the appellation system, and the history of wine culture from the time of the Cistercian monks and, later, the Napoleonic code of 1804.

Grape types of the Burgundy region include whites - Chardonnay, Aligoté, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, and Melon de Bourgogne, and reds - Pinot Noir, Gamay, César and Tressot.

Grapes are harvested by hand, and the white wines are kept for 12 months of ageing in steel tanks, then bottled. Red wines are aged for 18 months to extract the colour from the skins.


You can contact Tim via this link: https://magnusvinum.ch/en/#tim_magnus

Julia Newton, ZIWA, May 2019.