“There are no common wines in Vosne-Romanée,” declared the 18th-century abbot and historian Claude Courtépée. Called the pearl of the Côte, this wine region is home to the prestigious Romanée-Conti vineyards, as well as the famed Romanée-Saint-Vivant and Richebourg vineyards. There are eight Grand Cru vineyards, and all 15 Premier Cru vineyards are just outside the Grand Crus. The Premier Cru vineyards all have excellent sun exposure and drainage. Like the Cros Parantoux introduced in “The Drops of God” many Premier Cru wines can fetch hundreds of dollars per bottle. Of course, the village wines are not as uniformly high quality, but the Premier and Grand Crus are considered the finest examples of Pinot Noir wine in the world. The wines of Vosne-Romanée have personality and depth with floral aromas and need many years to fully mature.
As for the recommended producers, the three major stars with a major stronghold in this village—Romanée-Conti’s producer Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, the genius Mme. Bize-Leroy and the god of Burgundy, Henri Jayer—will be covered in detail later on. There are several other glittering stars in the firmament, so this village will be covered in two parts. For the first part, we’ll cover recommended producers of Premier Cru and village wines.

Domaine Emmanuel Rouget

The nephew of Henri Jayer. His Cros Parantoux, like the one described as “elusive” in the manga, is quite a valuable item. His Premier Cru “Les Beaumonts” is superb and even the village wines are delicious

Domaine Méo-Camuzet

Méo-Camuzet’s Cros Parantoux is a jewel that matches Rouget’s in luster. They make vivacious, tasty wines.

Domaine A. F. Gros

Anne-Françoise Gros of the famed Gros dynasty crafts elegant wines. Her village-level vineyards are well-located, close to Grand Cru vineyards and can rival wines from Premier Cru vineyards.

Domaine Michel Gros

Michel is Anne-Françoise’s elder brother. His signature wine is the monopole Premier Cru Clos des Réas, a vineyard that’s been in the family for generations.

Domaine Gros Frère et Soeur

These wines are produced by Michel’s brother. One wine was mentioned in chapter 7 of the manga. The wines are relatively (thankfully) inexpensive.

Domaine Sylvain Cathiard

The domaine owns an excellent Premier Cru vineyard close to the famous DRC Grand Cru. Thei En Orveaux and Les Malconsorts are highly recommended.

Recommended Producers:

Domaine Jean-Yves Bizot

A neighbor of Henri Jayer. Using organic principles, these wines have depth and sweet elegance. The vieilles vignes (old vine) wines made from vines 50 to 70 years old have great potential.

Domaine René Engel

This producer was awarded four stars by critic Robert Parker, Jr. The village wines are aged in the barrel an unusually long time (18 months) giving them a palate that can surpass even Premier Cru wines.

Second wines are sold under a different label than the Grand vin. There are many reasons why some grapes make the cut while others fall to the second wine, but generally there are three cases: 1. The grapes are from younger vines, making them unsuitable for the first label, 2. The grapes are from a part of the vineyard with less-than-ideal soil conditions, 3. The wine, when tasted in the barrel, did not live up to the strict standards used for the first label wine. If the third case is the reason why a wine was demoted, those second wines tend to be closest in quality to the Grand vin (because the same grapes from the same terroir as the Grand vin were used before casking). At Château Pichon-Longueville Baron (Pauillac) and Château Palmer the second wines are chosen from barrel tasting, making them quite popular.

At top-flight châteaux even second wines are held to a very high standard. Any wine not considered sufficient for second wine will be labelled as a third wine or sold off in bulk to a négociant which can only be sold under the generic AOC.

Of the Big Five Bordeaux, Château Latour’s second wine “Les Forts de Latour” is tasted each year by the staff in a blind tasting against Bordeaux’s second growth wines. If the Les Forts de Latour does not hold it’s own, it won’t even make it to the bottling stage. Because of this exacting process, this château’s second wine is one of the most popular in the region.

So are second wines are a good option for consumers? In general, the price range tends to be 1/3 to 1/2 that of the Grand vin. And since the grapes and vinification process are similar to first-label wines, second wines are considered to be a reasonable option. Also, powerful first-label Bordeaux tend to need at least 10 years to fully mature, whereas second wines can be enjoyed even while still young.

(Prices are estimates only and can vary according to the vintage)

Domaine Emmanuel Rouget
Vosne-Romanée - $80+ (pricey, but better than some premier crus)
Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains – $30

Domaine Méo-Camuzet
Vosne-Romanée - $80+
Bourgogne Rouge – $25 to $35
The author recommends their white wine, Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Clos Saint Philibert Blanc (around $30)

Domaine Gros Frère et Soeur
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru “Les Chaumes” – $80+
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru – $65+
Vosne-Romanée - $45+

Domaine Anne-Françoise Gros
Vosne-Romanée Clos de la Fontaine – $80+

Domaine Michel Gros
Vosne-Romanée Clos de Réas – $80+
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru “Aux Brulées” – $80+
(This wine was first vinified in 1997 and the vineyards are right next to Richebourg)
Bourgogne Rouge – $20

Domaine René Engel
Vosne-Romanée – $55+
(Aged for a long time in barrels before bottling)

Vosne-Romanée – Wines under $200

Domaine Jayer-Gilles
Echézeaux – $150+
Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Hauts Poirets – $65+
White wine: Hautes Côtes de Beaune Blanc – $30

Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret
Grands Echézeaux – $100+
Echézeaux – $80+

Domaine Robert Arnoux-Lachaux
Echézeaux – $140+
Premier Cru “Les Chaumes” – $75+
Vosne-Romanée Les Hautes Maizières – $60+

Domaine des Perdrix
Echézeaux – $140+
Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru “Aux Perdrix” – $100

Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg
Echézeaux – $150+
Vosne-Romanée – $60
Bourgogne Rouge – $30+

Domaine Jacques Cacheux
Echézeaux – $100+
Premier Cru “La Croix Rameau” – $120+
Premier Cru “Les Suchots” – $80

Domaine François Lamarche
Grand Cru Monopole “La Grande Rue” – $185+
Echézeaux – $100+
Premier Cru “La Croix Rameau” – $100+

Second Wines

The Big Five

Château Latour

Les Forts de Latour – $165+

Château Lafite Rothschild

Carruades de Lafite-Rothschild – $250+

Château Mouton-Rothschild

Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild – $140+

Château Haut-Brion

Le Clarence de Haut-Brion – $140+

Château Margaux

Pavillon Rouge de Château Margaux – $140+

Other Recommended Second Wines

Château Léoville-Las Cases

Le Petit Lion de Marquis de Las Cases – $60

Château Pichon Longueville Baron

Les Tourelles de Longueville – $35+

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Reserve de la Comtesse – $40+

Château Cos d’Estournel

Les Pagodes de Cos – $40+

Château Palmer

Alter Ego de Palmer – $50+

Château Lagrange

Les Fiefs de Lagrange – $25+

Château Gruaud-Larose

Sarget de Gruaud-Larose – $20+

Château Montrose

La Dame de Montrose – $30+

Three Major Noble Rot Wines

(prices are approximate)

Sauternes

Premier Cru Supérieur Château d’Yquem is available in half bottles that start around $120. Some full bottles in great vintages can sell for well over $1,000. Premier Cru châteaux can be found for under $100 (Ch. Suduiraut, Ch. Climens and Ch. Rieussec, etc.) as well as Deuxième Cru (Ch. Caillou, Ch. Doisy Daëne, etc.) Non-classified Sauternes wines include Ch. de Fargues, Ch. Raymond-Lafon, etc.

German Dessert Wines

Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) (literally, “select harvest dried berries”) and Beerenauslese (“select harvest berries”) are the sweetest and second-sweetest wines, according to Prädikat classification. Trockenbeerenauslese from famous producers can cost well over $100 for a full bottle, but many Beerenausleses can be found for under $40.

Tokaj-Hegyalja Wines

Tokaji (or Tokay) is made from blending white wine with the must from botrytized grapes. The most famous of these wines is Tokaji Aszú. The measurement of residual sugar in the wine is puttony, and the higher the puttonyos the sweeter (and rarer) the wine. Tokaji with 3 to 5 puttonyos is generally $30 and up, and Tokaji Aszú Essenci, made from 100% noble rot grapes, sells for upwards of $130.

At the end of the meal in chapter 11, a dessert wine was served along with chocolates. So just what are dessert wines? In part 1, we’ll discuss noble rot wines.

Noble rot wines are made from grapes that are subjected to unique atmospheric conditions. The grapes are left of the vine until autumn, when they’ve reached maturity. If mornings are sufficiently damp and dewy, a fungus, Botrytis cinerea, infests them. This fungus attacks the skin of the grapes, causing the grapes to dry out after the morning fog lifts. After this process continues for some time, the grapes are more like raisins, their sweetness concentrated by the dehydrating effects of the fungus. The wine produced from such noble rot grapes have a much higher sugar content than other wines, and fermentation yields sweet, mellow flavors. Noble rot wines are sparklingly clear yellow in color, with a meltingly sweet mouthfeel, complex sweetness both on the palate and nose.

High quality noble rot wines are said to be able to age for 100 years, reaching a deep copper color in their maturity. These sweet wines are often called “the nectar of the gods.” The main producing regions are Sauternes in France, Rheinhessen and Mosel in Germany and Tokaj-Hegyalja in Hungary.

Sauternes

There are 11 Premier Cru Deuxième Cru estates in the Sauternes (including the Barsac) region. Château d’Yquem—currently owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton—is the only estate in Bordeaux with the classification of Premier Cru Supérieur, or Superior First Growth. The lesser-known (but still very excellent) wines from Barsac (located within Sauternes) are lighter and less sweet.

Rheingau & Mosel

Both are in the southern part of German. Prädikatswein, the German classification for high-quality wine, includes the very sweet Trockenbeerenauslese and Beerenauslese, both of which are noble rot wines.

Tokaj-Hegyalja

This region in Hungary produces Tokay wines, including Tokaji Aszú Eszencia, which King Louis XIV of France called “Wine of Kings, King of Wines.” Tokay, Sauternes and Trockenbeerenauslese are considered the three major noble rot wines.

Noble rot wines are best when well-chilled and served in chilled glasses. The author once tried a dessert wine at a Japanese restaurant served in the way one would drink a white wine, and it was a disappointment, because the wine was syrupy sweet and a total mismatch with the cuisine. Oenophiles generally drink dessert wines along with dessert, but are sweet enough to be a replacement for dessert.

Glass Wine
This refers to wines in a restaurant available by the glass, not just by the bottle. Glass wines tend to be less expensive and more varied than bottle wines. Expensive wines are rarely available by the glass.

Chablis
A village in the Yonne department in the Burgundy region that produced the eponymous dry white wine made from Chardonnay grapes.

Chardonnay
White wine varietal from Burgundy. Chardonnay is easy to grow and tends to be neutral yet malleable in the hands of good vintners, making this a popular choice worldwide.

Alain Hudelot-Noellat
A Burgundian vintner whose wines are often compared to Domaine Leroy (as they both hold vines within the same Grand Cru vineyards). Most wine is sold directly to private buyers, so only about 25% of the production makes it to market.

Domaine
French for “domain” this is name used by winemakers mainly in the Burgundy region.

Mariage
French for “marriage.” This refers to the relationship between food and wine during the course of a meal. Well-matched pairings will complement each other.

Dessert Wine
Sweet wines. Often made from botrytized grapes (those affected by “noble rot”) or grapes that froze on the vine and pressed into ice wine.

Port Wine
Fortified wines (made by adding grape spirits to stop fermentation, preserve residual sugars and increase alcohol content) from Portugal. Red port is a dessert wine, and white or tawny port is often consumed as an apéritif.

Rhône
A wine producing region along the Rhône river in the southeast of France. The Côtes du Rhône AOC is the second-largest in France (after Bordeaux). There is a difference in soil types and climate between north and south, resulting in a variety of styles of wine.

Syrah
A red wine grape varietal commonly used in Côtes du Rhône and Australian wines. Flavors include black pepper spiciness and powerful fruitiness.

Guigal
A winery and wine négociant with 45 ha of vineyards in Côtes du Rhône. Annual production is over 6 million bottles per year (often of very affordable Côtes du Rhône AOC) but they also produce very fine wines that can fetch as much as $800 a bottle.

House Wine
A wine chosen by the restaurant that best complements the type of cuisine served. House wines are often uncomplicated and easy to drink.

Premier Cru
Literally, “first growth.” Used to indicate high-quality vineyards. In Burgundy, Grand Cru is the top classification, with Premier Cru as the second best.

Minerality
A flavor found in some wines. Sometimes mineral in the sense of iron ore, this aspect can bring balance to sweetness.

Limestone
Vineyards with a high amount of limestone in the soil tend to have a lower amount of clay. Limestone is created from the fossilized remains of sea creatures on ancient seabeds. Its porous nature allows it to retain water while also allowing for good drainage due to high permeability.

Sommelier Knife
Usually part of a corkscrew, this knife is used to slice open the foil cap on top of a wine bottle.

Bourgogne Rouge
General AOC for wine produced in the Burgundy region. A level below village, Bourgogne Rouge varies widely depending on the vintner.

Please look at the map of Bordeaux, France’s largest wine producing region. Bordeaux is situated along the Gironde river (fed by the Garonne and Dordogne rivers) which empties into the Atlantic ocean. “Left bank” wines are from the Médoc region (to the west of the Gironde) and Graves (west of the Garonne). The “Right bank” wines are from Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, to the east of the Dordogne. The wines from each bank have markedly different characteristics.

The main difference between the two banks is the soil. The left bank tends to have deeply gravel-heavy soil. The Médoc boasts three of the Big Five châteaux. The southern part, Haut-Médoc, with the Pauillac village, has many vineyards with gravelly soil. The high ratio of gravel to clay in the soil allows for excellent drainage, allowing Cabernet Sauvignon grapes to flourish. Cabernet Sauvignon yields tannic, elegant red wines. Wines produced on the left bank are usually a blend dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon and its influence can be seen in the dark ruby color of the wines, currant aromas and stout body.

The soil of the right bank is a mixture of predominantly limestone and clay, which is more suited to Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Merlot and Cabernet Franc yield wines that mature faster and are less tannic and acidic, with softer, rounder aromas and flavors than Cabernet Sauvignon. Pomerol wines have the highest percentage of Merlot. Pomerol boasts Château Le Pin and Château Petrus, some of the most expensive wines in the world. In Saint-Émilion, Château Cheval Blanc produces wines that are predominantly Cabernet Franc. Cheval Blanc’s wine has a soft mellowness, like fresh cream.

There are three main ways to produce rosé wines:

1. Saignée: Red wine grapes are crushed into must and poured into vats for maceration and fermentation (as win red wine production). Once the vintner has decided that the must has reached the appropriate shade of pink, some of the juice is drained off (saignée is French for “bleeding”) and processed as rosé. The must remaining in the vats continues to ferment, creating a concentrated red wine.

2. Direct Pressing: Red wine grapes are pressed and macerated for merely several hours to several days—just enough to allow the red color to extract into the wine. The pomace (the grape skins, seeds and stems) is then removed, leaving behind a pink juice that is then fermented.

3. Blending: The mixing of red and white must or wine to create rosé is uncommon (and illegal in France, except for champagne, but several top-tier champagne producers prefer to use the skin contact method.)

The part of red grapes that contain tannins—the stems and skins—are a part of the rosé making process, but the resulting wine is far less tannic than red wine due to the limited exposure of the juice to the skins. Rosé wines are mellower, fresher and lighter than reds. Due to the different production methods and varying levels of skin contact, rosé wines can range from light melon to ruby red, orange to brown to red currant in color.

There are four major rosé producing regions in France:

1. Anjou
Located in the Loire Valley in the south of France. The rosé wines are produced using the skin contact method. The wines are lightly colored and on the sweeter side.

2. Tavel
Located in the Côtes du Rhône region. Rosés are produced via the saignée method and are darker in color and crisply flavored.

3. Bandol & Côtes de Provence
In Provence, in the south of France. Provençal rosés are darker and on the dry side.

4. Champage
This is the only wine producing region in France that is allowed to blend red and white to create rosé. Typically, still wine made from Pinot Noir is mixed with white champagne to make rosé. Rosé champagnes tend to be dry.

In France, rosé has recently surpassed white wine in sales. Rosé is a crisp, refreshing, lightweight option for long summer days. Rosé is best served chilled. Some people enjoy it over ice. Rosé combines aspects of both red and white wines, so with the exception of the moderately sweet Anjou rosés, they can be served with all kinds of foods.

The greatest concentration of classified growth estates is in Haut-Médoc. Within Haut-Médoc lie six wine villages: Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Margaux, Saint-Julien, Moulis-en-Médoc and Listrac-Médoc. The Pauillac village has three Premier Crus; Margaux boast the eponymous Premier Cru Château Margaux.

These six wine villages produce wine according to strict regulations which results in more refined wines.

The wines produced in the prestigious villages have the village name on the label. Wines produced outside those villages but in the Médoc region will have Médoc or Haut-Médoc. However, only red wines are entitled to the Médoc appellation. White wines (such as those produced by Fifth Growth estate Château Lynch-Bages) from the Bordeaux region may only use the regional name of Bordeaux on the label.

After Château Mont-Pérat ’01 was introduced in the pages of “The Drops of God” the wine sold out in wine shops and online retailers across Japan. The production staff in Japan held a lottery among fans of the manga, with 50 winners each receiving a bottle of this super popular wine. But! Everyone thought it was necessary to test the wine, to be sure they weren’t sending out something less than stellar.

Involved in the tasting were writer Tadashi Agi, illustrator Shu Okimoto and editors H and N. In order to prepare the wine for tasting, the bottle was opened and the wine decanted for 2 hours.

Okimoto - (staring hard at the wine glass) This wine is very rich! It looks like ink.

Agi - It’s so dense light can barely shine through. Let me see… (bringing his nose to the glass) Oh, wonderful. A rich, dark fruity aroma wafts up. It’s opened up very nicely.

N - (after taking a sip) Wow! This is intense.

Okimoto - It’s like being slapped awake.

N - This is my first experience with Mont-Pérat. It’s a powerful wine.

H – Ooh. Very strong. If it’s this forceful with 2 hours of decanting, it’d be too strong to drink right out of the bottle.

Agi – I think 2 hours is perfect. The fruit flavors have developed nicely and the astringent, acidic flavors have subsided. The mouthfeel is very mellow.

Okimoto – (After taking an aerated sip) Ah, there’s a nuance of chocolate. Uh, crème de chocolat.

N – Yes, I’m getting that. Like cacao, with a hint of vanilla.

H – There’s also a hint of tobacco, something smoky.

Agi – But the flavor that stands out the most is a sort of mature, dark fruit, like prune extract.

H – And there’s also a slight taste of blood. Something metallic. Mr. Parker might call it pencil graphite.

Agi – True, there’s a strong mineral flavor.

Okimoto – It feels like it wraps around your tongue.

N – It’s known for having a very long finish. It lingers right in the center of your tongue for a long while.

H – Yes. (While tasting) Very long. About a minute.

N – And what a dense flavor! It’s like all this fruit extract has been injected into the wine.

Agi - Only 6 bunches from each vine are harvested in order to increase the density.

N - Only 6? Such a waste to throw out the rest of the grapes.

Okimoto – Apparently the vines used in Mont-Pérat are very old, averaging around 35 years old.

H – Wow, really? Since it’s priced around $20, you’d expect this to fly off the shelves.

Agi – If this was a wine from Bouillac in Médoc or a bordeaux from Côtes de Bordeaux, it would be much more expensive. But since this was produced in a shady part of the Premières Côtes de Bordeaux region, it’s more affordable. For French wines, the producing area has a big influence on the price.

H – By the way, the famous wine consultant Michel Rolland is the one who developed this wine.

Agi – Yes, Rolland and two other oenologists were involved. Their very first vintage from ’98 won the gold medal at the Paris Concours. Rolland is incredible.

Okimoto – The German wine magazine Weinlese gave the ’01 94 points and the top prize. To surpass the “Big Five” chateaux in just 4 years from the first vintage is simply amazing.

Agi – Isn’t it? Just amazing. And if you can believe it, of the big 5, Château Lafite Rothschild and Château Margaux topped out at 92 points.

H – Oh, if I didn’t know better, I’d have assumed this win was from one of the big 5. That’s how excellent it is. It’s dignified and elegant.

Agi – Yes, you’re right. I’ve tried the ’00 and the ’02 vintage, but the ’01 is definitely the best quality. The 50 readers who won the lottery are very lucky. This wine is nearly impossible to find in stores.

N – Hmm. Maybe I’ll put my name in, too (laughs)

Note: The 2001 vintage pricing was current as of 2005, when the essay was written.

If you answered “yes” then you’re probably a oenophile (and probably already know everything in this column…) But aside from those professionals, I’m sure many readers would answer “no.”

When looking at the list you have no idea how to tell one name or region apart from another. When you ask the sommelier to describe a wine and he says, “Well, it’s tannic, with a rich fruitiness,” you end up even more confused. You end up making your decision based solely on the price and end up with a dud. Go through this song-and-dance too many times and you’re bound to think, “Wine is too complicated!”

But even without a wine professional’s vast knowledge, you can still figure out how to pick out the best wines on the list. The fastest way is to learn which vintages (the year in which the wine was produced) are best.

Wines are, of course, made from grapes. Since grapes are agricultural products, each year’s yield will vary. In years with good weather and no damaging events like hail, the producers can harvest lots of good grapes. These years are referred to as “great vintage and the wines made from those grapes are excellent.

For example, let’s consider France’s largest producing region: Bordeaux. In summer of 2003, the heat was so intense that many people died. However, the weather was good for wine grapes, and there was a rare bumper crop of cabernet sauvignon grapes. So any Bordeaux wines from 2003 are going to be a sure-fire hit. You’re bound to get a tasty wine, even if you choose an inexpensive bottle.

Now let’s talk about France’s second-largest producing region: Burgundy. The main grape, pinot noir, suffered in the intense heat in 2003. Compared to the Bordeaux wines of that year, the Burgundies were very poorly reviewed. If you want a good Burgundy, aim for 2002, which was nominated a “super great vintage.” If you find it in shops, buy it right away.

However, “great vintage” wines are generally vin de garde and thus need time to ripen, so it’s usually necessary to decant them before serving.

Burgundy Wines
Lightly acidic, faintly sweet. The bottles are wider at the bottom.

Bordeaux Wines
Rich, densely flavored. The bottles are straight from the “shoulders.”

If you were to open such a wine just a few years after the vintage (especially a good vintage) and serve it right away, it would be astringent and acidic―like an under-ripened tomato―and not very good at all. So ideally, you’d let the wine mature for 10 to 20 years, but that’s not always realistic. Wine is very delicate. If it’s stored in a place where the temperature goes above 77ºF it begins to degrade, and if it’s stored in a refrigerator, it’ll be too cold to develop properly. So unless you have a proper wine cellar, it’s very difficult to store wine for a long time.

So how do you get a stiff wine to blossom? The quick and easy way is to use a decanter. The trick to transferring wine from the bottle to a decanter is to pour slowly, allowing the wine to be in contact with as much air as possible. Decanting in this way allows the wine to unfold, bringing sweetness through the tannic, acidic flavors and release a mellow fragrance.

However, you need to be careful with bad vintage wines. Just as good vintage wines develop nicely with decanting, pouring a bad vintage into a decanter will destroy any good flavors the wine had to begin with. In the first chapter of “The Drops of God” Miyabi Shibanohara and a friend buy two bottles of wine, one vintage apart. The writer bought the same wines, decanted both and came to the same conclusion the characters did.

The great vintage (’99) was tight at first, but after decanting the flavors popped open like a new bloom. The 2000, which was drinkable right out of the bottle, worsened after decanting. The difference was startling.

Since decanting has an almost magical effect on wine, opening up good vintages and ruining bad ones, it’s best to taste the wine first to make sure, then decide whether to decant or not. A decanter can be bought for as little as $10, but it’s a priceless investment. If you don’t have a decanter, try uncorking and leaving the bottle open to the air for about 2 hours before serving. Try it!

First, appearances: The easiest way to tell Bordeaux and Burgundies apart is by the shape of the bottle. Bordeaux wines come in slim, slender bottles and Burgundies are sold in tapered, wide-bottom bottles. Next, color: Bordeaux wines are dark, dense and purplish. Burgundies are brighter and red like rubies.

Also, labels. Japanese sake labels list the name of the brewery. For wine, generally speaking, if the label lists a “Château” it’s a Bordeaux, and if it has a “Domaine” it’s a Burgundy.

But more than appearances, a straightforward approach to differentiating between the regions is by flavor. Even a wine novice will be able to tell which wine is from which region based on the taste. (The following applies to red wines only.)

Bordeaux reds are tannic, full-bodied, dense and weighty. Burgundies are acidic, fruity and not very tannic. These differences come from the different properties of the grapes used in each wine. Bordeaux wines use three types of grape: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Sauvignon are the grapes most often associated with Bordeaux, and produce very astringent wines that need time to mature. Merlot creates rich, well-rounded wine. Cabernet Franc wines ripen quickly and have a soft mouthfeel. Bordeaux wines are usually a blend of these three grapes. Depending on the producing area there might be a slight variation, but generally Bordeaux are vin de garde, needing time to mature. This is especially true if the blend is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon―such wines need at least 10 years in a cellar to reach full maturity. There are even some top-flight wines that are still bright and punchy even with over 20 years of storage.

Burgundy wines (aside from cheaper blended versions) are made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes, which produce a rich, fruity flavor. The wines generally need about 5 years to mature. Top-flight Grand Cru wines should be stored at least 10 years before uncorking to allow the true flavors to unfold.

Older wines are generally expensive, but online wine retailers frequently have discounts.

Aside from the two main producing regions, the Côtes du Rhône area of France is also known for excellent wine. Côtes du Rhône wines are low in tannins, richly flavored and spicy. But since Côtes du Rhônes aren’t very well known, you can find a great selection for very reasonable prices.

Spreading out along the banks of the Garonne river that empties into the Atlantic Ocean is the famous wine country, Bordeaux. With about 113,000 hectares, the Bordeaux vineyards comprise the largest wine region in France. It’s so large, in fact, that it’s nearly impossible to simply lump all the producers and appellations together when discussing wines from this region.

There are 60 officially recognized wine appellations (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) wines in Bordeaux, and each appellation uses different varietals of grapes in varying proportions, so each appellation has distinct characteristics.

Please look at the map. For wine novices, make sure to memorize three of the fine wine appellations: 1. Médoc 2. Graves and 3. Saint-Émilion and Pomerol. The Médoc region in particular has a high concentration of famous châteaux producing the finest wines in the country. Médoc and Graves are on the west bank of the Garonne and are thus called left bank wines. Left bank wine blends are predominantly cabernet sauvignon, which gives them a dense, rich and dry flavor, and a unique nose of cherries, with strong but balanced tannins and acidity. On the other side of the river are the right bank wines of Saint-Émilion and Pomerol. These wines have a higher percentage of merlot grapes, blended with cabernet sauvignon and other varietals. Merlot grapes ripen faster than cabernet sauvignon, and give a nice body and mild mouthfeel to the wine.

Now, here’s the tricky part. The Médoc region is divided into Médoc and Haut-Médoc. Within Haut-Médoc are six prestigious communal appellations. Wines from each of those six appellations use only the grapes grown within the appellation, which means the wines are very high status. Most of the finest Bordeaux wines come from these six appellations.

For example, Château Margaux, which became famous in Japan after its use as a key plot point in the TV show “Paradise Lost”, is from the Margaux estate. Likewise, the Château Mouton Rothschild shown in Chapter 2 is a wine from the Pauillac commune in Haut-Médoc. The Haut-Médoc region produces some truly valuable wines.

On the labels of Bordeaux wine, the rule of thumb is: The larger the area listed on the label, the lower the classification; the smaller the area, the higher the classification. A wine with the village or estate name on the label (as opposed to just the appellation of Haut-Médoc) will fetch a higher price, and a wine with simply the generic Bordeaux AOC will be sold as table wine.

The wines of Bordeaux are classified from first through fifth growths, or cru. Saint-Émilion has its own classification system. These classifications are very important when choosing wines.

In Burgundy, some of the best vineyards are divided among many different producers, or domaines, and the wines produced by each domaine will be different from others even in the same vineyard. The quality of the finished wine will vary depending on the skill of the winemakers and the techniques used by each domaine. It’s important to know which domaines are capable of producing consitently high-quality wines when choosing which Burgundy to buy.

Here the writers of “The Drops of God” would like to recommend six Burgundy domaines.

Gevrey-Chambertin

Wines from this commune are powerful, dense and rich with long aging capabilities. Lower-classed communal wines come from a wide range of areas within the Gevrey-Chambertin commune, and wines are highly variable among different producers at that level. The Grand cru Chambertin vineyard is what made the region famous. Napoleon favored Chambertin wines, which came to be called “The king’s wine.”

Recommended Producers:

Domaine Armand Rousseau

Practically the face of the Gevrey-Chambertin commune, 80% of the wines from this renowned domaine are from Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards. This domaine also produces village-level wines (with “Gevrey-Chambertin” on the label) in the $50 range. These wines are on the pricier side, but some of the grapes come from Premier Cru vineyards.

Domaine Claude Dugat

Sweet, elegantly fruity aromas are a trademark of these wines. Claude Dugat is a possible successor of Henri Jayer. These wines are expensive. The village-level wines are in the $80 range, and the region level Bourgogne Rouge wines are around $40. It’s very difficult to find anything above the level of Premier Cru.

Domaine Dugat-Py

A certain wine critic named this domaine as one of the top three in Burgundy. The wines are concentrated and mellow and age-worthy. The production is very limited, which drives the prices up. However regional wines (as opposed to village-level wines) by this domaine can be had for around $40.

Domaine Denis Mortet

This is one of the author’s favorite domaines. The grapes are organic, and the wines are silky smooth, sweet and richly fruity. Regional wines are in the $30 range.

Domaine Perrot-Minot

This domaine does all harvesting by hand, and concentrates the flavor of the grapes via triage – limiting the amount of fruit on each vine. The critic Robert M. Parker Jr. called the wines of this domaine “superb.” The village wines, in the $40 range, are as good as some Premier Crus.

Domaine Philippe Pacalet

Pacalet turned down the presidency of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti because he wanted to make his own wines. The grapes are grown organically and Pacalet does not use any sulphates. The wines are delicate and elegant. Village-level wines are expensive, in the $60 to $70 range.

Domaine Fourrier

Jean-Marie Fourrier, the current head of the domaine, studied wine making with Henri Jayer. The wines are heavy on the tannins and acidity, needing years to fully mature, but there’s a smoothness and full fruitiness to the wines. The village-level wines are also made from the domaine’s 90-year-old vines giving a rich palate, but the prices are reasonable (in the $40 range.)

Domaine Michel Guillard

A favorite of the author. The domaine is tiny, but the wines have a nose of oranges and are very delicious. Village-level wines are tasty and in the $40 range.

Domaine Armand Rousseau Pere et Fils
Gevrey-Chambertin – $60-range

Domaine Perrot-Minot
Gevrey-Chambertin – $50-range
Bourgogne Rouge – $30-range

Domaine Bernard Dugat-Py
Bourgogne Rouge – $40-range

Domaine Fourrier
Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru “Combe aux Moines” – $70-range
Gevrey-Chambertin – $40-range

Domaine Claude Dugat
Gevrey Chambertin – $50-range
Bourgogne Rouge – $30-range

Philippe Pacalet
Gevrey-Chambertin – $70-range

Denis Mortet
Gevrey-Chambertin En Champs – $90-range
Gevrey-Chambertin – $50-range
Bourgogne Rouge – $40-range

Michel Guillard
Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Lavaux Saint-Jacques – $60-range
Gevrey-Chambertin – $40-range

Commune: Chambolle-Musigny

Domaine Georges Roumier
From neighboring Morey-Saint-Denis, Premier Cru Clos de la Bussiere – $50-range
Chambolle-Musigny – $70-range
Bourgogne Rouge – $40-range

Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé
Chambolle-Musigny – $90-range

Domaine Drouhin-Laroze
Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru – $70-range
Village wine from the neighboring Gevrey-Chambertin is in the $30-range
Premier Cru starts in the $30-range

Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier
Chambolle-Musigny Les Fuées Premier Cru – $70+
Chambolles-Musigny – $70-range

Domaine Robert Groffier
Chambolle-Musigny Les Sentiers Premier Cru – $90+
Bourgogne Pinot Noir – $30-range
Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains – $20

Commune: Morey-Saint-Denis

Domaine Frédéric Magnien
Ruchot Premier Cru – $50-range
Clos Baulet Premier Cru – $50-range
Les Blanchards Premier Cru – $70-range
Clos Sorbè Premier Cru – $50-range
Morey-Saint-Denis Les Herbuottes – $40-range

Mommessin
Their hallmark Clos de Tart Grand Cru sells for well over $100, but they also make a very inexpensive Beaujolais.

Domaine Dujac
Morey-Saint-Denis – $60-range
The white wine Morey-Saint-Denis Blanc is rare, due to a limited number of producers, but sells in the $60-range, and is often considered tastier than Grand Cru whites.

Domaine Hubert Lignier
The Vieilles Vignes (old vine) Premier Cru (marked in some cases VV) are $80 and up.
Les Chaffots Premier Cru – $90-range
Morey-Saint-Denis – $60+
Bourgogne Rouge – $30+
White wine Bourgogne Aligoté sells for less than $20

Commune: Nuits-Saint-Georges

Domaine Jayer-Gilles
Les Damodes Premier Cru – around $90 to $160
Les Hauts Poiret – $60-range
Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Rouge – $40-range
Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Blanc – $30-range

Domaine de l’Arlot
Clos de Forets Saint Georges Premier Cru – $40-range
Their monopole Clos de l’Arlot is recommended and sells in the $60+ range.

Domaine Robert Chevillon
Les Saint-Georges Premier Cru – $60-range
Les Perrières Premier Cru – $60-range
Nuits-Saint-Georges – $40-range

Domaine Henri Gouges
Clos des Porrets monopole Premier Cru – $40-range
Les Saints-Georges Premier Cru – $60-range
Nuits-Saint-Georges – $20-range

Domaine Philippe et Vincent Lécheneaut
Les Pruliers Premier Cru – $80+
Les Damodes Premier Cru – $70-range (highly recommended)
Nuits-Saint-Georges – $40-range
Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Rouge – $20-range

Commune: Vougeot

Clos de Vougeot

Domaine Drouhin-Laroze
$60 and up. A reasonable price range considering their excellent reviews.

Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret
Can be found in the $60-range, but these are vin de garde and need some years to mature, so choose a vintage that’s at least 5 years old.

Domaine Gros Frère et Sœur
Since their vineyards are right next to Musigny, their labels say “Clos de Vougeot Musigni.” Some vintages sell in the $70-80-range.

This is the hero of our story, Shizuku Kanzaki. Even this guy, who can give such vividly eloquent descriptions of the wines he tastes, had no knowledge of wine lingo when he first started drinking it. Here we’ll explain some key wine tasting terms you’ll find in the pages of “The Drops of God” that you’d be too shy to ask someone else to explain.

Tasting
Drinking wine not to get drunk, but to savor the aromas and flavors of the wines themselves.

Blind Tasting
A tasting where the labels on the wine bottles are covered. The tasters, unclouded by preconceived notions, then describe the nose and palate of the wines, and attempt to guess the grape varietal, producing region, vintage, etc.

Decanting (Decantage)
The transferring of wine to a glass decanter in order to prevent sediment (lees) from the bottom of the wine bottle from getting into the wine glass.

Burgundy (Bourgogne)
A wine producing region in eastern France. Wine is produced in Yonne, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise, Mâcon, and Beaujolais. Burgundy wine bottles have sloping, feminine “shoulders.”

Bordeaux
A wine producing region in southern France. Famous producing areas are Médoc, Graves, Sauternes, Pomerol, Saint-Émilion, etc. The bottles have squared, masculine “shoulders.”

Vintage
The year the grapes used in the wine were harvested. The flavor profile of wine varies year by year depending on the quality of the grapes, so this is important information when choosing good wines.

Cellar
Temperature-controlled area where wines are stored.

Sommelier
A wine professional in charge of procuring wines for a dining establishment, maintaining and sotring stock appropriately and recommending and serving wines to guests. Becoming a sommelier requires training and the passing of an exam.

Domaine
A wine producer in the Burgundy region.

Chateau
A wine producer in the Bordeaux region.

Noble rot wine
Smooth, mellow dessert wines. Noble rot is Botrytis cinerea, a type of benign mold that dries out the grapes, concentrating their sweet flavors.

DRC
An abbreviation for the top-flight wine estate Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, in the Burgundy region. They make the famous Romanée-Conti wine.

Terroir
Terroir refers to the unique characteristics that appear in finished wine due to the vineyard’s soil, topography and climate.

Lees
Sediment or precipitate in wine. Some winemakers stir the lees back into the wine during fermentation to enhance flavor.

Attack
The impression the wine makes on the first sip. A lack of distinction during the attack phase makes for a weak, dull wine.

Aroma
The “nose” or innate scent of the wine. Aroma generally refers to the scent of the grapes themselves in younger wines, whereas bouquet refers to the complex layers of scents found in older wines. The various aromas in wine are produced by the grapes (and each varietal has its own characteristics), the yeast used in the fermentation process and acids (such as lactic acid) that develop during fermentation.

Bouchonné
Corked wine, or cork taint. A fault caused by a contaminant in the wine cork caused by fungi that produces the compound 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TSA) which destroys any other aromas or flavors in the wine, making it smell like wet dog, wet cardboard or a moldy newspaper.

Rim
The outer edge of the wine surface as seen when the glass is held at an angle against light or a white background. The color at the rim will vary depending on the age and condition of the wine, helping tasters define the potential of the wine or guess the vintage in a blind tasting.

Grands crus classés
Literally, “great classified growths.” The best vineyards are ranked, or classified. The Médoc area in the Bordeaux region has five classes, and Saint-Émilion’s top class is divided into “A” and “B.” In Burgundy, the highest classification is “Grand Cru.”

Etiquette
French for “manners” but also refers to the label on the bottle (from the French for “ticket.”) The wine label provides information about the wine, including vintage year, Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC), grape varietal, producing region, etc.

“Absolute page-turner… It’s the sweeping two-page illustrations of taste-transporting moments (a shirt-tearing jam by rock band Queen, a maiden fleeing through strawberry fields) that better capture wine’s great allure than a thousand dry scribblings on history and weather conditions.”
—Time Out New York

“An almost psychedelically beautiful work… It’s like Speed Racer crossed with Wine Spectator.”
—The Daily Dish (LA Times)

“Following the recipe of many graphic novels, ‘Drops‘ is filled with adventure, betrayal, family secrets and a pinch of sexual tension.”
—The Daily (Wall Street Journal)

“Visually stunning and effortlessly entertaining… To top it off, reading Drops is a trippy literary experience… Don’t be surprised if you crush this book in one night. It’s pretty impossible to put down once you pick it up.”
—Bottlenotes (The Daily Sip)

“I have already ordered the second volume (out in December) and I guess that in terms of reviews that is a definitive statement.”
—Wine Psych

“Presents some complex wine topics in an easy to understand manner, without talking down to the consumer… I urge all wine lovers to take a look, with an open mind, at The Drops of God. Give it a chance and you might be surprised at how much you enjoy it.”
—The Passionate Foodie

“Penchants for French wines drive the selection of vinos described with dramatic, often fanatical detail.”
—Wine Enthusiast

“Through the dramas of their wine-drinking characters, [Tadashi Agi] instructs readers on how to taste wine. It’s hilarious, for sure, when a young woman swoons over a man’s decanting skills, but it’s also a great way to draw attention to the technical proficiency of a beautiful pour without getting too technical. And that’s what’s truly extraordinary about Drops of God: It makes learning about wine—which, let’s face it, can be a totally tedious thing for the non-obsessed—really fun… Seriously, this is juicy stuff!”
—GILT

“This is not only an influential wine book in Japan (and France) but is a gem of a find—something that is out-of-the-ordinary, yet based on serious wine understanding, i.e. that wine is a living thing and the memories that fine wines can evoke. It is a real page turner!”
—WEINGARTEN

“I can’t begin to express how much I learned from this manga… Even if you aren’t comfortable with graphic novels, this one is very approachable due to the subject matter… I can’t wait until the second volume comes out, but for now I will content myself with rereading and savoring the first.”
—S. Krishna’s Books

“This book is extraordinarily easy to like, and I vastly prefer whiskey over wine. I’ve been hearing everyone and everything hail The Drops of God as the latest best thing ever since 2009. As it turns out, the hype was right. This is good comic-booking.”
—Comics Alliance

“Does it live up to the hype? It does… Where Drops of God draws you in is its writing… Vertical’s translation and presentation is as good as we’ve come to expect from them.”
—A Case Suitable for Treatment

“The series really seems to be more about teaching readers about wine by showing the ways it can influence people’s character… It’s about hooch, it’s got amiable stars, and you can learn stuff about a subject that may be new to you… I’m in for the duration.”
—Manga Curmudgeon

“The Drops of God describes the various wines in an entertaining, appealing and unique manner… Now, wine geeks in Finland will be able to drink in this zesty text in English and hopefully inspire a Finnish translation.”
—Helsinki Times

Tadashi Agi is the pen name used by the best-selling brother and sister duo Shin and Yuko Kibayashi. Veteran writers, the Kibayashis debuted on the Japanese scene with the award-winning and best-selling comic series Kindaichi’s Case Files. Agi’s next hit was the series GetBackers, which would cement the pair as Japan’s most innovative thriller/mystery writers of the early part of the new century. The Kibayashi siblings are also highly regarded wine enthusiasts who were also voted one of Decanter magazine’s 50 most influential people in the wine industry in 2009. They have been interviewed by the New York Times, CNN, and Wine Aficionado regarding global wine trends.

Shu Okimoto is a veteran comic illustrator and book jacket designer.