Desmond Tutu and Biodynamic White Burgundy

Last night I was lucky enough to attend a lecture by Archbishop Desmond Tutu at St Paul's Catherdral. At 78 years old he stood and slowly approached the lecturn under the arching splendor of the domed roof, looking a little unsteady on his feet and every minute of his age I had to prevent myself from jumping up and offering him a hand. As he turned and began his address, the transformation was spectacular. He seemed to grow inches and shed the years. His eyes were alive alternatively with humour and humility and the impact of not only his words but his delivery and his presence were evident on the faces of the audience. A wonderfully balanced speech he spoke with sincerity, with fire and with love, interspercing it with dramatic pauses and bouts of contageous laughter. To be in the presence of such a life force was an almost spiritual experience, for the first time I experienced the power of a truly great orator, but more than that, of a truly great man.

What has this all got to do with white burgundy you're wondering, is she just enjoying the sound of her own fingers? Rhythmic though they are, stick with it, there is a point to my rambling, tenuous though it might at first appear.

I have just tasted the latest vintage (2007) of Domaine Emmanuel Giboulot Grand Chatelain from Burgundy. Now this is a wine from a tiny family run estate in the Cotes de Beaune and the wine maker is just 24 years old, I opened and poured contently looking forward to a well made, pleasant white Burgundy. What I got was something different all together.

Just as this unpreposesing man had approached the microphone, so too did this wine, for all intents and purposes appear to be similar to any other well made and boutique Cotes de Beaune. It looked good; clean, pure and light gold. It smelt delicious, rich yet restrained hinting at a depth you'd only discover once it had entered your mouth... and this is when the transformation happened. As soon as this wine hit my palate it just exploded, it was so alive and vibrant, it had an energy to it that even an untrained palate couldn't help but be affected by. Fabulous fruit concentration, rounded oak perfectly intigrated, a touch of spice, structure, finesse and elegance, but there was something else about it over and above this that captivated and really awoke the senses.

Be as cynical as you will about biodynamic farming but for all their weird and wonderful practices, it is a focus on harnessing the earths energy, working with nature, gravity, life and growth and channelling the energy of the vine through the harvest and into the tank or barrel, respecting its natural movement and flow, in short working with the vine not against it. I have tasted beautifully made biodynamic wines, but could I have said this was the result of biodynamics rather than a very talented wine maker or viticulturalist? Possibly not. This however is the first time that I can say with certainty that the purity and natural energy of the wine I tasted had harnessed more than just flavour from its terroir, but life from the soils.

All a bit profound for a Tuesday afternoon? Quite possibly, but every once in a while when something or someone really hits home and gets under the skin it does feel good to talk about it!