An unforgettable dinner last night at Frasca where Étienne de Montille presented an extraordinary flight of his family’s wines paired with Chef Lachlan Patterson’s menu. Here are a couple of quick highlights… stay tuned for more.

An unforgettable dinner last night at Arcana, where Richard Betts MS, Jay Fletcher MS, Lynn Fletcher, and Carla Rzeszewski poured an incredible flight of wines (check back for the complete flight).

One of the most remarkable things was that guest of honor, winemaker Étienne de Montille, decided to pour wine all night instead of being seated for the meal. It was wonderful to watch guests ooo and aaa as Étienne approached their tables.

And of course, there was a already a team of celebrity sommeliers hard at work. That’s Richard Betts and Carla Rzeszewski in the photo above.

In conversation, Étienne spoke about something he had said earlier in the day at the Old and Rare seminar.

Recounting something his father, the inimitable Hubert de Montille used to say, Étienne told the group that “we,” the winemakers and grape growers of Burgundy, “are here to serve the land [of Burgundy], one of the most extraordinary places to farm in the world.”

“The word serve in French comes from servir, which comes from serf, my father used to say. The serfs were people who ‘belonged’ to the land. The owners of the land would change. But the serfs always remained. We are the serfs of Burgundy today,” he said.

One of the greatest things about the Boulder Burgundy Festival is how guests get to interact with people like Étienne.

We’ll be posting more in-depth stories from this year’s festival as soon as we have a moment to catch our breath!

Just posting some quick highlights from this afternoon’s Old and Rare Burgundy Seminar and Tasting, where guests tasted a flight that spanned 1991-2006. Really interesting to hear the panelists talk about their experiences pouring many of the wines in the flight over the years. Great to hear Étienne share his insights into Burgundy growing and winemaking practices. See the flight below…

1991 Domaine Ponsot Chapelle Chambertin Grand Cru
1996 Camille Giroud, Mazis Chambertin Grand Cru
1993 Domaine Denis Mortet, Gevrey Chambertin Les Champeaux 1er
1997 Domaine Hubert Lignier, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
2006 Domaine Meo-Camuzet, Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru
2004 Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret, Richebourg Grand Cru
1998 Domaine de L’Arlot, Nuits St. Georges Clos des Forêts St. Georges 1er Magnum
1991 Domaine Daniel Rion, Vosne Romanée Les Beaux Monts 1er

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Here are a few highlights from last night’s Champagne Kick-Off party at the Kitchen Upstairs, the festival’s inaugural gathering.

Guests were treated to spectacular flights of Krug, Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart, and Dom Pérignon, among other wines.

And of course, the Kitchen staff did a phenomenal job with Champagne-friendly small bites. The service was as attentive as the menu was spot-on.

What a great way to get the festival started and what a great group of guests this year!

Stay tuned for daily updates from this year’s events…

Tickets are still available for the following events but they are going fast (as of this posting, Friday, September 30):

Old and Rare Burgundy Seminar
with Master Sommeliers Jay Fletcher,
and Bobby Stuckey with Special Guest
Étienne de Montille
Friday, October 21

Étienne de Montille Dinner at Frasca Food and Wine
Saturday, October 22

Seminar and Tasting: “To stem or not to stem”
with Jancis Robinson MW and Étienne de Montille
Sunday, October 23

Grand Tasting
Sunday, October 23

Sunday, October 23
“To stem or not to stem?”
A conversation with Etienne de Montille from Domaine de Montille, and Special Guest Jancis Robinson, MW discussing winemaking techniques used in Burgundy with the wines of Domaine de Montille.

Master of Wine Jancis Robinson — one of the top wine writers in the world today —is the keynote speaker of this year’s Boulder Burgundy Festival. Wine critic for the Financial Times, editor of the landmark Oxford Companion to Wine and Wine Grapes (the world’s most comprehensive ampelographic survey), and a “member of the Royal Household Wine Committee” (in other words, a wine buyer for the Queen of England), Jancis is also the editor of Purple Pages, one of the top online resources for tasting notes and wine writing today. We are thrilled that she is joining us this year as our featured panelist.

Wines:

2014 Domaine de Montille, Nuits Saint Georges Les Saint Juliens 1er
2010 Domaine de Montille, Nuits Saint Georges Les Saint Juliens 1er

2008 Domaine de Montille, Beaune Les Perrière 1er
2008 Domaine de Montille, Beaune Les Grèves 1er

2011 Domaine de Montille, Volnay Mitans 1er (Magnum)
1999 Domaine de Montille, Volnay Mitans 1er

2005 Domaine de Montille, Corton Clos du Roi Grand Cru
2009 Domaine de Montille, Corton Clos du Roi Grand Cru

St. Julien Hotel
12:00 am – 1:30 pm
$150 per person (65 tickets available)

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.

Saturday, October 22
Burgundy Producer Dinner
with Etienne de Montille of Domaine de Montille
Benefits the Family Learning Center.

The cornerstone event of the festival, the Saturday-evening dinner with the festival’s guest winemaker always makes for a night to remember. This year, we will be joined by legacy winemaker and grape grower Étienne de Montille of Domaine de Montille, the son of Hubert de Montille and the current steward of this historic estate and producer of some of the greatest wines in the world. Last year’s performance will be tough to top but the Frasca Food and Wine chefs will surely deliver one of his show-stopping menus. Master of Wine Jancis Robinson will also be in attendance.

Wines:

Val de Mer Brut Nature Rosé
2013 Domaine de Montille, Meursault Perrières 1er
2001 Domaine de Montille, Puligny Montrachet Les Cailleret 1er (magnum)
2006 Domaine de Montille, Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru (magnum)
2005 Domaine de Montille, Beaune Grèves 1er
2002 Domaine de Montille, Volnay Taillepieds 1er
1999 Domaine de Montille, Pommard Rugiens 1er

Frasca Food and Wine
6:00 pm
$395 per person all-inclusive (67 seats available)

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Image via Cellarette.

Saturday, October 22
Paulée Inspired Lunch
With a team of the country’s top sommeliers
Featuring more than 50 wines from Burgundy.
Proceeds benefit Davis Phinney Foundation.

No event better captures the convivial spirit of the festival than the Paulée-Inspired Lunch at the Flagstaff House, where some of the world’s leading collectors of Burgundy wines from across the world gladly share their top bottles with guests. Over the years, this gathering has become one of the festival’s signature events and the wines are only rivaled by the sparkle of the wine glitterati in attendance. The team of sommeliers on the floor alone is worth the price of admission.

A sample of the red wines that will be featured at the Paulée lunch:

2006 Domaine de Courcel, Pommard Grand Clos des Epenots 1er
1991 Camille Giroud, Vosne Romanée Les Suchots 1er
1998 Domaine Philippe Charlopin-Parizot, Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru
1989 Frédéric Esmonin, Griotte Chambertin Grand Cru
1995 Hospices de Nuits Nuits St. Georges Saint Georges 1er ‘Cuvée Georges Faively’
2005 Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Volnay Santenots du Milieu 1er
1991 Domaine Daniel Rion, Vosne Romanée Les Chaumes 1er
1993 Domaine Philippe Charlopin-Parizot, Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru
1995 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits St. Georges Les Pruliers 1er
1999 Denis Mugneret & Fils, Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru
1998 Louis Jadot Gevrey Chambertin Clos St. Jacques 1er
1996 Bouchard Père et Fils, Beaune Grèves 1er
1996 Maison Alex Gambal, Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru

Flagstaff House
11:00 am – 3:00 pm
$195 per person all-inclusive (120 seats available)

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER