South of the Yang Zi, East of the C?te(1)

            Most people think that the C魌e d'Or is so named because of its
            slopes (C魌e) of Gold (d'Or).  Makes sense, particularly when
            cruising the Burgundy aisles trying to lay your hands on a
            reasonably priced bottle from this lucrative strip of real estate. 
            My former apparent misconception of the meaning of the region's name
            was once corrected by a Gevrey vigneron who pointed out that before
            this goose was even laying golden eggs, locals so called it the C魌e
            d'Or because her slopes faced east.  So C魌e d'Or may have
            originally been short for "C魌e d'Orient? though in recent years it
            has taken on a wholly appropriate double meaning.
            These days a lot of European wine regions are staring fixedly at the
            Orient, wondering where their next market will come from.  Beyond
            optimal vine exposure, I believe the red producers of the C魌e d'Or
            at least have just cause to face east due to the cracking
            compatibility of Bourgogne Rouge and a number of Asian foods.  And
            one the best matches has to be top-flight C魌e de Nuits Pinot and
            Cantonese cuisine.
            Cantonese cuisine originates from Guangzhou in the Guangdong
            Province of Southern China.  The dishes of this area are remarkably
            varied, incorporating every kind of animal and organ imaginable
            including duck tongue, chicken feet, jellyfish and snake along with
            more pedestrian staples such as pork, beef, shellfish and chicken. 
            Like great wine, the key to superlative Cantonese cuisine is
            balance.  The use of spice in most dishes is modest compared to say
            Sichuan cuisine, which is generally fierier.  Freshness and quality
            of raw materials are emphasised with relatively delicate sauces and
            flavourings used to enhance vegetables, seafood and meats rather
            than overpower.
            Twice I've been invited to private wine dinners at the
            Cantonese-influenced Jiang-Nan Chun Restaurant in Singapore's Four
            Seasons Hotel and both times I've come away with my hedonistic food
            and wine cravings seamlessly satiated.  The restaurant's name means,
            "south of the Yang Zi River during springtime", harking back to a
            place and time where Chinese emperors and aristocrats would bask on
            the river's edge, reading poetry whilst dining in fine fashion.  The
            manager at Jiang-Nan Chun, Matthew Ng, is one of Singapore's most
            inspired when it comes to artfully creating wine and Cantonese food
            experiences fit for nobility.  Beyond the restauran's very tasteful
            and serene private dining rooms, Matthew is a master at arranging
            special menus to help showcase fine wines.
            So it was a particular treat to kick-start my Lunar New Year
            revelries this year at Jiang-Nan Chun with wines from my one of my
            favourite communes in the C魌e de Nuits: Vosne-Roman閑.  It was this
            sub-region's wine that first seduced me to Pinot Noir during my
            palate's formative years, often at great expense I hasten to add. 
            But worth every penny - Vosne-Roman閑 is for me the Yin of
            Chambolle-Musigny uniting with the Yang of Nuits-St-Georges,
            shrouded in a silken veil of earthy complexity.  Sadly, its
            extraordinary nature is far from a well-kept secret.  On the
            contrary, Vosne-Roman閑 has become the Forbidden City of Grand Crus,
            home to a venerable collection of regional leaders: Roman閑-Conti,
            Meo-Camuzet, Leroy, Robert Arnoux, Jean Grivot and Emmanuel Rouget. 
            Although there's not much room amongst all the vying for highness
            for emerging nobility to develop, there has been at least one
            noteworthy newcomer in recent years:  Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair.
            Regaining control of vineyards that had been in his family since
            Napoleonic times, Louis-Michel Liger-Belair started producing wines
            in Vosne-Roman閑 as recently as 2000.  He now manages more than
            three hectares of family owned vineyards in prime locations
            including, Vosne-Roman閑 La Colombiere, Clos du Chateau, 1er Cru Les
            Chaumes, 1er Cru Aux Reignots and La Roman閑.  In 2006 he began
            renting another 5.5 hectares of vineyards in Vosne-Roman閑 and
            Nuits-Saints-Georges, providing enough raw materials to demonstrate
            what this talented artist is truly capable of.