France’s rolling hills of the Côte d’Or or “Golden Slopes” are blanketed by lovingly tended vineyards. Co-author of my France guidebook and mentor in all things French, Steve Smith, knows a great château just a short walk from the canal where we can taste some unforgettable Burgundy wine.

Raoul: OK, so we are walking in the clos, you can see these four walls…

Raoul is proud that this enclosure or “clos” – with its stoney walls—still protects the very best part of the vineyard as it has since the Middle Ages. It’s all about exposure to the sun and the personality of the soil…the terroir. This is a classic Burgundian scene. And it’s a privilege to share it with a man whose family’s long been a part of this rich heritage.

Rick: So how do you know when to harvest?

Raoul: So we have to look and also to taste, we take the grapes, we taste it, and we have the sugar. Skin is quite thin, it’s not too strong. And after, we also have some, we can do some tasting in the lab in the wine estate, just to be sure with the sugar level.

Rick: 600 years ago, your great-great-great-great-great-grandpa could stand here and taste a grape right here.

Raoul: Exactly.

Rick: And he would think, “The skin is just perfect.”

Raoul: “Just perfect.”

Raoul: Here you see the château de Rully. So, this castle is in my family since the beginning. That means since the end of the 12th century.

Rick: Your family?

Raoul: Yes, my family. So, I am the 26th generation.

Rick: This is a very old kitchen.

Raoul: This is a medieval kitchen. So this kitchen is in the 12-century tower, so this is the oldest part of the castle.

Rick: There’s many, many centuries of wine tasting right here.

Raoul: Exactly.

Rick: Let’s continue that tradition.

Raoul: Of course.

Raoul: So the labels…there we have the name of the wine estate and which is very nice-tasting. This is we have the name of the plot. So the name of the land, Molesme.

Rick: So Molesme is the name of that little a little piece of land like we were just at.

Raoul: Exactly.

Burgundy is known for its pinot noir and we’re tasting some of Raoul’s best.

Raoul: First smell it. Very nice pinot noir. Then you can taste it.

Rick: Oh, that has a personality. What would I be tasting?

Raoul: Note of red fruit, note of leather…

Rick: Red fruit…leather…what else?

Raoul: So this one is earthy.

Rick: Earthy.

Steve: Yeah, the French call it “sous bois” or “under the woods.”

Rick: “Under the woods.” I like that.