WINE INFORMATION
Region: Côte d'Or
Explore: Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits
AOC Distinctions: Grand Cru, Premier Cru, Village,
and Regional appellations
Grape Varieties: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Pinot Noir (red):
- Multifaceted, totally magical with fragrance, finesse, and
complexity. Big, round, and masculine in the Côte de Nuits,
more elegant, delicate, and feminine in the Côte de Beaune.
- Taste soft summer fruits: raspberries, strawberries, cherries,
mulberries, and currants. Tannins that mellow with age.
- Noteworthy towns and vineyards:
- Vosne-Romanée: Romanée-Conti, La Tâche, Richebourg, Romanée-Saint-Vivant;
- Gevry-Chambertin: Chambertin, Clos de Bèze, Charmes-Chambertin
- Chambolle Musigny: Musigny, Bonnes Mares;
- Vougeot: Clos de Vougeot, Grands Échezeaux.
- Chardonnay (white):
- Stylish, rich, round, and mouth watering.
- Taste opulent peach, butter, honey, lemon, white flowers,
and oak.
- Noteworthy towns and vineyards:
- Chassagne-Montrachet: La Romanée, Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet;
- Chassagne/Puligny-Montrachet: Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet,
Morgeot;
- Meursault: Genevrières Les Perrières, Les Charmes;
- Aloxe-Corton: Corton-Charlemagne, Corton
Côte de Beaune
The Côte de Beaune is the more southerly part of
the Côte d'Or. The northernmost tip abuts onto the
Côte de Nuits, and the region extends south to the
Côte Chalonnaise. The geology is more variable than
that of the Côte de Nuits. The region sits on a
combination of Callovian, Argovian and Rauracian limestones,
with much intervening marlstone. Obviously, the climate
is the same as for the Côte de Nuits - continental,
with a wide annual temperature difference. Spring rains
and frost, and Autumn rains, which may interfere with
the harvest, can also be a problem here. The vineyards
face south-east on the slope between the plain to the
south-east, and the hills to the north-west, the easterly
aspect aiding exposure to the sun.
Pernand-Vergelesses can be a source of some good value
Burgundy, but no great wines. Nearby, however, we start
to see some of the more serious wines of the Côte
de Beaune at Aloxe-Corton. The wines of this village,
as well as a number of other villages nearby, are red
as well as white. Red Corton should be a muscular, savoury
wine, whereas the white is a rich, intense, buttery drink.
Beaune, Savigny-les-Beaune and Chorey-les-Beaune are all
best known for their red wines. The wines produced here
are well fruited, tasty, sometimes quite elegant affairs,
although they are somewhat lighter (and less expensive)
when from the latter two villages.
Pommard can make wonderful red Burgundy, well structured
and meaty, whereas Volnay is better known for it's heady,
perfumed and delicately textured wines.
Towards the southern end of
the Côte de Beaune, however, are the Côte
d'Or's most famous white wine villages. Meursault produces
rich, complex, intense yet elegant wines, but it is Puligny-Montrachet
and Chassagne-Montrachet that lead the pack. The former
bears a wonderful combination of richness with mineral
complexities, the latter are sometimes broader and more
open, although both are lovely, and words cannot really
do them justice. Nearby are the villages of St-Romain,
St-Aubin, Santenay and Auxey-Duresses. All are responsible
for some value Burgundy.
The appellations of the
Côte de Beaune are as follows:
Grands Crus: As with the Côte de Nuits, such wines
are not required to bear the village name. The Grands
Crus are as follows:
Aloxe-Corton: Corton (the largest Grand Cru in Burgundy,
with a number of subdivisions, eg Corton-Bressandes),
Corton-Charlemagne.
Puligny-Montrachet: Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet,
Chevalier-Montrachet, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet.
Chassagne-Montrachet: Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet,
Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet.
As with the Côtes de Nuits, some vineyards lie in
more than one village. Here, the Grands Crus Montrachet
and Bâtard-Montrachet lie in both Puligny and Chassagne-Montrachet.
Most villages of the Côte de Beaune have no Grands
Crus.
Premiers Crus: As with the Côtes de Nuits, these
are too numerous to name. As with Chablis and the Côtes
de Nuits, a wine blended from several such sites will
be labelled as Premier Cru, whereas a wine from an individual
vineyard will bear the vineyard name, eg Pommard Premier
Cru Les Petits Epenots.
Village Wines: The villages of the Côte de Beaune
are Ladoix, Pernand-Vergelesses, Aloxe-Corton, Savigny-lès-Beaune,
Chorey-lès-Beaune, Beaune, Pommard, Volnay, Monthelie,
St-Romain, Auxey-Duresses, Meursault, Blagny, Puligny-Montrachet,
Chassagne-Montrachet, St-Aubin and Santenay. Blagny is
a small hamlet close to the Premier Cru vineyards of Meursault.
Sub-Village Appellations: These include Côte de
Beaune Villages (may be applied to declassified wine from
fourteen villages of the Côte de Beaune not including
Aloxe-Corton, Beaune, Volnay or Pommard), Bourgogne Hautes
Côtes de Nuits (applies to a large number of communes
to the west of the Côte d'Or), and basic Bourgogne.
There is also the confusing appellation Côte de
Beaune, which refers to wines from the commune of Beaune
not deemed worthy of the appellation Beaune.
The Côte d'Or - top wines estates and producers
includes Domaine d'Arlot, Simon Bize, Robert Chevillon,
Bruno Clair, Michel Colin-Deléger, Drouhin, René
Engel, Faiveley, Jacques Gagnard-Delagrange, Jean-Marc
Blain-Gagnard, Richard Fontaine-Gagnard, Jean Grivot,
Hudelot-Noëllat, Jadot, Jaffelin, Henri Jayer, Leroy,
Méo-Camuzet, Albert Morot, Daniel Rion, Domaine
des Perdrix, and Etienne Sauzet. There are, obviously,
many, many more producers of interest, but there are simply
too many to include here.
Côte de Nuits
The Côte d'Or is divided into two main viticultural
regions, the Côte de Nuits being the more northerly
of the two. The northernmost tip lies just south of Dijon,
and the region extends down to the Côte de Beaune,
onto which it abuts. Named after the town of Nuits-St-Georges,
it is most widely reknowned for it's red wines, although
there are a few worthy white wines made here also. Geologically,
the region sits on a combination of Bajocian, Bathonian,
Callovian and Argovian limestones, with some Liassic marlstone.
The climate is continental, with a wide annual temperature
difference. Spring rains and frost can be a problem, as
can Autumn rain, which may interfere with the harvest.
This is true for the whole Côte d'Or. The vineyards
lie on the slope between the plain to the east, and the
hills to the west. Soils on the plain, to the east of
the N74 (not illustrated), are too fertile for quality
wine, and on the hills it is too sparse. The easterly
aspect also aids exposure to the sun.
The most northerly village of note is Marsannay, an up
and coming wine region for the production of value Burgundy.
Next is Fixin, a village which can produce some good value
wines, although they never achieve greatness.
Further south come the villages of the Côte de
Nuits that produce some of the great wines of Burgundy.
Firstly, Gevrey-Chambertin, which impresses with the combination
of its muscular, weighty attitude and paradoxical perfumed
edge. Morey-St-Denis is a meaty, intense wine which can
be superb, but like many of these famous names overcropping
and poor vinification techniques can result in some very
weak wines. Chambolle-Musigny may be marked by a wonderful,
floral, fragrant bouquet, whereas at Vougeot we have an
unusual situation. Much of the wine is classified as Grand
Cru as it lies within the walled vineyard of the Clos
de Vougeot, but only a small part of this wine is truly
of Grand Cru quality. At best it can be a tasty, full-bodied,
richly fruited wine, although it is not one of the great
Grands Crus.
Flagey-Echézeaux is unusual as it lies to the
east of all the other vineyards. The wines can be quite
fine. Next is Vosne-Romaneé, a fine set of vineyards
which can produce some superb wines. Vosne-Romaneé
can have a rich, creamy, sensuous texture, even in the
village wines from a good producer. Other than Nuits-St-Georges,
there are no other villages of huge significance.
The appellations of the Côte de Nuits are
as follows:
Grands Crus: Such wines are not required to bear the village
name. Thus wines produced, for example, from the Grand
Cru Chambertin Clos de Bèze would not include the
village name of Gevrey-Chambertin, where it is situated.
These are as follows:
Gevrey-Chambertin: Chambertin, Chambertin Clos de Bèze,
Charmes-Chambertin, Chapelle-Chambertin, Griotte- Chambertin,
Latricières-Chambertin, Mazis-Chambertin, Ruchottes-Chambertin.
Morey-St-Denis: Bonnes Mares, Clos Saint-Denis, Clos de
Tart, Clos de la Roche, Clos des Lambrays.
Chambolle-Musigny: Musigny, Bonnes Mares.
Vougeot: Clos de Vougeot.
Vosne-Romanée: La Romanée, La Tâche,
Richebourg, Romanée-Conti, Romanée-St-Vivant,
La Grande Rue.
Flagey-Echézeaux: Grands-Echézeaux, Echézeaux.
The Grand Cru Bonnes Mares straddles the villages of Morey-St-Denis
and Chambole-Musigny. Nuits-St-Georges has no Grands Crus.
Premiers Crus: These are too numerous to name here. As
with Chablis, a wine blended from several such sites will
be labelled as Premier Cru, whereas a wine from an individual
vineyard will bear the vineyard name, eg. Gevrey-Chambertin
Premier Cru Clos Saint-Jacques.
Village Wines: The villages of the Côte de Nuits
are Marsannay (La-Côte), Fixin, Gevrey-Chambertin,
Morey-St-Denis, Chambolle Musigny, Vougeot (although anything
other than Grand Cru Clos de Vougeot is rare), Vosne-Romanée
and Nuits-St-Georges. Village wines from Flagey-Echézeaux
are sold under the Vosne-Romanée appellation.
Sub-Village Appellations: These include Côte de
Nuits Villages (may be applied to wine from Corgoloin,
Comblanchien, Prémeaux, Brochon, and declassified
wine from Fixin), Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits
(applies to a large number of communes to the west of
the Côte d'Or), and basic Bourgogne.
Outstanding Vintages:
- reds: 1996, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1985, 1978, 1971
- whites: 1997, 1996, 1995, 1992, 1990, 1989, 1985,
1978, 1971
Price Range: $7.00-$10,000+
per bottle
OH LA LA, ARE YOU READY TO EAT?
In Burgundy-the birthplace of the written menu-food and
drink are primary. You'll have time to sample it all.
Start with a regional apératif: a kir or kir royal (aligoté
or crémant with crème de cassis). Your palate is now ready
for oeufs en meurette, escargot, jambon persillé, or foie
gras. Next up: the famous boeuf bourguignon, coq au vin,
sandre, canard, lapin, or andouillette. You'll find room
for the chevre, époisses, bleu de Bresse, and the fabulous
Citeaux cheeses. Dessert choices include crème brulée,
poached pear, or pain d'épices. Don't miss the region's
marc de Bourgogne or an aged Armanagnac digestif. Sweet
dreams and bonne nuit!
