Burgundy

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  • French call this area Bourgogne and Germans call it Burgund
  • Region runs from Auxerre in the north down to Lyon (since the Beaujolais area is included as part of Burgundy)
  • Most commonly are red wines made from Pinot Noir grapes or white wines made from Chardonnay grapes
  • The red varietal, Gamay, is grown in Beaujolais
  • Chablis, Mâcon wines and the Côte d’Or whites are all produced from 100% Chardonnay grapes
  • Other whites include Aligoté, which tends to produce cheaper wines which are higher in acidity
  • Aligoté from Burgundy is the wine traditionally used for the Kir drink, where it is mixed with black currant liqueur
  • Sauvignon Blanc is also produced in limited areas
  • Rules generally allow up to 15% of the white grape varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris to be blended in, but this is not widely practiced today
  • The main levels in the Burgundy classifications, in descending order of quality, are: Grand crus, Premier crus, village appellations, and finally regional appellations
  • Burgundy classifications are geographically-focused, unlike Bordeaux, where classifications are producer-driven and awarded to individual chateaux

Burgundy North to South:

Chablis:

  • Chablis, a white wine made from Chardonnay grapes, is produced in the area around Auxerre, in the cool north
  • Geographically not connected to any other part of Burgundy, located northwest
  • Known for producing bone dry whites with high acidity, green fruits, and citrus notes
  • The limestone soils give a flinty, minerality
  • Usually no detectable oak
  • 40 Chablis Premier Cru vineyards
  • Only one Chablis Grand Cru AC  (7 adjoining vineyards)

 

Côte d’Or:

  • Located over 100 miles southeast of Chablis
  • Literally means “golden slope” or “hill of gold”
  • split into two parts: 

  

  • Côte de Nuits :
  • Northern area of Côte d’Or
  • Starts just south of Dijon and runs till Corgoloin, a few kilometers south of the town of Nuits-Saint-Georges
  • Grows primarily red grapes in this area
  • The Côte de Nuits contains 24 out of the 25 red Grand Cru appellations in Burgundy
  • Well known villages include, from north to south: Gevrey-Chambertin, Vougeot, Vosne-Romanee, and Nuits-St.Georges. 

  

  • Côte de Beaune :
  • Southern area of Côte d’Or
  • Starts at Ladoix and ends at Dezize-les-Maranges
  • All of the region’s white Grand Crus are here (area known mostly for whites)
  • Well know villages for white include: Meursault, Aloxe-Corton, Volnay, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet
  • Well known villages for red include: Pommard, Beaune, and Santenay

 

Cote Chalonnaise:

  • Continuation of the vineyards of Cote d’ Or
  • Unlike Cote d’ Or, there are gaps between the vineyards containing woods and pastures
  • AC known for whites: Rully AC and Montagny AC
  • AC known for red: Mercurey AC and Givry AC

 

Mâconnais:

  • Largest and most southerly of Burgundy
  • Known for producing large quantities of easy-drinking and more affordable white wine (but both red and white grown here)
  • Red grapes include: gamay noir, pinot noir, and pinot gris
  • White grapes include: pinot blanc and chardonnay
  • Examples of designations here: Mâcon: light, fruity (melon and citrus) with no oak and Pouilly-Fuissé: full bodied, tropical fruits (pineapple and melon) and oak (made from 100% Chardonnay)

 

Beaujolais :

  • South of the main area of Burgundy
  • famous for fruity red wines made from Gamay
  • Beaujolais Nouveau AC: light fruity style released every November (3rd Thursday)
  • Beaujolais Villages AC: superior quality comes from granite hills in the north
  • Beaujolais Crus found within Beaujolais Villages AC (10 ACs within this region)
  • Examples of Beaujolais Crus: Fleurie AC, Brouilly AC, Morgan AC, and Moulin-à-Vent AC