Red Burgundy Essentials: Côte de Beaune
Vintage image sourced on Pinterest
It’s a truism in Burgundy that the small, walled town of Beaune is the capital of the Burgundy wine world, though Dijon, further north, is the capital of Burgundy, the region. To make things even more fun, the Côte d’Or is the heart of Burgundy’s great vineyards, with its swath of appellations that comprises the northerly Côte de Nuits and the southerly Côte de Beaune…but when it comes to Pinot Noir, often considered Burgundy’s greatest triumph, the Côte de Nuits (much of which is closer to Dijon) reigns supreme.
Somehow, the Red Burgundies of the Côte de Beaune, even with the beating heart of the wine world beckoning visitors inside its town walls, tends to be discussed only after the great Red Burgundies of the Côte de Nuits. If we tally up the Grand Crus dedicated to Red Burgundies, the Côte de Nuits has almost all of them, with just one, Corton, looking down from its hilltop at the northernmost edge of the Côte de Beaune.
Knowing this, you could decide that the Côte de Beaune’s Red Burgundies are somehow second class…or you could decide to taste for yourself, forming your own opinions (while thanking your lucky stars that such world class wines tend to command slightly lower prices than those in the Côte de Nuits).
This tasting guide is for those who might have heard of Red Burgundy, but aren’t entirely sure what the grape variety is, much less why the wines are such a big deal. It’s for anyone who’s read a wine list littered with French words, then slid their eyes toward something less intimidating instead. It’s for anyone who finds a wall of similar-looking bottles, all with ivory labels and French words in thin, loopy cursive text overwhelming. This tasting is your opportunity to clear up the confusion in a relaxed way, amidst people with whom you know you can react however and say whatever you want, regardless of what you did or didn’t know before.
If you’re already well into the world of Burgundy, you can use this tasting as a refresher or an experience guide, a way to compare the best-known villages in the Pinot Noir-dominant Côte de Nuits side-by-side. Just know that it’s written for those who are new here, and that 6 wines will never cover the beast that is Burgundy in its entirety. Even one of my beloved (and heavy) 800-page Burgundian tomes can’t cover every single thing.
Stuff to know
Place
Burgundy (or Bourgogne, if we’re using the proper French) is a region that’s all about place. Terroir, to be more specific. Terroir is that not-quite-translatable French word that connotes place, but also history, tradition, viticultural and winemaking practices, soil, climate, topography and more. It’s a word used not just in France, but all over the world of wine, and Burgundy is the king of terroir.
It’s impossible to explain Burgundy’s strong focus on terroir without sharing a bit of history. In particular, we have to talk about the monks. They weren’t the first to plant grapevines in Burgundy, since that happened during Gallo-Roman times more than 2,000 years ago, but the medieval monks of Cluny and Citeaux are the people we have to thank for modern Burgundy’s crazy intricacy, complexity…and appeal.
During the Middle Ages, when the church ran most of the viticultural and winemaking activities in France, the Benedictine and Cistercian monks of Cluny and Citeaux got busy defining the climats (”klee-mah”) - a Burgundian word for single vineyards - down to the nearest meter. Some of the vineyards were outlined by stone walls, making their boundaries even clearer. Clos Vougeot is the largest and most famous of these Clos (”kloh”) - the single vineyards bordered by stone walls.
This process of identifying and parcelling out single vineyards wasn’t just a monastic exercise - it was an early classification system. Every single vineyard was identified and ranked based on the wine quality, both for red (Pinot Noir-based) and white (Chardonnay-based) wines. Vineyards’ borders were carefully defined by everything from aspect, incline, soil composition, sunlight exposure, surrounding vegetation and more.
After the French Revolution, the church and its monks lost most of their authority and vineyard ownership, but their vineyard-based classification systems remained. Vineyards were confiscated by the government and auctioned off, breaking up some of the larger vineyards into smaller parcels as the monks’ quality rankings were used to drive auction prices.
Then there was the Napoleonic Code, requiring that all children receive equal inheritance, which isn’t exactly cut and dry when we’re talking about parcels of vineyards. Over the many years since, family vineyard holdings have been divided and sub-divided so much that things can get really confusing, since there are often several producers with the same last names, each with their own winemaking styles and vineyard holdings. Many families also donated parcels of vines, sometimes as small as just a single row, to the Hospices de Beaune, adding to the complexity.
This intricate situation has led to some Burgundy aficionados’ belief that the producer’s name on the bottle is a better indicator of quality than the name of the vineyard, appellation or even vintage. Whatever you believe, this system of climats is now so widely recognized and appreciated that it’s even become an UNESCO World Heritage site.
Burgundy is pretty far north as far as wine regions go, sitting at 47 degrees North in east-central France. Only vineyards in Alsace, Champagne and Germany further north, at least if you’re looking at the “classic” wine regions, since of course wine is now made in the UK, Denmark, Sweden and Canada. All wine regions are affected by the vintage, or the weather in a particular year’s growing season…but the ones in northern climes tend to be particularly affected, so vintage will always be an important factor with Burgundy wines. Some years are better than others, and things can vary within different parts of the region even in a single vintage. If you’re lost as to which to buy or drink, ask your local retailer or check online for vintage charts.
Grape
Pinot Noir is the only grape used to make Red Burgundy, even though there is another red grape grown in some parts of Burgundy, Gamay, typically used in sparkling Crémant wines.
Burgundy is where Pinot Noir originated, so it’s widely thought to be Pinot Noir’s proper home. Red Burgundy wines have long been considered the pinnacle of Pinot Noir wines, and there are winemakers all over the world imitating the Burgundian style as a way to give their own wines more appeal and prestige. This isn’t to say that there aren’t incredible, age-worthy Pinot Noir wines made in other places, just that Red Burgundy is still held up as the gold standard.
Winemaking
There are many ways to make a Red Burgundy, despite what you might hear. Traditionalists might tell you that Red Burgundy should start with just-ripe hand-harvested whole bunches of grapes loaded into small open-top vessels, within which winemakers carefully punch down the cap of grapes and stems and/or pump over the juice from below, ensuring oxygen is introduced throughout the must. Once fermentation is complete, there should be a few weeks of maceration in the tanks before the wine is pressed and racked into old or moderately toasted new oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and maturation, usually for a year or a year and a half before bottling. Only after all of this is a “true” Red Burgundy made.
The thing is, there are many ways to make a Red Burgundy - even within restrictive French appellation rules.
Some winemakers prefer to harvest slightly early, aiming for wines with higher acidity and aromatic restraint. Some prefer to harvest as late as they can, aiming for the ripest, most luscious wines they can achieve.
Some winemakers harvest and ferment whole bunches of grapes, a traditional practice that many believe adds aromatic complexity and freshness to the wines. Some prefer destemmed grapes, a practice that became commonplace after Henri Jayer popularized it in the 1980s, believing that underripe stems in the bunches were adding unpleasantly bitter tannins to the wines, and that destemmed grapes resulted in richer wines.
Some prefer a cold soak before fermentation, chilling the must so that fermentation can’t begin and allowing the grapes’ skins to impart color, aromas and flavors without much tannin, since tannins tend to come through more later during fermentation when alcohol is involved.
Some believe that punching down is the only way to break up the cap during fermentation, others believe pumping over is better, while many prefer a mix of the two.
Some skip the pre-fermentation cold maceration, preferring to macerate the must post-fermentation in tanks for a few weeks before the pressed wine is racked into barrels. Others believe that post-fermentation maceration should be minimal at best, and that a cold soak beforehand is plenty to impart color, aromas, flavors and tannins.
Some prefer to only use old oak barrels, a few prefer only new, and many others prefer a mix of both, carefully blended after maturation is complete.
Some skip the barrels entirely, choosing to use clay amphora or concrete tanks, or completing the entire process in stainless steel if they’re aiming to make an inexpensive style of Red Burgundy, like a Bourgogne Rouge.
All of this to say that there isn’t, and most likely never was, just one way to make a Red Burgundy wine, despite what so-called traditionalists or modernists might otherwise claim. As you taste, try to find out what choices the winemakers made so that you can begin to sort through which styles you most prefer.
Appellations (AOCs)
French wine regions are legally defined as appellations, or more accurately, Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOCs) or Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOPs). Each appellation is geographically defined, though it will also contain rules and regulations related to grape varieties, winemaking practices, harvesting yields and more in an effort to keep French wines’ reputation, characteristics and quality levels consistent and recognizable worldwide.
Burgundy has 84 different appellations, which is a lot for a single region that isn’t all that big, just about 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres). This is especially true when you consider that there are just about 300 wine appellations in the whole of France, and that the entire region of Champagne is pretty much just one single appellation. Bordeaux, by contrast, has 65 appellations, and is more than 3x’s the size of Burgundy at about 110,000 hectares (271,000 acres).
While useful in beginning to understand Burgundy, the region’s appellations unfortunately don’t entirely correlate 1:1 with vineyard classifications, adding to the Burgundian complexity.
Regions within a Region
Burgundy isn’t just one single region. Within Burgundy, there are four (or five, really) regions for still wines that each have their own styles. This printable map from Vins de Bourgogne offers a great visual guide.
Chablis (”sha-blee”) is the furthest north, known for its Chardonnay wines. Chablis is not geographically connected to the rest of Burgundy, and in fact is closer to Champagne than the Côte d’Or (the golden slope), considered the heart of the Burgundian vineyards. In this cool, northern region, Chardonnay wines are usually unoaked and tend to be leaner, less creamy and more subtle than those from further south. Chablis is the only part of Burgundy that isn’t geographically connected to the rest.
The Côte d’Or (”coat door”) is the “golden slope,” a reference to the way that sunlight hits the mostly east- and southeast-facing vineyards along the succession of slopes that comprise this appellation, which covers both the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune.
The Côte de Nuits (”coat duh nwee”) is the northern stretch of the Côte d’Or, spanning about 20 km (12.4 miles) from north to south. Most of the Côte de Nuits is planted with Pinot Noir for Red Burgundy wines, though there are some White Burgundy appellations here too. Many believe the Côte de Nuits contains the most prestigious swath of Burgundian vineyards. There is also an Hautes Côtes de Nuits, a less prestigious section of vineyards that lie on plateaus at higher elevations than the rest of the Côte de Nuits.
The Côte de Beaune (”coat duh bone”) is the southern stretch of the Côte d’Or, similarly spanning about 20 km (12.4 miles) from north to south. The Côte de Beaune is more mixed between Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and the most prestigious White Burgundy appellations lie here. The town of Beaune, its namesake, is widely considered the historical heart of Burgundy, and is a must-visit for anyone heading to the region. There is also an Hautes Côtes de Beaune, a less prestigious section of vineyards that lie on a plateau at a higher elevation to the west of the rest of the rest of the Côte de Beaune.
The Côte Chalonnaise (”coat sha-loh-naze”) is just south of the Côte de Beaune, and spans about 25 km (15.5 miles) from north to south. The Côte Chalonnaise is even more mixed than the Côte de Beaune, with not just villages dedicated to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but also the village of Bouzeron, where Aligoté gets its chance to shine.
The Mâconnais (”mah-coh-nay”) is the southernmost region, spanning about 35 km (21.7 miles) from north to south. Two valleys run through the region, one to the east and one to the west, with vineyards galore in between. Most of the Mâconnais is dedicated to Chardonnay, and some Burgundy’s best-value white wines are made in this warm and sunny southern section. The reds here are usually made with Gamay, since the Mâconnais is just north of Beaujolais, where Gamay reigns.
Quality Levels
Quality in Burgundy is tied to place, even though it’s not a perfect proxy, since there’s simply too much variation between producers and vintages to claim that all Grand Cru wines are better than Premier Cru wines, for example. I’ve had enough tasting experiences both supporting and refuting the system to know that it serves a valuable purpose…but shouldn’t be taken for gospel.
The easiest way to depict the Burgundy quality levels is to imagine a four-tiered pyramid since there are more of the lower-quality wines produced, and far fewer of the top quality ones. You know the deal: supply and demand.
At the base of the pyramid: Bourgogne Rouge is the name for regional wines, in this case Red Burgundy’s regional wines, which means that the grapes can come from anywhere within Burgundy. These wines are the gateway Red Burgundy wines, as their affordability reflects. Most are unoaked, and they’re generally simpler, easy-going wines known for their everyday appeal.
The next level up: Village wines come from a particular village in Burgundy, as the word implies. There are 44 different village appellations in Burgundy, of which 33 produce Red Burgundy wines (including Irancy near Chablis). If you want to French things up, ask for a “vee-lazhe” White Burgundy, rather than using the English pronunciation.
The next level up: Premier Cru (or 1er Cru) wines are a big leap up the pyramid, since there are far fewer of these wines made from specific vineyards inside particular villages. It’s both easier and harder to learn about all of Burgundy’s Premier Cru, since the names of the villages are included on the bottles’ labels, making it easier to identify which village a Premier Cru vineyard lies within…but there are also 662 Premier Crus, each with its own rules, each thought to have its own quality level, with even more variation once you add in producer and vintage. Similarly, pronouncing this as “prehm-yay kroo” rather than using the English pronunciation will get you bonus points when ordering.
At the top of the pyramid: Grand Cru wines are the fewest, rarest and most prestigious (and expensive) of all Burgundy wines. The labels of these wines’ bottles won’t mention a village; the name of the Grand Cru vineyard is considered sufficient information, since these are the vineyards to know to be in the know. There are only 33 Grand Crus, of which 25 can make Red Burgundy. All of the Red Burgundy Grand Crus are in the Côte d’Or, mostly in the Côte de Nuits, with just one in the Côte de Beaune. Several of the Red Burgundy Grand Crus share names, like Chambertin, Chapelle-Chambertin and Chambertin-Clos de Bèze or La Romanée, Romanée-Saint-Vivant and Romanée-Conti. Sometimes, a Grand Cru is allowed to make both white (Chardonnay) and red (Pinot Noir) wines, in which case the wine will be called “Blanc” or “Rouge” accordingly, for example “Corton Grand Cru Red” for a Red Burgundy wine from Corton.
Aging Red Burgundy
If you’ve never even thought about aging wine, and frankly just don’t have the space or interest, feel free to skip this section.
In theory, Red Burgundies are the Pinot Noir wines that age better than any other Pinot Noir wines in the world. In reality, things get more complex. As they pretty much always do when it comes to wine.
Vintage variation is always, always a big deal when it comes to Burgundy. Which vintage should be enjoyed when is a never-ending topic of discussion amongst Burgundy aficionados, and there are guides galore to help you decide if you’re facing this dilemma.
There are also lots of opinions on when Red Burgundies are at their best. Should they be drunk young, middle-aged, old? How old is old anyway? There isn’t really a clear-cut guide for this, since your own opinion is what matters most. Still, it’s worth understanding that younger wines tend to have more aromas and flavors of fresh fruits, while wines that are middle-aged or older will start to show more aromas and flavors from aging, like leather, mushrooms, truffles and an earthy quality most easily described as forest floor, with subtler fruit flavors, which sometimes start to taste more like dried fruits instead of fresh ones.
The structure of the wine also changes, as the tannins soften with time and become more integrated into the wine. The best Red Burgundies will retain their acidity and feel more silky with time, while the flavors meld into a nearly indescribable amalgamation of fruit, spice and earthy flavors.
The catch, though, is that not all Red Burgundies are better with age, and even the ones that are can be difficult to catch at just the right moment. I remember being invited to a tasting in 2021 to which someone brought a 2006 Clos de Tart, made by Sylvain Pitiot. It was beautiful, but still wound tight, with a core that felt like a knot in the center of my tongue, since the tannins hadn’t yet released their grip and fully softened into the wine, even after 15 years. On the bright side, that particular Grand Cru wine will continue to age beautifully…but only if there are more bottles in the cellar. It must have stung to feel that your investment - of both money and time - wasn’t enjoyed at its best.
All of this to say that guides can be helpful, but you’re the only one who can decide at which stage of maturation you like a wine best.
What to look for in this tasting
Red Burgundy is known for its aromas. These are wines that you’re going to want to sniff. Swirl the glass and stick your nose all the way in there. Spend some time with it, letting the aromas unfold. It might feel awkward, but it’s worth it.
Pinot Noir wines aren’t known for having big structures, but instead for light to moderate tannins that feel soft, silky and even sometimes weightless, with the light- to medium-body to match. Even when winemakers harvest extra ripe grapes, destem and use predominantly new oak barrels for aging, Red Burgundies still aren’t huge wines. Burgundy, even in warmer vintages, doesn’t tend to get that warm, and Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned grape.
In cooler years, Red Burgundies will generally be lighter with higher acidity, while warmer years tend to produce fuller-bodied wines with ripe, soft tannins and plenty of fruit flavor. Winemakers’ decisions on when to harvest, whether to use whole bunches or destem, whether to cold soak, whether to use new oak barrels and more will all affect the wines’ acidity, tannin, texture, body, flavors and ability to age well.
As for the aromas and flavors, these, too, vary widely, with everything from tart cranberry and red currant to ripe cherries, raspberries, red plums and blackberries. Aside from fruit, there are often aromas and flavors from oak aging, like vanilla, cinnamon and clove, as well as flavors of black tea, graphite, dried tobacco leaves, leather, mushrooms, truffles and an earthiness often described as forest floor.
As Red Burgundies age, the fruit flavors tend to take a back seat or start to taste more dried than fresh, while the earthy aromas like forest floor, leather, dried tobacco leaves and mushrooms tend to move toward center stage.
The wines
Note: For this tasting, I’ve selected 6 Burgundian villages from the Côte de Beaune to give you a sense of what Red Burgundy in the southern part of the Côte d’Or is all about without breaking the bank. For each village, I’ve included the Premier Crus as well as neighboring village-level appellations where possible as alternatives.
There are many ways to taste through Burgundy, comparing vintages or producers within a single village or vineyard, neighboring plots and more. This tasting guide is intended to give you a sense of the breadth of Red Burgundy, at any level of wine knowledge.
#1: Aloxe-Corton
Aloxe-Corton (”ah-lohs kor-tohn”) is the northernmost of the Côte de Beaune villages, and like many others in Burgundy, the original village of Aloxe appended the name of the Grand Cru vineyard Corton to its name to add to its prestige and recognition. In Aloxe-Corton’s case, nabbing the Grand Cru’s designation meant that the village’s wines also grabbed more attention than those from Pernand-Vergelesses and Ladoix-Serrigny, both of which actually share the famous Hill of Corton with Aloxe.
The Hill of Corton, which forms a sort of natural amphitheater, signals the start of the Côte de Beaune both on a map as well as physically, as many Côte de Beaune vineyards lie on gently rolling hills. Vineyards spread out from the top of the Hill of Corton, most facing south, fanning from southeast to southwest, unusual in the Côte d’Or, where the famed Côte (coast or slope) ensures that most vineyards face east or southeast.
Aloxe-Corton lies between Pernand-Vergelesses to the east and Ladoix-Serrigny to the west, and holds the majority of the Grand Cru vineyards within its borders. Of the three villages, Aloxe-Corton has the highest share of its plantings dedicated to Pinot Noir, with just a small amount of Chardonnay, even though the Grand Cru vineyards themselves tell a more mixed story.
Red Burgundy wines from Aloxe-Corton are known for being quite dark, powerful and tannic, with more body and structure than other villages in the Côte de Beaune. That southerly sunshine tends to add plenty of fruit character, too, with flavors ranging from the lighter red fruits like raspberry and strawberry to the darker blackberry and even black currant.
You can find a printable map of the village of Aloxe-Corton here, in case you’d like to include it in your tasting. There is also a list of the growers who produce wine in Aloxe-Corton that can be found here.
What to ask for: Ask by name. Some bottlings may include lieux-dits (named vineyards or portions of vineyards) on the bottle, such as Les Boutières, Clos de la Boulotte and Suchot
Alternative(s):
Côte de Beaune villages with similar styles: Pernand-Vergelesses, Ladoix-Serrigny
14 Aloxe-Corton Premier Crus, including: Les Chaillots, Clos du Chapître, Clos des Maréchaudes, La Coutière, Les Fournières, Les Guérets, Les Petits Folières, La Maréchaude, Les Maréchaudes, Les Moutottes, Les Paulands, La Toppe au Vert, Les Valozières, and Les Vercots
#2: Savigny-lès-Beaune
Savigny-lès-Beaune (”sav-in-yee leh bone”) sits between the Hill of Corton and the walled town of Beaune, with gentle hills bracketing either side of a small river, the Rhoin. A hallmark in the appellation is the imposing medieval Château de Savigny-lès-Beaune, originally built in 1340, restored in the early 17th century and eventually purchased by a winegrower who has turned it into a museum for cars, planes and motorcycles, while continuing to produce wines, too. A happy medium for those touristing couples and groups whose interests aren’t entirely wine-related.
Most of Savigny-lès-Beaune is planted to Pinot Noir, and its Red Burgundies are known for being just a bit more full-bodied than those from Beaune, though the tannins aren’t necessarily powerful, but rather often solid and a bit rustic. These are wines that tend to be generously fruity and round on the palate.
You can find a printable map of the village of Savigny-lès-Beaune here, in case you’d like to include it in your tasting. There is also a list of the growers who produce wine in Savigny-lès-Beaune that can be found here.
What to ask for: Ask by name. Some bottlings may include lieux-dits (named vineyards or portions of vineyards) on the bottle, such as Les Godeaux, Les Gollardes, Dessus les Gollardes, Aux Grands Liards, Dessus de Montchenevoy and Les Pimentiers.
Alternative(s):
Côte de Beaune villages with similar styles: Chorey-lès-Beaune
22 Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Crus, including: Batallière, Champ Chevrey, Les Charnières, Aux Clous, La Dominode, Aux Fournaux, Petits Godeaux, Aux Gravains, Aux Guettes, Les Hauts Jarrons, Les Jarrons, Les Lavières, Les Marconnets, Les Narbantons, Les Peuillets, Redrescul, Les Rouvrettes, Aux Serpentières, Les Talmettes, Les Vergelesses, Basses Vergelesses, and Les Hauts Marconnets
#3: Beaune
Beaune (”bone”) is the name of both the walled town, the heart of Burgundy’s wine trade and a must-visit destination, and the Village wine appellation. Many of the large, old négociants’ houses (wine merchants) are based here, usually with historic cellars and tasting rooms inside the walled town and modern winemaking facilities outside. Beaune’s famed Hôtel-Dieu, with its brightly patterned roof tiles, is the region’s most emblematic site and a must-have photo op when visiting. It was once both a hospital and winemaking site for the Hospices de Beaune, and is now a museum.
About 80 percent of Beaune’s vineyards are planted to Pinot Noir, and the appellation is unusual in that about 77 percent of its Red Burgundy vineyards have been awarded Premier Cru status. Whether all of those vineyards deserve Premier Cru status or not can be debated, but it’s something worth paying attention to when looking for a Beaune wine for this tasting, since Premier Cru wines tend to command higher prices than Village-level ones.
Beaune’s Red Burgundies are known for their fruitiness, which can range from more delicate red fruits like red currants and cherries to lush black fruits like blackberries and plums. These wines’ tannins make an appearance, but they tend to serve in a support role to the predominant and generous fruitiness.
You can find a printable map of the village of Beaune here, in case you’d like to include it in your tasting. There is also a list of the growers who produce wine in Beaune that can be found here.
What to ask for: Ask by name. Some bottlings may include lieux-dits (named vineyards or portions of vineyards) on the bottle, such as Dessus des Marconnets, Lulunne, Les Maladières, and Les Mariages.
There are also some producers who make Village-level wines from vineyards that are partly classified as Premier Cru, but also have Village-level areas, like Blanches Fleurs, Epenotes and Montée Rouge.
Alternative(s):
Côte de Beaune villages with similar styles: Côte de Beaune
42 Beaune Premier Crus, including: Les Aigrots, Les Avaux, Belissand, Blanches Fleurs, Les Boucherottes, Les Bressandes, Les Cents Vignes, Champs Pimont, Les Chouacheux, Clos des Avaux, Clos de la Feguine, Clos des Mouches, Clos de la Mousse, Clos du Roi, Clos St-Landry, Clos des Ursules, Aux Coucherias, Aux Cras, A l’Ecu, Lee Epenotes, Les Fèves, En Genêt, Les Grèves, Sur Les Grèves, Les Marconnets, La Mignotte, Montée Rouge, Les Montrevenots, En l’Orme, Les Perrières, Pertuisots, Les Reversés, Les Sceaux, Les Seurey, Les Sizies, Le Bas des Teurons, Les Teurons, Les Toussaints, Les Tuvilains, Les Vignes Franches and more.
#4: Pommard
Pommard (”poh-mar”), south of Beaune, is dedicated entirely to Pinot Noir, and along with Volnay, is one of the two Côte de Beaune villages whose Red Burgundies are most highly prized and considered “classic,” often right alongside those from the famed Côte de Nuits Villages.
The Red Burgundies from Pommard and Volnay tend to serve as counterpoints to one another stylistically, with Pommard being known for its power (much appreciated study-wise for its alliterative memorability) and Volnay for its delicacy.
Traditionally, Pommard wines are known for being weighty, tannic and deeply colored, though as the climate has shifted in recent years, the predominantly clay-based soils in Pommard have been offering up lighter, more refined tannins thanks to drier vintages resulting in less water retention in the soils. Today’s Pommard wines are still fuller-bodied with darker fruit character than those from Volnay, but they’re not necessarily strikingly weighty or full of dense, chewy tannins.
You can find a printable map of the village of Pommard here, in case you’d like to include it in your tasting. There is also a list of the growers who produce wine in Pommard that can be found here.
What to ask for: Ask by name. Some bottlings may include lieux-dits (named vineyards or portions of vineyards) on the bottle, such as En Brescul, Les Cras, La Croix Blanche, Les Noizons, Les Petits Noizons, Les Tavannes, Trois Follots, Les Vaumuriens-Bas, Les Vaumuriens-Hauts, and Les Vignots
Alternative(s):
Côte de Beaune villages with similar styles: Stick with a Pommard
28 Pommard Premier Crus, including: Les Rugiens Bas, Les Rugiens Hauts, Les Petits Epenots, Les Grands Epenots, Clos des Epeneaux, Les Arvelets, Les Bertins, La Chanière, Les Chanlins-Bas, Les Chaponnières, Lse Charmots, Clos Blanc, Le Clos Micot, Les Combes Dessus, Les Croix Noires, Les Fremiers, Les Pézerolles, Les Poutures, and more
#5: Volnay
Volnay (”vole-nay”), south of Pommard, is dedicated entirely to Pinot Noir, and along with Pommard, is one of the two Côte de Beaune villages whose Red Burgundies are most highly prized and considered “classic,” often right alongside those from the famed Côte de Nuits Villages.
The Red Burgundies from Volnay and Pommard tend to serve as counterpoints to one another stylistically, with Volnay being known for its delicacy and elegance and Pommard for its weight and power.
Traditionally, Volnay wines, planted in vineyards on the hill of Chaignot at a higher elevation than those in neighboring Pommard, were pale, almost rosé-like wines. Today, most Volnay wines have a brighter ruby or light garnet color, more of what one would expect from a Red Burgundy. The wines themselves still tend toward lightness though, often described with words like delicate, intricate, velvety and elegant. Don’t be fooled into thinking these wines lack intensity or ageworthiness just because they’re light-bodied though, Volnay’s wines are considered some of the Côte de Beaune’s best.
You can find a printable map of the village of Volnay here, in case you’d like to include it in your tasting. There is also a list of the growers who produce wine in Volnay that can be found here.
What to ask for: Ask by name. Some bottlings may include lieux-dits (named vineyards or portions of vineyards) on the bottle, such as Ez Blanches, La Cave, Ez Echards, Les Pluchots, Les Grands Poisots, and Les Petits Poisots
Alternative(s):
Côte de Beaune villages with similar styles: Stick with a Volnay
29 Volnay Premier Crus, including: Les Angles, Les Brouillards, Les Caillerets, Carelle sous la Chapelle, Champans, Clos du Château des Ducs, Clos des Chênes, Clos des Ducs, Frémiets, Les Mitans, Pitures Dessus, Le Ronceret, Santenots, Taille Pieds and more.
#6: Nuits-Saint-Georges
Santenay (”sahn-tuh-nay”), at the southern end of the Côte de Beaune, wraps up the Côte d’Or, though ironically, its geological makeup is closer to vineyards in the northerly Côte de Nuits than in most of the Côte de Beaune.
Santenay is almost entirely planted with Pinot Noir, though there are some Chardonnays. It’s not very easy to describe the wines of Santenay, since there are significant variances in the wines from the appellation’s southernmost vineyards, which tend to be powerful and tannic, versus the wines from the central vineyards, which tend to be delicate with subtle tannins, versus those from the northernmost vineyards, which tend to be considered the most balanced of the three, with depth, intensity and finely-structured tannins that support without weighing down the wines.
Beyond its wines, Santenay is known for its spas, a consideration for those who prefer a counterpoint to wine tasting when visiting Burgundy.
You can find a printable map of the village of Santenay here, in case you’d like to include it in your tasting. There is also a list of the growers who produce wine in Santenay that can be found here.
What to ask for: Ask by name. Some bottlings may include lieux-dits (named vineyards or portions of vineyards) on the bottle, such as Les Champs Claudes, Les Charmes Dessous, Les Charmes Dessus, Clos Genet, Les Hâtes
Alternative(s):
Côte de Beaune villages with similar styles: Maranges
12 Santenay Premier Crus, including: Beauregard, Beaurepaire, Clos de Tavannes, Clos des Mouches, Clos Faubard, Clos Rousseau, Grand Clos Rousseau, La Comme, La Maladière, Les Gravières, Les Gravières-Clos de Tavannes, Passetemps
Tasting tips
The eats
Red Burgundy wines are incredibly versatile, one of the reasons why you’ll find them on so many restaurants’ wine lists and on pretty much every Thanksgiving wine pairing recommendation ever. Proteins like duck, chicken, turkey, lamb and even fatty fish like salmon pair beautifully with the Pinot Noir-based wines, but my personal favorite pairing is mushrooms. Truffles if you can swing them, sure, but pretty much any mushroom will do. Simple soups made with dried mushroom broth, fresh mushroom pastas and risottos, even grilled Portobello steaks or mushroom burgers in summer will do the trick. There’s just something about the earthy undertone in Red Burgundy wines that brings out the best of mushrooms and vice versa.
If a charcuterie board is more your speed, look for Gruyère, a bold Époisses or aged Comté to serve with and slices of cured ham or dry-aged salami, crusty bread, rosemary crackers, figs and toasted hazelnuts.
The prep
Red Burgundy wines can get pricey. Very pricey. This tasting focuses on Village-level wines, which are generally moderately priced, though there are good deals and expensive selections amongst these, too. There are also alternative options offered for each wine, with both Premier Cru options (usually more expensive) and neighboring Villages where possible, which can be less expensive. Top producers’ wines, even at the Village level, will generally have higher prices.
Another factor to consider is that there are certain winemaking choices that add cost to these wines. Purchasing high quality oak barrels with just the right amount of toast is expensive, as is hand-harvesting and destemming grapes.
These and other factors in your respective market can add to the final cost of a wine, making this tasting a truly decadent one, both in terms of cost and in terms of what you’ll taste. Keep this in mind as you decide when to plan this tasting and how to communicate spending expectations with your guests. If guests are finding the wines’ prices to be prohibitive, you can invite them to split their assigned wine’s cost with a friend or partner, widening the tasting group.
Some of these wines will be easy to find, others might take some time, depending on where you live. It’s worth giving your guests at least 2 weeks to find their wines for this tasting.
Pinot Noir-based wines are best with a bit of chill, so please encourage your guests to give their wines some pre-tasting fridge time, or have an ice bucket ready for a quick dunk to reach cellar temperature. If you’ve never walked down into a winemaker’s cellar and felt the chill and damp, just think about what it feels like on a brisk autumn day. A bottle that’s cool to the touch, that’s the goal here. Not too warm, not too cold.
A note on the tasting order: The wines are listed in order from north to south along the Côte de Beaune, guiding your tasting geographically as well as on the palate.
Aloxe-Corton
Savigny
Beaune
Pommard
Volnay
Santenay
