Region Of The Week: Burgundy
An extremely well known winemaking region, Burgundy is only about 30,000 hectares and makes up about 3% of France’s overall wine production. Despite the small amount of wine Burgundy produces, it is steeped in winemaking history dating back 2000 years. Part of what makes Burgundy wines so desirable is its limestone marl soil, which is the result of the shallow sea that used to cover the region millions of years ago, leaving behind millions of fossilized sea life.
Burgundy’s climate is mostly continental, with short summers and cool winters. With the threat of frost, it can be challenging for grapes to fully ripen. The varietals that are most prominent in Burgundy are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, while Gamay, Aligote, and Pinot Blanc play a secondary role. Burgundy is split up into five main areas - Chablis, Côte d’Or, Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais, and Beaujolais.
Chablis
The northernmost region in Burgundy, Chablis is Burgundy’s largest white winegrowing region. Chablis produces 100% Chardonnay classic white wines that are steely, mineral, and slightly oxidative, with chalky character that reflects its limestone soils. The three main appellations found within Chablis are Petit Chablis AOP, Chablis AOP, and Chablis Grand Cru AOP.
Patrick Piuze Val de Mer Chablis 2022
Côte d’Or
The heart of Burgundy, Côte d’Or is home to the most iconic vineyards and villages. Split into two sections, the northern sector is known as Côte de Nuits, which faces east and is home to all but one of Burgundy’s red grand cru vineyards. While the southern sector, Côte de Beaune, faces the southeast and is home to all but one of Burgundy’s white grand cru vineyards. Both Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune produce more red wines, which tend to be earthy and bright, than white wines that range in style from opulent and oak-driven to crisp and mineral. Côte de Nuits’ five main appellations are Gevrey-Chambertin AOP, Chambolle-Musigny AOP, Vougeot AOP, Vosne-Romanée AOP, and Nuit-Saint-Georges AOP. While Côte de Beaune’s seven main appellations are Aloxe-Corton AOP, Beaune AOP, Pommard AOP, Volnay AOP, Meursault AOP, Puligny-Montrachet AOP, and Chassagne-Montrachet AOP.
Aegerter Les Plateux 2018
Domaine Chevrot Sakura Bourgogne Rose 2022
Domaine Coillot La Charme Aux Pretres Marsannay 2021
Domaine Cornu-Camus Savigny-Les-Beaune 2021
Henri Germain Chassagne-Montrachet 2017
J.J. Confuron La Montagne 2018
Côte Chalonnaise
Spanning the hillsides along the western edge of Saône River Valley, Côte Chalonnaise is home to five appellations: Bouzeron AOP, the only village appellation that produces 100% Aligote wines; Rully AOP, the birthplace of sparkling wines in Burgundy; Givry AOP; Mercurey AOP, which accounts for two-thirds of the red wine production in Côte Chalonnaise; and Montagny AOP.
Aegerter Bourgogne Aligote 2018
Cave de Bissey Le Clos d’Augustin Pinot Noir 2019
Mâconnais
Mâconnais predominantly produces white wines using Chardonnay grapes, which tend to be fruitier and more open than Chablis wines. The few reds they do produce are more likely to be Gamay based. Mâconnais' five main appellations are Pouilly-Fuissé AOP, Pouilly-Loché AOP, Pouilly-Vinzelles AOP, Saint-Véran AOP, and Viré-Clessé AOP.
Joel Curveux Les Menestrieres Pouilly-Fuissé 2020
Beaujolais
Home to the Gamay varietal, over 98% of Beaujolais' hectares are dedicated to Gamay, while over 50% of the world’s Gamay can be found here. With eleven appellations, some of its most well-known are Beaujolais AOP, Moulin-à-Vent AOP, Chénas AOP, Fleurie AOP, and Morgon AOP.
