Interfrance: Burgundy Wine Region, Cote de Beaune and Cote de Nuits wine tour

Bourgogne Cote d'Or appellations

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COTE DE NUITS REGION The vineyards begin just south of Dijon, rising from the plains onto east-facing slopes and continue in a sweep of vines until a few miles south of the town of Nuits-Saint-Georges. The vineyards benefit from the best soils within Burgundy, consisting of marlstone and limestone. This is the kingdom of the Pinot Noir grape. It acts as a sponge, absorbing the influences of the soil, the weather, and the barrel. Styles vary from village to village but, in general, these reds are medium bodied, elegant and lush. The district appellation Côte de Nuits-Villages is used primarily by lesser-known communes high up on the plateau behind the renowned slopes, where it is more difficult for the grapes to ripen. The Cote de Nuits is further subdivided into eight village appellations. From north to south, they are Marsannay, Fixin, Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey St-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-St Georges.

Marsannay & Côte-de-Nuits Villages At the northernmost end of the Côte de Nuits, Marsannay enjoys the distinction of being the only village in Burgundy with a dedicated rosé appellation. Marsannay is also developing a reputation for its red wines however. At the northern limit of Gevrey-Chambertin, the Côte-de-Nuits Villages appellation is centered around the villages of Brochon and Fixin. The latter also benefits from its own village appellation, including a handful of 1er cru vineyards, of which the Clos du Chapitre monopoly is the most renowned. The reds from Fixin, and to a lesser degree Brochon, tend to be structured, showing a rather rugged character. The wines soften out with bottle age, while the aromas evolve towards earthy or animal notes.

Gevrey-Chambertin It is the largest wine-producing village in the Côte de Nuits and can boast nine of the twenty-four Côte de Nuits Grands Crus. It produces red wines ranging in style from elegant, with soft tannins and a velvety smooth texture, to highly concentrated and powerful with firmer tannins generally found in the Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines. The 9 grands crus: Chambertin, Mazis-Chambertin, Griotte-Chambertin, Charmes-Chambertin, Chapelle-Chambertin, Mazoyères-Chambertin, Ruchottes-Chambertin, Latricières-Chambertin, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze.

Morey-Saint-Denis & Chambolle-Musigny Boasting a range of brilliant vineyards, exemplified by the four Grand Crus of Clos de la Roche, Clos St. Denis, Clos des Lambrays, and Clos de Tart; Morey-Saint-Denis strikes a balance between the rich, structured wines of Gevrey-Chambertin to the north, and the perfumed finesse of the Chambolle-Musigny appellation to the south. In fact, Bonnes-Mares, another Grand Cru vineyard, is actually shared between Morey-Saint-Denis and the latter. The powerful reds produced from this vineyard are rather atypical of Chambolle-Musigny however, whose only other Grand Cru vineyard, Le Musigny, is reputed as one of the most delicate, elegant Pinot Noirs in Burgundy, and therefore the world. This can be true of Chambolle-Musigny's 19 Premier Crus vineyards as well, in particular Les Charmes and Les Amoureuses, whose silky character is due to the particularly chalky nature of the soils.

Vougeot This appellation produces medium to full-bodied red wines with an intense concentration. The village is most often associated with its single Grand Cru vineyard, Clos de Vougeot, sweeping up from the main road to the celebrated chateau that stands within it. Because it is the largest of the Grand Crus and contains varied soils, the quality of its wines is somewhat uneven. What started as a few vines planted by Cistercian monks in the 12th century is now among the most famous Grand Crus in Burgundy. The chateau serves as the headquarters of the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, a fraternity of winemakers established in 1934. Banquets and an annual tasting are held here.

Vosne-Romanée Vosne-Romanée produces stylish red wines, and is home to some of the most prestigious vineyards in Burgundy including the Romanée-Conti, arguably the most famous and valuable vineyard in the world. The appellation of Vosne-Romanée includes a range of brilliant Premiers Crus and Grands Crus vineyards of La Tâche, Grande Rue, Richebourg, La Romanée, Romanée-Conti and Romanée-Saint-Vivant.

Nuits-St-Georges The appellation has no Grands Crus but an impressive list of twenty-seven Premiers Crus. The reds of Nuits-St-Georges vary greatly, depending on the location in which the grapes are grown. At the village level, elegant wines with soft tannins are produced, whereas the Premier Cru wines are full bodied with ripe to firm tannins and wonderful concentration. In great vintages, the flavors of these sturdy, earthy, red wines can take as long as 20 years to reach their peak.

COTE DE BEAUNE REGION The Côte de Beaune vineyards curve gracefully around the small city of Beaune and continue south. While they produce a variety of impressive reds, the Côte de Beaune is renowned for its extraordinary whites from the Chardonnay grape. The main wine villages in the Côte de Beaune, from north to south are Aloxe-Corton, Beaune, Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet. The Hautes-Côtes de Beaune vineyards have earned a good reputation for both red and white burgundies.

Beaune Unofficial capital of Burgundy, the medieval town of Beaune is home to most of Burgundy's best-known wine merchants, and to the famous 15th-century "Hôtel-Dieu" recognizable by its multi-color tiled roof. The Beaune appellation itself produces mainly red wines from the Pinot Noir grape, but also some fine whites. Most of these wines are made in a softer style with less tannin allowing them to be consumed young. There are no Grands Crus here, but a large number of the vineyards of the appellation have been granted Premier Cru status. The sale of wines from the Hospices de Beaune vineyards, which takes place each year on the third Sunday in November, is the biggest charity wine auction in the world.

Pommard and Meursault Despite Pommard's position, between Beaune and Volnay, its wines bear little resemblance to the light, delicate wines of either of those two appellations. Instead, these powerful red are among the richest and most tannic in Burgundy, and are definitely worth waiting for. Pommard's richer soils deliver heady, dark, and sometimes rustic reds. Although there are no Grand Crus, some feel that certain Premier Crus produced here can be equal in quality. Meursault. Renowned for its sumptious white wines, the large village of Meursault is among the favorites of Chardonnay fans. There is almost as much white wine produced here as in all the other villages combined, and while there are no Grands Crus here, the exceptional Premiers Crus of Les Perrieres or Les Charmes are widely accepted to be worthy of such a status. Most of the wine is produced in a rich style, whith the oak influence integrating perfectly over time to enhance the apple, hazelnut and buttery flavors for which Meursault is so famous for.

Puligny and Chassagne-Montrachet The wonderful Premier and Grand Cru vineyards belonging to these villages often adjoin one another, and it is not always easy to tell them apart. The primary difference between the two villages is that only a very small proportion of the wine produced in Puligny-Montrachet is red, in contrast to nearly half of that from Chassagne-Montrachet. Flourishing in the pebbly limestone soils of Puligny-Montrachet, the Chardonnay vine is king and this small appellation of gently sloping vineyards is home to four of the greatest dry white Grands Crus in the world: Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet.

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