Your quick guide to Burgundy wine

Burgundy (or Bourgogne) is one of the most famous and prestigious wine regions in the world. The wines produced there are some of the most sought after, rare, and expensive of all wines.

There’s so much to know about this fascinating wine that it can all be quite mesmerizing. So here are some of the things you must know!

The history of Burgundy wines is intimately linked to the region’s monasteries. In the Middle Ages, the monks of Cîteaux sculpted the landscape with the famous clos that we know today. In 1874, France was hit by a wave of phylloxera, a devastating insect that ravaged three quarters of all vineyards. Burgundy was not spared but would emerge from this devastating loss of wine with new guiding principles. The winegrowers decided to replant only the best terroirs and concentrate on single-variety wines, turning the region towards excellence. The region is fascinating to wine-lovers, but the price is often an impediment to being able to fill their cellars. The Crus – located between Beaune and Dijon – have been victims of speculation for 15 years and are now among the most expensive wines in the world.

Don't worry, though! Many Burgundy winegrowers try to keep their prices reasonable, and it is up to you to discover them! 

Burgundy’s grape varieties

Wine can be a complicated matter, but Burgundy keeps it relatively simple. Burgundy wines are single variety (monocépage): Pinot Noir for red wine and Chardonnay for white wine. You may be able to find some Aligoté, a little Gamay or Sauvignon Blanc, possibly a touch of Pinot Gris, but they are extremely rare. The two main grape varieties make up 91% of all of the region’s.

These two grape varieties are grown all over the world, but they reveal themselves with the greatest elegance in Burgundy.

Pinot Noir: Lord of Burgundy, it is surely one of the most coveted grape varieties – everyone wants to make Pinot. It is also, however, one of the most capricious, as only a few terroirs are really capable of sublimating it. Among the 50 most expensive wines in the world, 24 are Pinot Noirs... from Burgundy. The variety offers its most beautiful expression in Côte de Nuit. Pinot Noir prefers freshness and small yields. If it appears fruity in its youth, it gets even more remarkable over time; the best bottles can be kept for twenty years before being enjoyed.

Chardonnay: Chardonnay is a descendant of Pinot Noir and another ancient grape variety, Gouais Blanc. It originates from Burgundy, but, unlike Pinot Noir, it has a great capacity for adaptation, so it’s grown all over the world. As a premature variety, the first buds appear early, which makes it sensitive to spring frosts. It is in the marly limestone soils of Burgundy that it expresses itself best. A true reflection of its terroir, it is ideal for expressing the immense variety and complexity of each corner of Burgundy. Four Burgundy vineyards give you the chance to taste four different – but equally beautiful – expressions of Chardonnay: the hills of Montrachet, Meursault, Chablis, and Pouilly-Fuissé.

Terroir (appellations, Climats, crus)

Despite its shorter list of varieties, Burgundy is definitely the most complex and difficult-to-grasp region.

Vineyards are characterized by a succession of small plots on large terroirs. The vines follow a network of geological faults, which are sources of incredible underground wealth. The Burgundians have always understood the importance of delimiting, naming, and classifying the terroirs of the region, giving them the designations "Premier Cru" and "Grand Cru." To go even further, the winemakers have identified micro-terroirs within the crus, calling them "Climats." The wine produced on this parcel takes the name of the appellation as well as the Climat from which it comes.

We can't talk about Burgundy without taking a look at its Climats. This term, recently added to UNESCO's World Heritage List of Cultural Landscapes, designates a parcel of land that has been meticulously studied and defined for its terroir. Often cultivated by several winemakers, a Climat can range in size from a few hundred square meters to several dozen hectares. There are more than 1500 Burgundy Climats in existence, and, like the Grands Crus, the great majority are concentrated on hills – the Cốte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune.

The Burgundy wine region is divided into five major sub-regions. Here is an overview of each of them.

Chablis, known as Burgundy's “Golden Gate,” was just used to provide Paris with cheap wine at first. Railways emerged, though, allowing Mediterranean wines to reach the capital and encouraging the winemakers of the region to reposition themselves as producers of quality wines. They exclusively produce Chardonnay white wine.

Côte de Nuits: The vineyard begins at the gates of Dijon, but it is around Marsannay that the slope slowly emerges. This landscape gives the vines better exposure to the sun; they grow facing towards the east in order to benefit from the sunlight as early as possible. Nicknamed  "Champs-Elysées of Burgundy," the Côte de Nuits is a thin ribbon of vines that runs 20 kilometers from north to south. The vineyard is narrow; on average, it is only 300 meters wide. This Pinot Noir paradise is a land of great red wines. Like works of art, the bottles are so rare that the whole world covets them.

Located in the southern extension of the Côte-de-Nuits, between Ladoix-Serrigny and the slopes of the Maranges, the Côte-de-Beaune extends for over 20 km, covering a few dozen Climats. It is twice the size of its neighbor, and the harvest often occurs a few days earlier due to a slightly milder climate. It produces red and white wines of great renown. Around Beaune, the capital of Burgundy wine, there is a list of village names that will enchant any wine lover, including names like Aloxe-Corton, Pommard, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet… The sub region produces 45% white wine and 55% red.

The Côte Chalonnaise – a link between the north and the south of Burgundy – offers varied wines and landscapes. As you head south, the landscape changes. The vineyard no longer follows a sloping hillside but instead spreads over many hills punctuated by fields and woods. Givry and Mercurey are lands of Pinot Noir, while the vineyards of Rully and Montagny are dominated by Chardonnay. Less famous than the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune, the region features more reasonable prices, both for consumers and young winemakers wishing to set up shop.

The wine-growers of the Mâconnais abandoned Gamay to offer an excellent playing field to Chardonnay, which occupies 90% of the wine-growing area. The Pouilly-Fuissé appellation has established itself as the emblem of the Mâconnais wine region with its beautiful Chardonnays.

Tasting a Burgundy wine

The aromas of Chardonnay will vary depending on the terroir in which it is grown. In Chablis, it will taste like citrus, green apple, flint, and acacia, while it will taste more like dry fruits, pear, honey, and vanilla in the Mâconnais region. In Côte de Beaune, though, you can expect peach, white blossoms, butter, and woody notes.

Pinot Noir is a grape variety that ages beautifully. After four years, you’ll taste raspberry, blackcurrant, and blackberry. Give it four more years, and you’ll find notes of jam, pepper, and coffee. After 12 years, aromes will evolve into something even more complex, reminding you of leather, undergrowth, and truffle.

Check out our Burgundy wine map!