Côte d'Or — Wine Region Guide

On the map

• Chablis & Yonne
• Côte de Nuits
• Vosne-Romanée
• Côte de Beaune
• Côte Chalonnaise
• Mâconnais

History

• 5th century: Burgundians arrived as Western Roman Empire crumbled, embraced viticulture
• Dark Ages: Clos de Bèze named in 630 AD; Corton in 775 AD
• 909 AD: Benedictine Abbey of Cluny founded in Mâcon
• 1098: Abbey of Cîteaux founded between Dijon and Beaune → Clos de Vougeot
• 1114: Cistercian Abbey of Pontigny planted first vines in Chablis
• Medieval monks: began to demarcate vineyards → basis of current classification
• By 14th century: most of today's greatest vineyards converted to viticulture
• Four Dukes of Burgundy (1363-1477):
  • Philippe the Bold (1363-1404): outlawed Gamay in Côte d'Or in favor of Pinot Noir
  • John the Fearless (1404-1419): convinced Charles VI to establish fixed zone of production
  • Philippe the Good (1419-1467): promoted hillside viticulture
  • Charles the Bold (1467-1477)
• 1443: Nicolas Rolin founded Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune → today's Hospices de Beaune; charity auction every 3rd Sunday of November
• Early 18th century: rise of négociants — capitalized on fragmented ownership; purchased small lots → commercially viable product
• 1804: Napoleonic Code issued → inheritances split equally among heirs → fractured vineyard ownership (e.g. Clos de Vougeot 80+ growers)
  • Métayage: sharecropping; leasing land; production split (traditionally 50:50)
  • Fermage: fixed cash rent
• 1855: Jules Lavalle published "Histoire et Statistique de la Vigne et des Grands Vins de la Côte-d'Or"
  • First systematic classification
  • 4 tiers: Tête de Cuvée (Hors Ligne), Première Cuvée, Deuxième Cuvée, Troisième Cuvée
• 1861: Beaune Committee of Agriculture formalized Lavalle's classification into 3 classes (1ère, 2ème, 3ème) → blueprint for AOC laws codified by INAO in 1936
• 1920: Camille Rodier penned work on wine/culture/vineyards of Côte d'Or; co-founded Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin
• 1920s: domaines began bottling themselves
• 1930s: Grand Cru and Premier Cru designations developed/expanded with AOC system creation
• Late 1970s: Henri Jayer advocated total de-stemming; famous for Cros Parantoux 1er Cru in Vosne-Romanée
• 1979: Jean-Claude Rateau — first producer in Côte d'Or to adopt biodynamic approach
• Since 1980s: move toward more domaine bottling
• 2000s: rise of domaines also acting as négociants (e.g. Dujac → Domaine Dujac / Dujac Fils et Père); producers like Domaine Leroy, Dujac, Hubert de Montille produce both
• 2015: Climats of Burgundy listed by UNESCO

Geography

• Location: eastern-central France; stretches from Auxerre to Mâcon, and broadly includes Beaujolais to the south
• Latitude range: ~46°N (Beaujolais) to ~47.8°N (Chablis)
• Côte d'Or: ~47°N
• Five main winegrowing areas (N to S): Chablis, Côte d'Or, Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais, Beaujolais
• Four départements (N to S): Yonne, Côte d'Or, Saône-et-Loire, Rhône
• Regional capital: Dijon

Climate

• Type: Moderate continental
  • Spring frost and hail: reduce yield and fruit quality
  • Cold winter, warm summer: relatively short summer → suitable for early-ripening Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
• Northern location: marked vintage variation (both yield and quality)
  • Cool vintage: underripe tannins of Pinot Noir
  • Recent warmer winters: earlier budding → more frost damage
• Average rainfall: 700mm
• Mâconnais: slightly drier and warmer than Côte d'Or

Classification System

• Total AOCs: 84 (33 Grand Crus + 44 village + 7 regional); cf. Bordeaux: 65 AOCs

Four-Tier Hierarchy

• Formalization: 1930s with AOC system creation
• Basis: soil, aspect, microclimate → classification of terroir
• Origin: Medieval monks began demarcating → current classification

1. Regional/Generic (52% of volume)

• e.g. Bourgogne AOP

2. Communal/Village (47% incl. Premier Cru)

3. Premier Cru

• Independence: not independent AOC; defined within village AOP
• Labeling: if from multiple 1er Cru vineyards → labeled Village + "Premier Cru" without vineyard name
• Quantity: 635 premier crus across Burgundy

4. Grand Cru (1% of volume)

• Independence: independent AOC
• Labeling: labeled as Grand Cru name without village name

• Quantity: 33 Grand Crus (32 in Côte d'Or + Chablis Grand Cru as 1 AOC with 7 climats)

• No Grand Crus: in Côte Chalonnaise or Mâconnais

• Single vineyard requirement: Grand Cru wines must come solely from single stated vineyard (unlike 1er Cru)
• Declassification option: Premier Cru and Grand Cru can be declassified to Village or Bourgogne AOP
• Quality variability: Classification not a guarantee of quality (e.g. Clos de Vougeot 50ha vs Musigny 10ha vs La Romanée 0.85ha)
• Ownership fragmentation: Napoleonic Code → many vineyards owned by multiple domaines → quality depends on reputation and skill of domaine as much as vineyard reputation
• Climat: walled parcel of land, precisely demarcated, recognized by name for centuries

Minimum Potential Alcohol (Côte d'Or general)

• Rouge: Village 10.5%, 1er Cru 11%, Grand Cru 11.5%
• Blanc: Village 11%, 1er Cru 11.5%, Grand Cru 12%
  • Exception — Bâtard-Montrachet family (11.5%): Bâtard-Montrachet, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet, Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet
• Chablis Grand Cru: 11%

Côte de Nuits

Overview

• Specialty: Specializes in Pinot Noir; small amount of white
• Grand Crus: 24 Grand Crus
• Southern boundary: Corgoloin and Ladoix-Serrigny divide Côte de Nuits from Côte de Beaune
• Village naming: villages often have hyphenated names (connected to Grand Cru, e.g. Gevrey-Chambertin)
• White production AOPs: Marsannay, Fixin, Morey-Saint-Denis, Vougeot, Nuits-Saint-Georges
• Rosé production AOP: Marsannay only (only village in Côte d'Or producing white, rosé, and red)
• Red-only AOPs: Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée
• Grand Cru producing both red and white: Musigny (+ Corton in Côte de Beaune)
• Villages with no Grand Cru: Marsannay, Fixin, Nuits-Saint-Georges

Permitted Grape Varieties (Côte de Nuits village AOCs)

• White: [P or S depending on whether AOC is authorized for white] Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc
• Rosé/Gris: [S] Pinot Gris
• Red: [P] Pinot Noir

Assemblage exceptions among village AOCs:

• Pinot Gris may not exceed 30% of the blend: Marsannay

Village AOPs (N to S)

Marsannay AOP (R, Rosé, W)

• AOC awarded: 1987
• Assemblage: for blanc, Pinot Gris may not exceed 30% of the blend
• Location: Northernmost commune in Côte de Nuits; cooler (gentler slope, less protection from cold winds)
• Distinction: Only village in Côte d'Or producing all 3 colors
• Rosé: made from Pinot Gris and/or Pinot Noir; post-phylloxera innovation that helped revive local wine industry
• Classification: No Grand Cru, no Premier Cru
• Important vineyards: Clos du Roy, Les Longeroies
• Key producers: Joseph Roty, Denis Mortet, Bruno Clair, Sylvain Pataille, Jean Fournier

Fixin AOP (R, W)

• AOC awarded: 1936
• Production: Mainly red + small amount white
• Premier Crus: 6 Premier Crus
• Character: Gaining attention for affordable options; fresh red fruit, light-bodied
• History: until end of 17th century, wines of Fixin were more highly regarded than Gevrey
• Hail protection: vineyards protected by forested windbreak on western ridgeline
• Classification: No Grand Cru

Gevrey-Chambertin AOP (R)

• AOC awarded: 1936
• Specialty: Red wine only (26 Premiers Crus, 9 Grands Crus)
• Size: Largest village appellation in Côte d'Or; more Grands Crus than any other
• Premier Cru percentage: 20% of vineyards classified as Premier Cru
• Character: tend to be fuller-bodied
• History: Chambertin reputed to be Napoléon's favorite wine; Gevrey petitioned to add vineyard name in 1847 → Gevrey-Chambertin

9 Grand Crus (N to S):

• Mazis-Chambertin — 9.1 ha
• Ruchottes-Chambertin — 3.3 ha; Armand Rousseau monopole "Clos des Ruchottes"
  • Producers: Rousseau (monopole Clos des Ruchottes) · Mugneret · Esmonin · Roumier · Pacalet
• Chambertin Clos de Bèze — 15.4 ha (largest single climat); may be labeled Chambertin (not reverse)
  • Producers: Rousseau · Prieuré Roch · Bruno Clair · Pierre Damoy · Dujac · Faiveley · Jadot · Lucien Le Moine · Groffier · Perrot-Minot
• Chapelle-Chambertin — 5.5 ha
• Griotte-Chambertin — 2.7 ha (smallest)
• Chambertin — 12.9 ha; Napoléon's favorite wine
  • Producers: Rousseau · Trapet · Leroy · Dujac · Dugat-Py · Denis Mortet · Bertagna · Ponsot · Fourrier · Olivier Bernstein
• Charmes-Chambertin — 30.8 ha incl. Mazoyères (largest); may be labeled by the Mazoyères portion
  • Producers: Rousseau · Dugat-Py · Perrot-Minot · Dujac · Ponsot · Faiveley · Pacalet · Magnien · Jadot · Taupenot-Merme · Fourrier
• Latricières-Chambertin — 7.4 ha; coldest Grand Cru (Combe Grisard cool air)
• Mazoyères-Chambertin — delimited ~18.6 ha, almost all sold as Charmes (only ~1.7 ha typically declared as Mazoyères); may be labeled Charmes (not reverse)

• Maximum yields Grand Cru: generally 45 hl/ha; Chambertin Clos de Bèze & Chambertin: 42 hl/ha

Notable 1er Crus:

• Clos Saint-Jacques: often outperforms Charmes and Latricières; excluded from Grand Cru in 1936
  • Rousseau (2.21ha) · Esmonin (1.60ha) · Jadot (1.00ha) · Bruno Clair (1.00ha) · Fourrier (0.89ha)
• Les Cazetiers: Faiveley · Rousseau · Bruno Clair · Serafin · Philippe Leclerc · Lucien Le Moine · Olivier Bernstein · Jadot
• Lavaux-Saint-Jacques (aka Combe Lavaux): 9.53ha — largest 1er Cru
  • Rousseau · Claude Dugat · Dugat-Py · Arnaud Mortet · Denis Mortet · Dupont-Tisserandot · Jadot

• Key producers: Armand Rousseau, Claude Dugat, Dugat-Py, Jean-Marie Fourrier, Pierre Damoy, Ponsot, Philippe Charlopin, Trapet

Morey-Saint-Denis AOP (R, W)

• AOC awarded: 1936
• Varieties (exception): white allows Aligoté in climat Monts Luisants (in addition to Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc)
• Production: Almost exclusively red (20 Premiers Crus, 5 Grands Crus — 1 shared with Chambolle-Musigny)
• History: before AOC system, wines marketed as Gevrey-Chambertin or Chambolle-Musigny
• Pinot Noir clones: modern clones 113, 114, 115, 667, 777, 778 developed from stock taken from Clos de la Roche

5 Grand Crus (N to S):

• Clos de la Roche: Rousseau · Ponsot · Dujac · Pousse d'Or · Benjamin Leroux
• Clos Saint-Denis: Ponsot · Dujac · Bertagna · Drouhin
• Clos des Lambrays: monopole — Domaine des Lambrays (LVMH/Bernard Arnault, 2014); 8.66ha
  • Taupenot-Merme has tiny unplanted parcels
• Clos de Tart: monopole — Domaine du Clos de Tart (Artémis/François Pinault; same owner as Château Latour)
  • 1er Cru La Forge de Tart from declassified young vines (<20 years)
• Bonnes-Mares: shared with Chambolle-Musigny

• Key producers: Dujac, Ponsot (rare Aligoté from Monts Luisants 1er Cru, planted 1911), Frédéric Magnien, Pierre Amiot, Perrot-Minot, Taupenot-Merme, Domaine des Lambrays, Domaine du Clos de Tart

Chambolle-Musigny AOP (R)

• AOC awarded: 1936
• Production: Red wines only (24 Premiers Crus, 2 Grands Crus — 1 shared with Morey-Saint-Denis)
• Character: most delicate wines of Côte de Nuits; described as "silk and lace"

2 Grand Crus (N to S):

• Bonnes-Mares: 13.5ha in Chambolle, 1.5ha in Morey-Saint-Denis
  • Vogüé · Roumier · Groffier · Vougeraie · Dujac · Olivier Bernstein · Bruno Clair · Ponsot
  • Two soil types: Terres Rouges (red earth/clay, lower) and Terres Blanches (white limestone, upper)

• Musigny: Vogüé · Roumier · Leroy · Jacques Prieur · Mugnier · Faiveley · Jadot
  • Lieux-dits: Grand Musigny (N) and Les Petits Musigny (S)
  • Vogüé owns 3/4 (incl. 0.57ha Chardonnay in Les Petits Musigny)
  • Chardonnay: sold as Bourgogne Blanc while replanted vines (early 1990s) mature; last Musigny Blanc vintage 1993, back to label in 2015
  • Min. potential alcohol — Blanc: 12%, Rouge: 11.5%; max yield blanc: 44 hl/ha

Notable 1er Crus:

• Les Amoureuses: exceptional; regarded as Grand Cru-level
  • Groffier (largest owner) · Vogüé · Roumier
• Les Hauts Doix: next to Les Amoureuses; more delicate; Groffier
• Les Cras
• Les Fuées
• Les Véroilles: 1er Cru portion is monopole of Ghislaine Barthod
• Les Beaux Bruns
• Les Gruenchers: Dujac · Fourrier · Liger-Belair
• Les Sentiers: Fourrier
• Les Feusselottes
• La Combe d'Orveau: southernmost, only 1er Cru south of Musigny; small portion classified as Musigny Grand Cru
• Aux Échanges: monopole of Leymarie-Ceci (0.93ha, since 1976); sells grapes to Nicolas Potel, Cécile Tremblay, Duroché, A.F. Gros, Camille Giroud, Fourrier

Notable producer cross-holdings:

• Groffier: Les Amoureuses (largest) + 1ha Bonnes-Mares + ~0.5ha Chambertin Clos de Bèze; based in Morey-Saint-Denis
• Dujac: Bonnes-Mares GC + Les Gruenchers 1er Cru

• Fourrier: Les Gruenchers + Les Sentiers 1er Cru

• Key producers: Vogüé, Ghislaine Barthod, Roumier, Mugnier, Groffier, Dujac, Fourrier

Vougeot AOP (R, W)

• AOC awarded: 1936
• Production: Red and white (4 Premiers Crus, 1 Grand Cru)
• Size: smallest wine commune in Côte d'Or; 3/4 of production from its single Grand Cru

1 Grand Cru — Clos de Vougeot:

• Size: 50.59ha, largest Grand Cru in Côte de Nuits
• Ownership: 80+ growers
• Location: only Grand Cru in Côte d'Or that rests at bottom of slope
• Quality challenge: too many producers, too variable in quality, no cohesive terroir theme
• Positional variation: marked differences between top/middle sections (steeper, poorer soils) and bottom (flatter, richer soils)
• Landmark: Château du Clos de Vougeot — national monument; home of La Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin (Bourgogne's promotional organization)
• Notable lieux-dits seen on labels:
  • Le Grand Maupertuis — adjacent to Grands Échézeaux; usually bottled by Gros family (Anne or Michel)
  • Le Petit Maupertuis
  • Le Musigni — only by Gros Frère et Soeur; borders Musigny Grand Cru

4 Premier Crus (N to S):

• Clos de la Perrière: monopole of Bertagna
• Les Petits Vougeots
• Le Clos Blanc (de Vougeot): white-specialist 1er Cru of Vougeot
  • Official 1er Cru climat name (INAO cahier des charges); covers the historic lieu-dit La Vigne Blanche (~3 ha)
  • Walled monopole (clos) of Domaine de la Vougeraie (since 1998); ~95% Chardonnay
• Les Cras

Vosne-Romanée AOP (R)

• AOC awarded: 1936
• Production: Red wine only (14 Premiers Crus, 8 Grands Crus associated with the village)
• Character: "the Pearl of the Côte" (Allen Meadows/Burghound); intensity of flavor with refinement — "an iron fist in a velvet glove"
• Flagey-Échézeaux: village & 1er Cru vineyards exist within its borders, but the town itself has no appellation — producers use the more illustrious name of its neighbor, Vosne-Romanée; however, the commune does contain two Grands Crus: Échézeaux and Grands Échézeaux
• Monopoles among Grands Crus: La Romanée, Romanée-Conti, La Tâche, La Grande Rue (4 of 8 are monopoles)

8 Grand Crus (N to S):

Flagey-Échézeaux commune (north — each its own Grand Cru AOC):

• Grands Échézeaux: between Clos de Vougeot and Échézeaux
• Échézeaux: DRC (largest owner, c. 4.7 ha) · Emmanuel Rouget · Jean Grivot · Anne Gros · Gros Frère et Soeur · Liger-Belair · François Lamarche · René Engel
  • Quality concern: too many producers, too variable, no cohesive terroir
  • Notable lieux-dits: En Orveaux, Les Poulaillères (centrally above Grands Échézeaux, near-monopole by DRC), Échézeaux du Dessus (historical "heart")

Vosne-Romanée commune (south):

• Richebourg: 8.03ha; DRC · Leroy · Anne Gros · A.F. Gros · Gros Frère et Soeur · Méo-Camuzet
  • Lieux-dits: Les Richebourgs and Les Véroilles-sous-Richebourg (separate vineyards until 1924, then unified)
• Romanée-Saint-Vivant: 9.44ha, largest in Vosne
• Romanée-Conti: DRC monopole
• La Romanée: 0.85ha, smallest AOP in France; monopole of Domaine Liger-Belair
• La Grande Rue: monopole of Domaine François Lamarche; last Grand Cru promoted, in 1992

• La Tâche: DRC monopole

  • Parcels: La Tâche (lower, southerly corner) and Les Gaudichots (in 1932 DRC argued right to use La Tâche name; 1933 DRC purchased Liger-Belair's plot → current monopole)

• Max yields: generally 42 hl/ha; La Romanée 38; Romanée-Conti & La Tâche 35 hl/ha

Notable 1er Crus:

• Les Suchots: Hudelot-Noëllat · Liger-Belair · Arnoux-Lachaux
• Les Beaux Monts: Hudelot-Noëllat · Dujac · Jean Grivot
• Les Petits Monts
• Aux Malconsorts: adjacent to La Tâche south; next to Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Boudots
• Aux Reignots
• Aux Brûlées
• Cros Parantoux: famous by Henri Jayer
• Clos des Réas: only 1er Cru not touching a Grand Cru; Michel Gros monopole
• DRC 1er Cru holdings: Les Gaudichots, Les Petits Monts, Au-Dessus des Malconsorts
• Cuvée Duvault-Blochet (DRC Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru): named after 19th-century founder Jacques-Marie Duvault-Blochet; from younger vines on Grand Cru vineyards + second-pass grapes; first vintage since 1934 was 1999
• Key producers: DRC, Comtes Liger-Belair, Domaine Leroy, Domaine Bizot, Arnoux-Lachaux, Anne Gros, Michel Gros, Jean Grivot, Méo-Camuzet, Sylvain Cathiard, Gros Frère et Soeur, Emmanuel Rouget (Flagey-Échézeaux)

Notable village lieux-dits:

• Aux Réas: A.F. Gros, Fourrier
• La Colombière: Comte Liger-Belair, Georges Mugneret-Gibourg
• Clos du Château: Comte Liger-Belair (monopole)
• Les Hautes Maizières: Prieuré Roch, Arnoux-Lachaux
• Le Clos Goillotte: Prieuré Roch

Nuits-Saint-Georges AOP (R, W)

• AOC awarded: 1936
• Production: Almost exclusively red
• Size: second-largest commune in Côte de Nuits
• Premier Crus: 41 Premier Crus (account for over 45% of production)
• Classification: No Grand Cru; flagship 1er Cru Les Saint-Georges widely considered Grand Cru-worthy
• Commercial role: center for wine shippers, brokers, négociants, cooperages and crémant producers
• Nearby commune: Premeaux-Prissey: nearer commune at southern end
• Character by location:
  • Northern part (nearer Vosne-Romanée): softer, fruitier character
  • Southern part (nearer Premeaux-Prissey): fuller, richer

Notable 1er Crus (three groups, N to S):

North of Nuits-Saint-Georges (nearer Vosne-Romanée):

• Aux Boudots: adjacent to Vosne's Malconsorts; largely worked by Vosne-Romanée domaines; Jean Grivot · Leroy · Méo-Camuzet
• Aux Champs Perdrix
• Aux Murgers: Bertagna · Méo-Camuzet · Hudelot-Noëllat · Sylvain Cathiard
• Aux Chaignots
• Aux Bousselots
• Les Damodes

South of Nuits-Saint-Georges:

• Les Saint-Georges: flagship, widely considered Grand Cru-worthy
• Les Vaucrains
• Les Cailles
• Les Perrières: also a source of rare NSG blanc
• Les Poirets-Saint-Georges
• Clos des Porrets-Saint-Georges: Henri Gouges monopole (a climat within Les Poirets)

Premeaux-Prissey (southern end):

• Clos de la Maréchale: J-F Mugnier monopole; southernmost 1er Cru in Côte de Nuits; largest monopole in Côte d'Or
• Clos des Forêts Saint-Georges: Domaine de l'Arlot monopole, 7.2 ha
• Clos de l'Arlot (Clos Arlot): Domaine de l'Arlot monopole, ~2 ha; also produces blanc
• Clos des Corvées: Prieuré-Roch monopole
• Clos des Grandes Vignes: Comte Liger-Belair monopole

Key producers:

• Henri Gouges, Robert Chevillon, Domaine de l'Arlot, Prieuré-Roch, Jean-Jacques Confuron, Joseph Faiveley, Michèle & Patrice Rion, Régis Forey

Côte de Nuits-Villages AOP

• AOC awarded: 1937
• Colors: dry white and red (mostly red)
• Sourced from: 5 villages — Fixin, Brochon (north); Premeaux-Prissey, Comblanchien, Corgoloin (south)
• Character by source: north = firmly structured, chalky tannins, bracing acidity; south = soft, rich spice and earth

Côte de Beaune

Overview

• Location: south of Côte de Nuits, north of Côte Chalonnaise; Ladoix-Serrigny to Maranges
• Geographic extent: Northernmost village AOP: Ladoix; Southernmost: Maranges (Cheilly-lès-Maranges)
• Elevation: 220–350m
  • Hautes Côtes de Beaune: behind escarpment at ~400m
• Aspect: vineyards tend to face southeast (vs. east in Côte de Nuits)
• Escarpment: softer in profile, more broken than the steeper, more consistent Côte de Nuits
• Soils: limestone and limestone-rich marls; formed 160–150 mya (slightly younger than Côte de Nuits)
• Production split: ~2/3 red, 1/3 white
• Reputation: Renowned for white wines (+ red)
• Grand Crus: One Grand Cru for red (Corton); many Grand Crus for white
• Villages without classification: no 1er Cru or Grand Cru: Chorey-lès-Beaune, Saint-Romain
• Red-only AOPs: Pommard, Volnay, Blagny, Côte de Beaune-Villages
• Village-level only: Côte de Beaune, Côte de Beaune-Villages, Saint-Romain, Chorey-lès-Beaune

Permitted Grape Varieties (Côte de Beaune village AOCs)

• White: [P or S depending on whether AOC is authorized for white] Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc
• Rosé/Gris: [S] Pinot Gris
• Red: [P] Pinot Noir

Assemblage exceptions among village AOCs:

• Aloxe-Corton: Pinot Blanc may not exceed 30% of the blend
• Maranges: Pinot Blanc not permitted in white
• Pernand-Vergelesses: Pinot Gris may not exceed 30% of the blend
• Côte de Beaune AOC: Pinot Gris may not exceed 30% of the blend

Hill of Corton

Geography & Setting:

• Surrounding combes (valleys): Echevronne (south) · Jeanin (north) · Pernand-Vergelesses (west)
• Bois de Corton: forest crowning the hilltop, key cooling influence
• Forest: sold to private owner 2017; later granted official protection (no uprooting, replanting, or development)

Grand Cru Area & Commune Split:

• Total GC area: 160ha (all eligible for Corton GC)
  • 72ha eligible for Corton-Charlemagne
  • 63ha (subset) eligible for Charlemagne
• Commune split: Aloxe-Corton 120ha (south, majority) · Ladoix-Serrigny 22ha (east) · Pernand-Vergelesses 17ha (west)

Altitude & Slope:

• Altitude: hilltop 388m; vines reach 330m — highest altitude Grand Cru in Burgundy
  • cf. Chevalier-Montrachet 265–290m, Chambertin up to 300m
• GC vine altitude spread: ~100m range
  • Pinot Noir on lower slopes, Chardonnay above
• Charlemagne/Corton-Charlemagne climats altitude: 280–330m
• Gradient: up to 25% (vs. ~5% for other Côte GCs) — some parcels not mechanizable

Aspect & Microclimate:

• Aspect: Burgundy's only west-facing Grand Cru vines; vineyards wrap 3 sides of hill (Pernand → Aloxe → Ladoix, W to E)
• Microclimate: Bois de Corton holds cool air; surrounding valleys funnel winds

Soils:

• Composition: Jurassic limestone bedrock under chalky marl + clay + iron-red oolite (less uniform than elsewhere in Côte)
  • Mid-slope: deeper topsoil, higher clay, iron-oxide red → Pinot Noir
  • Hilltop: chalky marl, more limestone, very thin topsoil — roots nearly directly on bedrock

Corton AOP (Grand Cru):

• AOC awarded: 1937
• Colors: both red and white — predominantly red (white is a small minority)
• Communes: Aloxe-Corton, Ladoix-Serrigny, Pernand-Vergelesses
• Size: 160ha, largest Grand Cru in Côte d'Or
• Climats: Bressandes · Clos du Roi · Chaume · Grèves · Renardes · Perrières · Pougets · Clos de la Vigne au Saint · Le Charlemagne · Le Corton
• Encépagement:
  • Blanc: Chardonnay plus a max. 10% Pinot Blanc
  • Rouge: Pinot Noir, plus a max. 15% mixed plantings of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Chardonnay
  • Aligoté may be used as part of the mixed blend of supplementary grapes for Corton Rouge, but may not be replanted
• Assemblage: for blanc wines, Pinot Blanc may not exceed 30% of the blend
• Corton Blanc labelling: Chardonnay grown in Corton GC outside the Corton-Charlemagne/Charlemagne zones may be labelled Corton Blanc; rarely used (e.g., Jean-Marc & Hugues Pavelot)
• Quality note: rouge usually least expensive Grand Cru in négociant portfolios (uncertain quality)

Corton-Charlemagne AOP (Grand Cru):

• AOC awarded: 1937
• Color: blanc only
• Communes: Aloxe-Corton, Ladoix-Serrigny, Pernand-Vergelesses
• Qualifying area: 71.88ha
• Climats (9): En Charlemagne · Le Charlemagne · Les Pougets · Les Languettes · Le Corton · Les Renardes · Le Rognet et Corton (part of) · Basses Mourottes · Hautes Mourottes
• Encépagement:
  • Blanc: Chardonnay plus a max. 10% Pinot Blanc
  • if planted prior to July 2009, Aligoté may be present at a max. 15% in the vineyard
• Assemblage: Pinot Blanc may not exceed 30% of the blend
• Labeling: label cannot specify a climat or lieu-dit
• Pinot Noir grown within Corton-Charlemagne area: may be labelled as Corton Grand Cru
• 2022 production area: 59.77ha
• Producers making Grand Cru only: Bonneau du Martray (Corton-Charlemagne and Corton)
• Producers:
  • Bonneau du Martray
  • Louis Latour
  • Bouchard Père et Fils
  • Coche-Dury
  • Roulot
  • Leflaive

Charlemagne AOP (Grand Cru):

• AOC awarded: 1937
• Rarity: together with Musigny Blanc, the rarest of white Grand Crus
• Color: blanc only; seldom seen on labels today
• Maximum yield: 48 hl/ha
• Communes: Aloxe-Corton, Pernand-Vergelesses only (NOT Ladoix-Serrigny — differs from Corton-Charlemagne)
• Qualifying area: 62.94ha (subset of Corton-Charlemagne's 71.88ha)
• Climats (5): En Charlemagne · Le Charlemagne · Les Pougets · Les Languettes · Le Corton
• Encépagement:
  • Blanc: Chardonnay plus a max. 10% Pinot Blanc
• Assemblage: Pinot Blanc may not exceed 30% of the blend
• Recent trend: small resurgence from practically zero hl declared in early 2000s
• Declassification options: Pernand or Aloxe 1er Cru, Pernand or Aloxe villages (depending on climat), Bourgogne Côte d'Or, or Bourgogne
• Producers currently using Charlemagne label (only 2):
  • Domaine de la Vougeraie — since 2013 vintage; 2 parcels (one Le Charlemagne + one En Charlemagne), totaling <0.5 ha
  • Domaine Bonneau du Martray — since 2021 vintage (under Kroenke ownership after 2017 purchase; previously bottled all as Corton-Charlemagne)

Village AOPs (N to S, side valleys grouped with their neighbours)

Ladoix AOP (R, W)

• AOC awarded: 1937
• Classification: 11 Premiers Crus; 2 Grands Crus shared with Aloxe-Corton and Pernand-Vergelesses
• Note: bottles most wine as Côte de Beaune-Villages
  • 1/4 of vineyard area lies within Corton Grand Cru; small portion within Corton-Charlemagne

Aloxe-Corton AOP (R, W)

• AOC awarded: 1938
• Assemblage: for blanc, Pinot Blanc may not exceed 30% of the blend
• Classification: 14 Premiers Crus; 3 Grands Crus shared with Ladoix-Serrigny and Pernand-Vergelesses
• Grand Cru proportion: 73% of commune belongs to Corton and Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru appellations
• Pricing: village-level wine more widely known and more expensive than Ladoix or Pernand-Vergelesses

Pernand-Vergelesses AOP (R, W)

• AOC awarded: 1936
• Assemblage: for blanc, Pinot Gris may not exceed 30% of the blend
• Classification: 8 Premiers Crus; 3 Grands Crus shared with Ladoix-Serrigny and Aloxe-Corton
• Location: significant portion of vineyards on southwestern slope of Corton hill
• Value: both reds and whites often overlooked; excellent value
• Bonneau du Martray: produces Grand Cru wine only (Corton-Charlemagne and Corton)

Chorey-lès-Beaune AOP (R, W)

• AOC awarded: 1937
• Classification: No Grand Cru or Premier Cru
• Location: mostly on flat plains just north of Beaune
• Soils: alluvial limestone scree deposited by Rhoin River in ancient times (boosted potential despite flat terrain)
• Note: >50% of production bottled as Côte de Beaune-Villages; affordable, easy-drinking style

Savigny-lès-Beaune AOP (R, W)

• AOC awarded: 1937
• Classification: 22 Premiers Crus
• Rhoin River: bisects village into two distinct styles
• Southern side (Mont Battois): structured and generous reds
• Northern side (Bois de Noël): finer, more elegant; most vineyards here incl. 12 of the Premiers Crus
• Production: mostly red

Beaune AOP (R, W)

• AOC awarded: 1936
• Classification: 42 Premiers Crus
• Commercial importance: largest commercial center in Bourgogne; home to Hospices de Beaune and major négociants (Jadot, Latour, Drouhin, Bouchard) — cellars under city streets
• Production: predominantly red; nearly 75% is Premier Cru level
• Vineyard layout: all 42 Premiers Crus on a large, contiguous, southeast-facing slope west of town

Notable 1er Crus:

• Les Bressandes
• Les Grèves: incl. Vigne de l'Enfant Jésus, Bouchard monopole
• Clos des Mouches: Joseph Drouhin
• Les Teurons
• Clos du Roi

Côte de Beaune AOC (R, W)

• AOC awarded: 1937
• Assemblage: for blanc, Pinot Gris may not exceed 30% of the blend
• Location: higher-altitude vineyards around the town of Beaune
• Production: small; evenly split between red and white
• Note: NOT to be confused with Côte de Beaune-Villages (which is red only, multi-village blend)

Côte de Beaune-Villages AOP

• AOC awarded: 1937
• Color: red only
• Sourced from: all village appellations may label as CdB-Villages except Beaune, Aloxe-Corton, Pommard, Volnay

Pommard AOP (R)

• AOC awarded: 1936
• Classification: 28 Premiers Crus
• Production: Red wines only
• Character: full-bodied, harder-edged, tannic structure; powerful, robust
• Soil
  • Uniqueness: high concentration of clay + active limestone (high lime content) → improved structure/drainage/nutrient access; unique within Côte de Beaune but similar to Côte de Nuits soil dynamics
  • Mid-slope: clay-limestone, well drained thanks to inclusion of rock debris
  • Higher slope: Jurassic (Oxfordian) marls, brown calcic soils, brown limestone soils
  • Iron presence reddens the soil in places

Notable 1er Crus:

• Les Rugiens
  • Les Rugiens-Bas: Pommard's most exceptional vineyard; richest wines, archetype of the appellation's classic form
  • Les Rugiens-Hauts: steeper, inferior site above Bas
  • Many wines labeled simply "Les Rugiens" may include fruit from the lesser Hauts
  • 2011: Pommard vignerons petitioned INAO to elevate the entire Les Rugiens (Bas + Hauts) to grand cru; decision pending
• Les Épenots
• Clos des Épeneaux: Comte Armand monopole
• Best producer: Comte Armand

Volnay AOP (R)

• AOC awarded: 1937
• Classification: 29 Premiers Crus (60% of area under production)
• Production: Red wines only
• Character: soft, supple mouthfeel — touted since antiquity; more ancient descriptions than any other Bourgogne wine
• History: in the 1300s, became most famous Bourgogne wine via commercial network of the Knights of Malta; reputation built when vineyards planted to Pinot Gris

• Communes: Volnay and Meursault Notable 1er Crus:

• Les Caillerets: d'Angerville · Michel Lafarge

• Champans
• Clos des Chênes
• Taillepieds
• Santenots
• Clos des Ducs: Marquis d'Angerville monopole
• Clos des 60 Ouvrées: Pousse d'Or monopole
• Clos de la Bousse d'Or: Pousse d'Or monopole

• Clos d'Audignac: Pousse d'Or monopole

• Meursault vineyards labeled Volnay (red, as "1er Cru Santenots") / Meursault (white)

  • Les Santenots du Milieu — 1er Cru (red = Volnay 1er Cru / white = Meursault 1er Cru)
  • Les Santenots Blancs — 1er Cru (red = Volnay 1er Cru / white = Meursault 1er Cru)
  • Les Plures — 1er Cru (red = Volnay 1er Cru / white = Meursault 1er Cru)
  • Les Santenots Dessous — village level in Meursault (white = Meursault village), but red = Volnay 1er Cru

• Key producers: Marquis d'Angerville, Hubert de Montille, Michel Lafarge, Domaine de la Pousse d'Or

Monthélie AOP (R, W)

• AOC awarded: 1937
• Classification: 15 Premiers Crus
• Location: nearly surrounded by Volnay, Meursault, Saint-Romain
• Production: primarily red
• History: historically overlooked; largely planted to Gamay during 19th century

Auxey-Duresses AOP (R, W)

• AOC awarded: 1937
• Classification: 9 Premiers Crus
• Location: set back from main Côte (like Saint-Romain)
• Production: 2/3 red; whites similar to but lighter than Meursault
• History: pre-AOC wines bottled as Volnay, Pommard, or Meursault

Saint-Romain AOP (R, W)

• AOC awarded: 1947
• Classification: no 1er Cru, no Grand Cru
• Size: smallest wine-producing village of Côte de Beaune
• Production: ~2/3 white
• Location: set back in a side valley, high elevation, no open exposure east or south
• Character: whites stand out for piercing acidity, reminiscent of young Chablis

Meursault AOP (R, W)

• AOC awarded: 1937
• Classification: 19 Premiers Crus
• Size: largest wine-producing village in Côte d'Or; 120+ producers in residence
• Location: center of a broad coomb southeast of Auxey-Duresses
• Production: 96.5% white; over 1/4 ranked Premier Cru
• Reputation: known for white wines; strength in high-quality village-level wine
• Character: typically full-bodied and powerful; Matt Kramer: "If gold were a flavor, it would taste like Meursault"
• Grapes: Blanc [P] Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc / Rouge [P] Pinot Noir, [S] Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris
• Under convention (2026): Aligoté, Melon, Sacy (W), César (R) — combined max 10% of plantings, max 1 ha per estate
• Trial plantings down to 5,000 vines/ha under convention (standard min 9,000)

• New varieties + low-density vines: max 15% of final blend Notable 1er Crus:

• Perrières: Coche-Dury, Comtes Lafon, Robert Ampeau, Leroy, Vincent Girardin, Lucien le Moine

• Genevrières: Coche-Dury, Comtes Lafon, Guy Roulot, Rémi Jobard, Latour-Giraud
• Les Charmes: Roulot, Comtes Lafon, Lucien le Moine, Olivier Bernstein
• Les Caillerets: tiny 1ha 1er Cru within Meursault; essentially part of Volnay's Les Caillerets climat; planted to both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir — one of the only Meursault vineyards to produce red wine under the Meursault title

Village lieux-dits with long tradition:

• Les Narvaux: thin limestone soil, intense minerality
  • Latour-Giraud, Vincent Girardin, Rémi Jobard, PYCM, d'Auvenay, Coche-Dury, Roulot
• Les Chevalières: stony, strict, focused
  • Coche-Dury, Jean-Philippe Fichet, Boisson-Vadot
• Les Tillets: high altitude, airy/floral/high-tension
• Clos de la Barre: Comtes Lafon monopole

• Les Tessons: incl. Clos des Monbrillais

  • Pierre Morey, Jean-Philippe Fichet

• Key producers (Meursault): Coche-Dury, Guy Roulot, Comtes Lafon

Blagny AOP (R)

• AOC awarded: 1937
• Classification: 7 Premiers Crus
• Production: Red wines only
• Grapes: [P] Pinot Noir; [S] Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris
• César under convention (2026): max 10% of plantings, max 1 ha per estate
• Trial plantings down to 5,000 vines/ha (standard min 9,000); César + low-density vines max 15% of blend
• Location: straddles both Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet
• Designation by color
  • Reds → Blagny
  • Whites → Meursault-Blagny, Meursault, or Puligny-Montrachet (depending on grape source)
• Major white vineyards (as Meursault 1er Cru)
  • Blagny
  • Les Ravelles
  • La Jeunellotte
  • Sous Blagny
  • La Pièce sous le Bois
  • Sous le Dos d'Âne

Puligny-Montrachet AOP (R, W)

• AOC awarded: 1937
• Classification: 17 Premiers Crus; 4 Grands Crus (2 shared with Chassagne-Montrachet)
• Production: Almost exclusively white; <1ha of Pinot Noir planted
• Character: Known for being floral and concentrated
• Distinction: more white wine Grands Crus than any other village in Bourgogne
• No cellars: water table too high to dig

4 Grand Crus (W to E):

• Chevalier-Montrachet: entirely in Puligny, just above Montrachet
  • Leflaive · Ramonet · Leroy (d'Auvenay) · Jean-Marc Roulot · PYCM · Jadot (cuvée "Les Demoiselles")
• Montrachet: shared with Chassagne & Puligny
  • Chassagne side: Lafon, DRC, Jacques Prieur, Leflaive, Baron Thénard (Roland Remoissenet/Louis Latour), PYCM, Vincent Girardin
  • Puligny side: Bouchard, Ramonet, Etienne Sauzet, Marc Colin, Boillerault de Chauvigny, Laguiche (Drouhin)
  • Marquis de Laguiche: largest Montrachet vineyard owner (2.0625ha; vinified/marketed by Joseph Drouhin)
• Bâtard-Montrachet: shared with Chassagne & Puligny
  • Leflaive · Ramonet · Paul Pernot · Thierry Pillot · PYCM · Etienne Sauzet · Pierre Morey · Fontaine-Gagnard · Vincent Girardin · Jadot · Louis Latour · d'Auvenay (2012–2015 only)

• Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet: entirely in Puligny

  • Leflaive · Ramonet · Jacques Carillon · Etienne Sauzet · Faiveley · Vincent Girardin · Henri Boillot · Jadot · Lucien Le Moine · PYCM

• Higher minimum alcohol Grand Crus: Chevalier-Montrachet and Montrachet: 12% (others: 11.5%)

Notable 1er Crus:

• Les Pucelles: Domaine Leflaive
• Le Cailleret: Domaine de Montille, Roulot, La Pousse d'Or
  • Les Demoiselles: climat encased within Le Cailleret, adjacent to Chevalier-Montrachet and Montrachet
    • Louis Jadot and Louis Latour bottle a Chevalier-Montrachet "Les Demoiselles" (their parcels here constituted the 1939 additions to the Grand Cru)
    • Producers: Guy Amiot et Fils, Bruno Colin

Chassagne-Montrachet AOP (R, W)

• AOC awarded: 1937
• Classification: 55 Premiers Crus; 3 Grands Crus (2 shared with Puligny-Montrachet)
• Production: ~2/3 white, 1/3 red; reds historically important, compared to Nuits-Saint-Georges; Chardonnay expansion in 20th century shifted emphasis to white
• Character: closer in style to Meursault than Puligny

• Largest 1er Cru - Morgeot: 54.23ha, encompasses 15 smaller 1er Crus incl. La Boudriotte, Clos Chareau, Clos Pitois, etc. 3 Grand Crus:

• Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet: entirely in Chassagne, 1.75ha, smallest white Grand Cru in Côte de Beaune

  • Fontaine-Gagnard · d'Auvenay · Hubert Lamy · Caroline Morey · PYCM · Lucien Le Moine
• Bâtard-Montrachet: shared
• Montrachet: shared

Notable 1er Crus:

• Clos Saint-Jean: best for red
• Morgeot: best for red

• Les Caillerets (1er Cru): encompasses 4 smaller terroirs

  • En Caillerets: 5.11ha
  • Vigne Derrière: 3.76ha incl. Clos du Caillerets
  • Chassagne: 1.14ha
  • Les Combards: 0.65ha

• Key producers (Chassagne-Montrachet): Ramonet, Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey

Saint-Aubin AOP (R, W)

• AOC awarded: 1937
• Classification: 30 Premiers Crus (~75% of vineyards ranked Premier Cru)
• Production: ~80% white; vineyards on back slope of Montrachet hill, sharing same soils
• Growth: production increased over 600% in past 40 years; prices climbed as Chassagne/Puligny rose
• Location: in a valley directly west of Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet
• Notable 1er Crus: Sur le Sentier du Clou, En Remilly

Santenay AOP (R, W)

• AOC awarded: 1936
• Classification: 12 Premiers Crus
• Location: banks of Dheune River and Canal du Centre (connects Saône to Loire)
• Production: primarily red
• Landmarks: thermal springs enjoyed since Roman times
• Viticulture: cordon pruning to curtail yields on more fertile soils

Maranges AOP (R, W)

• AOC awarded: 1989
• Classification: 7 Premiers Crus
• Location: southernmost appellation in Côte de Beaune; 3 villages
• Production: almost entirely red; whites do not allow Pinot Blanc
• Character: soft and supple; fine value