Burgundy Wine Guide

Although we were in fact enduring the last few days of winter it already felt like spring, and indeed it had
done so for several weeks. Everywhere I looked there was new life; lambs bounded through the fields, and
spring bulbs were erupting into sometimes dramatic explosions of colour. Driving out of Chablis towards the
small stretch of grand cru vineyards that runs to the north of the village, I could see workers in the fields
preparing for the vines to join in this annual festival of birth and rebirth. Anticipating that the vines would soon
be throwing out new buds and then tender young leaves, and very aware of the continued risk of nocturnal
frost, they were occupied placing out the oil burners that would, if required, be lit to protect the tender leaves
from freezing over the coming weeks.
Despite this emergence of new life, of anticipation, of looking forward to the vintage and year ahead, I was
for a moment in a reflective mood. The month was March, the year 2009, and I quickly calculated that meant
more than a decade had passed since I had last visited Chablis, and even then I had only paused here for a
few days. And yet it all looked so perfectly familiar; the long drive through the wide, open countryside
between the Cte d'Or and this most northerly outpost of Burgundy seemed like a route I might have driven
just yesterday. The town with its restaurants where I once dined, washing down my meals with premier
cru Chablis from a variety of domaines, looked unchanged. And there, off to the right, was the campsite
where I stayed, with the little canals alongside which I used to walk, and the locks in which I once swam,
always with that irrational and yet very human fear of what lies beneath. To let more than ten years pass
without returning to this, what is surely the worlds best known wine-town and some would argue the worlds
greatest white wine appellation, was remiss of me.
Chablis has without doubt been the one piece of the Burgundy jigsaw that I have
examined most closely over the years, right back to those restaurant bottles in Chablis
itself, and to the copious quantities of Premier Cru Cte de Lchet (I have to confess
I forget the producer) and Grand Cru Les Grenouilles (from La Chablisienne, the
towns leading co-operative) I drank as I was exploring wine for the very first time as a
student. Over the years my understanding has deepened, and has extended to the
Cte d'Or, the "golden slope" of vineyards some way to the southeast of Chablis,
running from Santenay up to Marsannay, taking in all the famous names of Burgundy
- Pommard, Volnay, Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny and so on - along the
way. There is also the Cte Chalonnaise, further south again, another stop-off on my
first ever journey through the region, the Mconnais, an increasingly valuable source of
good-value white wines, and of courseBeaujolais, which I once explored from a base
just outside the tiny cru village of Fleurie. But Chablis was my first, and is for me
perhaps the most endearing of all Burgundy's regions. So although I deal with each in
turn in this new Burgundy guide, it seems only right that I should open with a detailed
look at this region before moving onto the others.

Why Burgundy?
Before doing so, however, perhaps we should first consider why Burgundy deserves such a detailed guide in
the first place. What is it about Burgundy and her wines that makes them so popular? For many it is perhaps
solely what lies in their glass, and there is nothing wrong at all in this approach. The region is home to a
number of grape varieties, although (if we may overlook Gamay for a moment) there are only two principal
players, and Burgundy provides the little world of wine with the ultimate expression of both. For white wine
we have Chardonnay, and for red Pinot Noir, and each is vinified pure and unsullied, absent of any blending
with other varieties, as we might find with the great wines of Bordeaux or Champagne. Indeed, for
Chardonnay, the region provides us with two benchmark styles, the steel and minerals that soften into the
honeycomb of a great Chablis (from vines like the one below, right), and the balanced power and elegance
of a Cte dOr white from any number of vineyards, but perhaps Montrachet above all others. It is these
wines, combined with the temperate nature and disease resistance of the Chardonnay vine, and the
harmonious duet that is Chardonnay and the oak barrel, that has led to this variety being planted far and
wide across every continent.
With Pinot Noir the story is similar, even if the nature of the vine is somewhat different. It is perhaps a jewel
that bears more facets than its white companion, with many great vineyards scattered along the Cte dOr
yielding a multiplicity of nuanced styles, and the wines of great grand cru vineyards such as La Romane,
Chambertin and Musigny have inspired thousands of winemakers and drinkers alike. Unlike Chardonnay,
however, Pinot Noir has not achieved world dominance; there are no shortage of hopefuls planting the
variety but few seem to have enjoyed the success that can be found even in minor Burgundian appellations.
It has always been said that Pinot Noir is a fickle grape, thin-skinned (literally as well as perhaps

metaphorically!) and difficult to grow; nevertheless, there are a handful of regions that have accomplished
the feat. For my palate, I find great pleasure in the wines of New Zealand, especially Central Otago, which
seem to have the rich fruit of the New World but backed up by delicious cool climate acidity, the wines
possessing vivacity and charm as a result. But in many other regions, which are perhaps simply too warm,
the wines are flabby, dull, vegetal or unexciting. California has had some success, as have some small
regions of Australia such as the Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley, but it is Burgundy, presenting a
myriad of sometimes beguiling wines as evidence, that wears the Pinot crown most convincingly and I
suspect it will remain this way for a very long time.
What about those, though, who wish to look beyond the glass? Is there something, in addition to the quality
of the wine, that also draws them to this region? I believe the answer is yes, and although it may be a
questionable approach I will illustrate my response to this perhaps rhetorical question by drawing some
comparisons with Burgundys Atlantic cousin (maybe second-cousin, or just distant relative would be more
appropriate), Bordeaux.

Looking Beyond the Glass

It is often said that all wine lovers come to Burgundy in the end, the implication being that they have
eventually tired of Bordeaux, a region that for them becomes nothing more than a phase in their wine
education, rather than the lifelong obsession into which Burgundy might evolve. And although I am quite sure
this statement is not true for all, why might it be the case, for some at least? After all, both regions produce
excellent red wines which are capable of maturing and improving, in some cases for many decades; why not
have both? There are a number of thoughts or hypotheses I can suggest. Firstly, of course, there is the style
of wine itself; from Bordeaux, which can sometimes be as much about texture and power as anything else,
we move to Burgundy where there might be more elegance, more perfume, more intrigue. Bordeaux might
please the palate and the mind, but some wine drinkers will maintain that only Burgundy provides the most
haunting bottles, memories of which may last a lifetime. This difference can be traced like a thin vein from
the wine through into the vines and vineyards, the people and the domaines. Bordeaux increasingly gives
the impression of big business, with its grand chteaux and expansive vineyards, whereas Burgundy is more
about the soil, and the men and women that work it. The hand that you shake in Bordeaux will be clean,
whereas the nails are less manicured in Burgundy, the hands more concerned with pruning and picking, or
driving the tractor (as below) - tasks the Bordeaux proprietor will leave to his staff. Are Burgundy people just
a little more connected with the land?

And perhaps their outlook is also different; in Bordeaux I have never, other than at tastings where a
consultant (such as Michel Rolland) may be involved with overseas wineries, been offered a wine from
outside the region. During my last visit to Burgundy, however, although the local wines naturally dominated, I
also drank wines from Bordeaux and Madeira. And sitting in a restaurant in Beaune I was surrounded not
only a bottle upon bottle upon case upon case of Burgundy, but I also espied wines from Alsace, theLoire,
Rioja and Tuscany. These people are perhaps less superior, more willing to acknowledge that other wines
exist outside Burgundy, whereas perhaps the Bordeaux marketing machine would like to suggest otherwise. I
stress "perhaps" - I am of course generalising wildly, and I am sure there are many outward and forwardthinking souls in Bordeaux, just as there are insular types in Burgundy. But it remains a valid thought.
I also suspect that the patchwork of vineyards that is Burgundy, a stark contrast to the typical 50-hectare
Mdoc estate, appeals to the investigative enthusiast. These vineyards carry a rich history with which the
glass connects us the prime reason I can never concur with those who state categorically its whats in the
glass that counts. That position is not as irrefutable as some might think; there is more pleasure to be
gained, I feel, if the wine is savoured accompanied by knowledge of its origins. And in Burgundy that
knowledge is complex, with so many tiny vineyards, the majority with multiple owners. To the academically
enquiring mind the region and the wines may stimulate detailed analysis; which village? Which producer?
Which vineyard? At the top of the slope, or the bottom? Which rows of vines? Which soils? From the end of
the vineyard next to the neighbouring grand cru, or from the vines down by the road? The process of
pleasure and understanding combined, far from being a laborious one, is I am sure what draws some, if not
many, to this region.
It is this complexity that means this simple guide could never be enough to truly understand Burgundy. There
is detail in all parts of this guide, and I hope it will provide something of interest to all readers, whether their
knowledge of Burgundy is expert or amateur. Nevertheless, it is not intended to fully quench the thirst of
those already rich in Burgundy knowledge. This is a guide intended to explore and demystify across the
region, but does not get down to microscopic analysis that the region receives (and certainly deserves) from
true Cte d'Or savants. It will explain quite nicely, I hope, the difference
between Volnay and Vougeot, Chablis and Chambolle and their respective grands crus, but it does not

intend to look at the next level and why, for instance, Malconsorts has such a better reputation than other
Vosne-Romane vineyards. For that level of explanation you require a specialist Burgundy text. For many
years the obvious choice was Clive Coates, and although he has now retired from publishing his
periodical The Vine his other works, such as Cte d'Or (University of California Press, 1997). remain
valuable. Indeed, the updated text The Wines of Burgundy (University of California Press, 2008), now
expanded to include Chablis and the Cte Chalonnaise, is perhaps even more worthwhile. For more current
writing there are few that compare in terms of quality of information. Online or by newsletter, only the writings
of Allen Meadows provide a similar, topically delivered service. If insight and recommendations on what to
buy are required, I recommend those sources; for my own opinions on the region, read on here. (28/12/00, last
updated 27/7/09)

Burgundy: History & Variety

Perhaps more than any other wine-producing region of France there is ancient viticultural history here. At
least it feels that way when you stand amongst the vines. Naturally other regions have their own history, their
own connections to the Roman Empire (Ausone and Figeac in St Emilionbeing two particularly good
examples), their abbeys and monasteries, ancient guardians of the vine. But here in Burgundy the history
seems just that little bit richer. Viticulture was certainly already established when the region was under
Roman dominion, perhaps two millennia ago. No doubt other regions can match this history, but few have
such wonderful records, and such determined expansion, led by the numerous monasteries that sprang up
after the 6th century. As these religious institutions grew in power and influence, their land-holdings grew to
match, largely as the result of generous benefactions from wealthy land-owners no doubt looking to seek
favour in the afterlife. By the 12th century Burgundy was covered with vines, and the wines produced were
achieving widespread fame.
In later times the wines first came to the attention of the Dukes of Burgundy, rich and extremely powerful
noblemen, and then they also became known to the king, in particular the Roi-Soleil or Sun-King, Louis XIV,
perhaps best known for his grand palace at Versailles. With such prestigious endorsements it is not
surprising that international trade developed, and large ngociant houses sprang up in Nuits and Beaune to
take appropriate advantage. It was perhaps a golden era for the region, but with the Revolution at the end of
the 18th century all this came to an end. Vineyards belonging to both the nobility and the church were seized
and broken up, and with the arrival of the Napoleonic laws of inheritance - under which estates can not be
inherited by one heir alone, but must be divided between all rightful offspring - this microscopic parcellation
of once extensive domaines would be further exacerbated.
With subsequent trade in these tiny parcels, sometimes consisting of just one or two rows of vines, the
groundwork for the modern-day confusion that is Burgundy was firmly laid. Today, any individual producer
may bottle many different wines from different vineyards and appellations, some of which will doubtlessly be
better than others, and any particular vineyard may have many different owners making their own version of
the wine. There are many such examples, but the famed grand cru vineyard of Montrachet, which straddles
the villages of Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet in the Cte de Beaune, or further north
the grand cru Clos de Vougeot, which has more than 80 separate proprietors, are good examples. The
image below provides a further illustration. Here we are looking south/south-west over the grands
crus of Chapelle-Chambertin and Griotte-Chambertin in the foreground, and Clos de
Bze and Chambertin beyond that (the smoke originates from burning vine-cuttings within these
latter grands crus); in the foreground one vigneron has ploughed between the half-dozen rows he owns,
leaving those of his neighbours either side undisturbed. No doubt a task quickly completed, it may have been
just one of many plots in his ownership, all dotted along the Cte d'Or, that he set about ploughing that day.

Although the vineyard was now in the hands of the people, rather than empire, church or nobility, the 19th
century saw continued expansion in trade, and more and more foreign markets were opened up. As with
other regions of France, however, the latter years of this century saw the arrival of phylloxera, changing
irrevocably the shape of the Burgundian vineyard. Having arrived in the Gard in 1863, it moved northwards
through the Rhne Valley in the ensuing years, eventually reaching Villi-Morgon in 1874 and
thenMeursault in 1878. The solution, as has been written elsewhere countless times, was to graft the
precious Vitis vinifera species Chardonnay and Pinot Noir onto resistant American rootstock, and a new
planting program was underway as early as 1886. But the vineyards had contracted to a mere fraction of
what they were before, and this is largely the Burgundy that we know today, a vineyard forever changed, and
forever changing.

Variety: the Vines of Burgundy

At first glance the issue of which grape varieties are to be found in Burgundy seems a simple one. As I have
indicated above there are two important varieties here; the white wines are largely made from Chardonnay,
the red wines from Pinot Noir. There are only minor exceptions to the rule for white, notably a few hectares
of Aligot here and there, some Sauvignon Blanc planted around St Bris (and now entitled to its own
appellation), the white Pinot vines (Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris) and curiosities such as white mutants of Pinot
Noir. There is a larger and more significant exception to the red rule, in that considerable areas of the region
are planted to Gamay, but it is largely a well defined exception, with most of these vines confined to the
Beaujolais region.
First glances can, however, be deceptive, particularly where Pinot Noir is concerned. This variety has long
been known to be prone to mutation, and in years gone by vigneronswould have had in their care vineyards

containing a myriad of different vines each with slight genetic differences. These managers would propagate
new plants by taking cuttings from their established vineyards, obviously taking the material from those vines
with favourable characteristics, thus ensuring for the future the genetic strength and diversity possessed by
the vineyard. With the modern requirement for grafted vinestock, however, this job falls to dedicated
nurserymen rather than vineyard workers, and thus visual selection of healthy plants on an ad hoc basis has
been replaced by a more industrial clonal selection, with many thousands of plants being produced from
certified disease- and virus-free stock. As a result today there is a remarkable catalogue of clones that a
vineyard manager must consider when choosing new plants.

Some clones will produce higher yields but lower quality, and perhaps vice versa. Whole vineyards may be
established using just a single clone, a marked contrast to the genetic diversity that would have existed two
centuries ago (or indeed in the aged vineyard above, just outside the village of Aloxe-Corton). Some feel that
this loss of variance as Burgundy has moved from vineyards full of genetically-varied plant material to those
populated with clones of the same plant - even well-chosen clones - has had a negative impact on the quality
and style of Burgundy's wine. Whether or not this is true (it is certainly disputed) the correct selection of
clones is certainly a vital decision when replanting. Even today some Burgundy vineyards are still populated
with what are referred to by the locals as "Champagne clones", ill-chosen vines that might meet the needs of
the Champenois as viewed by the Burgundians - namely high yields and low quality - but obviously fall far
short of the noble Burgundian aim of making the world's greatest wines. The expense of uprooting and
replacing such vines with better clones means it is not undertaken lightly, and without other good reason such as the need to replace elderly or dead vines - but once the domaine in question is committed to
replanting you can be sure that the selection of better clones will be foremost in the mind of the vineyard
manager involved.

Mutation, Mutation, Mutatio

This tendency to mutation explains the existence of other Pinot varieties including bothPinot Gris and Pinot
Blanc in the Burgundy vineyard, and further north in the vineyards of Champagne Pinot Meunier; all are
mutants of Pinot Noir. That some mutations should be sufficiently different to be labelled as different varieties
is only natural; two visually identical clones with only a slight difference in some nebulous and poorly defined
characteristic such as the ripening of their fruits or their disease-resistance can easily be thought of as the
same variety (the clones of Pinot Noir discussed above), but when the mutant vine yields white berries rather
than red, as with Pinot Gris & Blanc, the difference seems that much more fundamental. Ergo, a new name.
This mutation can even happen on the vine, so that one branch of an otherwise red vine can, to the surprise
of all, yield white fruit. A well-recorded example of this occurred in 1936, in the Nuits-St-Georges vineyards
of Henri Gouges. Henri noted that some of the old Pinot Noir vines in Clos de Porrets were producing white
grapes; taking cuttings and establishing them on suitable rootstocks, he planted the white vines in the
nearby Les Perrires, and to this day the vines are still yielding a white wine. The vines are referred to by
various names, including white Pinot Noir, Pinot Gouges or even Pinot Musigny. The first of these three
seems particularly vague, and could be applied to any other white Pinot Noir mutations such as Blanc or
Gris, but either of the latter two are very appropriate and it would be pleasing to see one formally adopted
and ratified.
Although it is not essential to examine these other varieties or Sauvignon Blanc in any detail here, we must
not forget to return to Gamay. This grape shares its name with a small village near Chassagne-Montrachet,
and there is also a village named Chardonnay, in the Mconnais; surely these place-names must reflect the
origins of these varieties? Possibly, but I should state clearly that there is no direct evidence to support such
a conclusion. Gamay is not widely planted in the Cte d'Or, where if vinified it is only eligible for the most

basic blends, such as Crmant de Bourgogne or Passe-Tout-Grains. Its absence from this region of
Burgundy is to some extent down to terroir - it is much better suited to the lighter soils of Beaujolais although an edict issued by Philippe le Hardi in 1395 demanding the uprooting of Gamay from the 'golden
slope' no doubt also played some part in its disappearance. As with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay there are a
number of different clones available, some offering better quality than others.
Finally in this little guide, the curious whites. Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris I have already mentioned, but there
is also Aligot and even Melon de Bourgogne. A variety offering more acidity than Chardonnay, Aligot's
home would appear to be around Bouzeron where the variety has appellation contrle status. As for Melon
de Bourgogne, the variety best known for Muscadet, there are small plantings in Burgundy where it may
qualify for the most generic blends. (28/12/00, last updated 6/8/09)

Appellations & Classifications

Any decent restaurant wine list should serve to remind us that Burgundian nomenclature can be very
confusing; the combination of village name along with the name of a classified vineyard, lieu-dit or perhaps
even a brand name is sufficient to confound. Add in the vagaries of vintage and producer - acknowledging
that a number of relatedvignerons can have very similar names, and that any one of them one may bottle
many different wines from different vineyards and appellations, some of which will doubtlessly be better than
others - and the confusion increases considerably. Then consider that thanks to the abolition of
primogeniture by Napoleon, a peculiarity of France's laws of inheritance which I discussed inHistory &
Variety, one particular vineyard may have many different owners making their own version of the wine, again
some great, some less so. Don't forget the grand cru wines, of course, which don't even give the village of
origin on the label, just to test you that little bit more. Maybe a quick look at that wine list might be enough to
make you throw in the towel right now?
So how should we try to unravel this mess?
Undoubtedly the best (and perhaps only way) to get to grips with Burgundy is to drink the wines - paying
appropriate attention to the label as we do so. You can do this with a buyer's guide in hand, or you can
explore alone; the former involves drinking to the tune of someone else's palate but at least it improves the
'hit rate' of good bottles, the latter perhaps conveys a more valid and personal tasting experience, but is
complicated by expensive disappointments. Whichever approach you take, gradually you will build a sound
knowledge of the different producers, vineyards and perhaps just as importantly you will get to know the best
sources to buy, those merchants with the most insightful lists and who offer the most sage advice. The best
surrogate I think I can offer through this online guide is to look at some labels. Before I get to them, however,
an overview of the appellation system might be worthwhile.

Dividing up Burgundy
Although this guide focuses on the most famous names of
Burgundy - especially the grand cru and leading premier
cruvineyards - we can see from the illustration on the right that
these only account for a small proportion of what Burgundy
gives us. This illustration - or variations upon it - can be found
in many Burgundy texts; I have had my own version online
since 2001, and for this updated version I have taken the data
from Pitiot & Servant's The Wines of Burgundy (Collection
Pierre Poupon, 13th edition, 2005). At the peak of the pyramid
are the grand cru appellations, Chambertin, Musigny,
Corton, ChablisGrand Cru and so on; the pinnacle of Burgundy
accounts for just 2% of her wines. In this illustration the
communal production, which altogether accounts for 45% of
production, is divided into two, the top half representing those
wines that are bottled under communal appellations with
a premier cru climat appended, and the bottom half for those without. The third group, shown as the bedrock
of the pyramid, is for the regional appellations, which includes generic wines such as Beaujolais, BeaujolaisVillages, Mcon and Bourgogne of any colour, generic Cte Chalonnaise, the sparkling Crmant de
Bourgogne and many other wines. As can be seen these account for the majority of Burgundy's wines, and
yet much of this production is of limited interest. Some such wines do provide excellent drinking, whether
they be Bourgogne Rouge from a top domaine, such as Domaine Leroy (in 2004 this generic cuve
accounted for the domaine's entire production, a blend of declassified grands and premiers crus) or whether
they be good value, well-made commercial cuves such as Albert Bichot's tasty Bourgogne Blanc, but you
must search hard and choose wisely in order to find these good-value bottles.

Six Hundred Appellations?

It is not unknown for the more outspoken critic of Burgundy to wade in with a broadside against what they
perceive as a complex litany of appellations in the region. The usual number bandied around is in excess of
six hundred, a figure that would put the Loire and her seventy-plus appellations to shame - if it were true.
Burgundy appellations are in fact very simple, serving to do little more that indicate commune of origin
(Gevrey-Chambertin, Meursault, Chablis) or vineyard of origin in the case of the grands crus(Chablis Grand
Cru, Chambertin, Corton). There is little else on the label that is appellation per se - the problem is that the
authors in question have not grasped the difference between appellation and classification.

The details of the appellations are laid down in law by the INAO, and there are - perhaps surprisingly to
some - only three groups. At the peak are the grand cru appellations, which number 33 in total (the top 2% in
the pyramid above); of these 32 are spread along the Cte d'Or, with a single grand cru appellation in
Chablis (if this latter point seems at odds with your knowledge of this region you can find more detail in my
forthcoming guide to Chablis). Then come the communal appellations, essentially the village wines (the next
45% in the pyramid above), whether the village in question be Chablis itself, or one found in the Cte d'Or
(e.g. Pommard), Cte Chalonnaise (e.g. Montagny), Mconnais (e.g. Pouilly-Fuiss) or Beaujolais (e.g.
Fleurie). The pivotal point of confusion here is thatpremier cru vineyards do not have their own appellations;
each of these communal appellations may append the name of a climat (a vineyard) on the label, and these
may be classified as premier cru, in which case this will commonly be stated on the label, such as
with Pommard Premier Cru Clos du Micault, or it may be an unclassified vineyard, often referred as a lieudit (which literally translates as "named place") such asPommard Clos des Ursulines. And in some cases,
where the wine has been blended from more than one suitably classified vineyard, a wine may be declared
as premier cruwithout any mention of the vineyards of origin - Pommard Premier Cru. These latter wines
may also be sourced from grand cru vineyards, of course, having been declassified, usually by winemakers
looking to bottle only the very best quality under thegrand cru appellation.
It is impracticable to try and provide a list of all the premier cru climats that may be appended to the
communal appellations here, as these account for most of six hundred non-appellations cited above,
nevertheless the grand cru appellations are certainly worthy of individual mention, not merely because these
are less numerous but because these represent the pinnacle of all Burgundy's wines. These are as follows:

As I have indicated above, however, an understanding of Burgundy and her vineyards may be better formed
by taking a look at some examples of the region's labels. This is what I do in the next section of my
guide. (28/12/00, last updated 13/8/09)

Chablis: An Introduction
Chablis, a name which for many conjures up images of little more than a dry white wine, is a word which has
been for many years abused by New World producers keen to liken their own wines to those of this famous
appellation. Chablis took on brand-status. Such practices are now largely in the past, but I still suspect that
many new to wine are surprised to learn that Chablis is not a style, but a region, one that surrounds the town
of the same name. The grape is Chardonnay, another fact with the potential to surprise those who more
readily associate this grape with the super-ripe, warm-climate flavours of tropical fruits and, of course, overt
oak flavours. But this is not the case in Chablis. This iconic wine transcends the variety from which it is made
and owes much more to the soil and climate than the fruit.
The evidence that belies the importance of both these factors to Chablis becomes apparent upon taking just
a short stroll in the vineyard. The relevance of the soil - the terroir - is perhaps not so obvious; one must
stoop down and scrape around in the rocks a little to find the evidence, but the significance of climate can be
seen everywhere - in spring at least.

Chablis: Climate
This far north, frost remains a problem well into spring, and low temperatures in March and April will wreak
havoc with a season's new, tender growth if left unprotected. For many years the most common solution has
been to light burners in the vineyard; when freezing temperatures are forecast the workers will pass amongst
the vines, setting light to these small stoves, which are typically fuelled by oil. As I mentioned in
my introduction I saw these mini-stoves being laid out in the vineyard when I visited in March 2009, although
there are alternatives which I also spied during my visit. The first of these, which certainly seems counterintuitive at first, is a sprinkler system; as the temperature falls below freezing point the sprinklers are
switched on, coating the new growth in water which then freezes.
You might think this would damage the vine, but the continued sprinkling of water ensures there is a liquidsolid (water-ice) interface present at all times, so there is what physicists refer to as a phase change, where
matter coexists in two states, in this case ice and water. In this situation the temperature remains constant at
0C, the point at which water turns to ice (and vice versa), known as the freezing point. This temperature is
not low enough to damage the tender growth which is therefore protected. When the ambient temperature
rises above the freezing point once more the system is switched off and the ice melts, and the vines beneath
are unharmed.
Perhaps a less surprising system, the application of electrical heating is nevertheless quite a new one. It
requires the provision of an electrical supply up to the vineyard (just as the sprinklers obviously require a
water supply), so that when the temperature falls to a dangerously low point current can be run through
electrical cables trained along the rows of vines. The resistance in the cable is such that it warms up, thus
protecting the vines from the frost. Not yet widespread, the system was introduced in a joint project funded
by Albert Bichot and William Fvre, who together own huge swathes of the grand and premier cru vineyards.
A typical control box, situated at the foot of thegrand cru vineyard Vaudsir, is shown above; loops of cable
at the end of each row can also be spotted.

Chablis: Terroir
As for terroir, if there was ever any doubt about its significance, one that couldn't be addressed by the
symbiosis of Riesling and the slate vineyards of the Mosel, or by the dramatic differences seen in wines
made from Cabernet Franc on sand, gravel or limestone, the three main soils of the vineyards of Chinon in
the Loire, then surely the doubt can be put to bed in Chablis.
Unlike the vineyards of the Cte d'Or, which have largely been formed by land movement pushing the
hallowed slope up above the surrounding territory, here the soils and slopes have been shaped largely by
erosion, both by water and ice. The river in question is theSerein, which runs northwards through the town of
Chablis from its origins in the Auxois hills near Arconcey, some way west of Dijon and the Cte d'Or, to
where it drains into theYonne, itself a tributary of the Seine, the great river of Paris. It is the Serein that has
carved away much of the superficial soil, and which divides the vineyards up into left and right banks, the
latter being where the grands crus are situated. Many of the surrounding valleys that provide the myriad of
slopes suitable for viticulture - with those south-facing being of most interest to the committed vigneron have been formed by ice movements during the last Ice Age, or by the flow of minor tributaries of the Serein.
It is not this that supports the terroir argument, however, but rather the exact soil type that is underfoot and
how it relates to appellation and classification. All the best sites, those that are responsible for the ultimate

expression of Chardonnay that is Chablis at its finest, feature Kimmeridgian limestone; largely composed of
the fossilised remains of billions of tiny marine creatures (the region having once been underwater), it is not
that unusual to find nice examples of such fossils by turning over a few stones in the vineyard. It is,
incidentally, the same Kimmeridgian limestone that extends westward to the vineyards of Sancerre which is,
remarkably, closer to Chablis than Chablis itself is to the Cte d'Or. So if you have ever noted flavour
similarities between Chablis and Sancerre, a structure or minerality that seemingly transcends the difference
between the two varieties responsible (Sancerre is Sauvignon Blanc territory), than that may well be the
explanation.
There are a number of other soil types here, number two after Kimmeridgian beingPortlandian, a less
substantial soil with a different mineral composition. And whilst some producers make a feature of this, such
as JM Brocard's interesting terroir cuves, few would deny that the best examples of Chablis all originate
from the Kimmeridgian soils.

Chablis: Controversy
Although combining some knowledge of climate and terroir gives the basis for a good overview of Chablis,
there are more as yet unmentioned nuances to this famed appellation. Chablis is perhaps not so
straightforward as its easily pronounceable name might suggest.
Perhaps the most vital controversy concerns the aforementioned terroir, specifically the dominance of
Kimmeridgian over Portlandian soils, and defining which soil-types are entitled to the appellation. It was in
1938 that the INAO first laid down regulations concerning Chablis, defining the wine as any grown on
Kimmeridgian soils from one of 20 communes including Chablis itself. Anything else (including the wines
from Portlandianterroirs) were Petit Chablis. This sparked fierce debate between two camps, led principally
by Jean Durup on one side and William Fvre on the other. Durup maintained that the ruling ignored other
vital aspects of terroir, such as aspect and altitude, and that there was a long history of viticulture on
Portlandian soils which should therefore be entitled to the appellation. The dispute was not settled until the
1970s, and the decision was in Durup's favour; today the INAO regulations define Chablis without precise
reference to soil type. Much of Durup's land, around the commune of Maligny, was as a result no longer
Petit Chablis, enjoying a reclassification as Chablis. This decision today still draws some criticism; there are
those who maintain that the appellation boundaries are far too extensive, and that they should be redrawn.
The boundary debate was polarising, and no less can be said of the other great Chablis controversy, the use
of oak. There are two schools; one will argue that Chablis will only succeed with judicious use of oak, either
for fermentation, for levage, or for both. Others take the stand that the association of Chablis and oak is an
abomination, the wood totally incongruous with the style of wine, which should be about steely, minerally
definition rather than the richness of oak. No one viewpoint is right. Writing in Burgundy (Faber & Faber,
revised second edition 1999),Anthony Hanson says of oak-derived aroma in Chablis "It makes them often
very delicious indeed, or turns them into caricatures, depending on one's point of view". My own view is that
there is a middle ground; an overtly oaky wine is not one that matches my personal expectations of Chablis,
but I am content with those where the oak takes a backseat, allowing the terroirto shine. In addition it should
be noted that with age, which thepremier and grand cru wines demand if they are to show their best (and
these are the wines most likely to have an levage in oak), the styles of steel-fermented wines and those
that have seen gentle and appropriate use of wood tend to converge and it can be very difficult to tell which
is which. It should perhaps also be noted that the greatest names in Chablis, Raveneau and R&V
Dauvissat, both have oak - although not new oak - in their cellars, rather like the one illustrated above - in
this case complete with electric heater, to encourage the malolactic fermentation. I am sure that a debate of
new oak versus old oak - highlighting the difference between oak that dominates and oak used as a
seasoning - would be much more relevant to the quality and pleasure derived from Chablis than one that
features oak versus steel.
Enough now of soil, of oak, of climate, of stone. It is time to look at the wines themselves in the next part of
my guide. (28/12/00, last updated 27/8/09)

The Wines of Chablis

It is not feasible in a guide such as this to explore every vineyard, every slope or every cuve that bears the
title Chablis. But the grand cru vineyards as well as a select number of the better premier crusites are
certainly worthy of some inspection, before I finish up with an admittedly very cursory nod towards the
generic Chablis and Petit Chablis appellations.

The Grands Crus

Although there are seven Chablis vineyards that qualify for this grand title, there are not sevengrand
cru appellations. Unlike the Cte d'Or, where each grand cru has its own appellation, here we are talking
about the climats of the single appellation Chablis Grand Cru. These sevenclimats lie in a single sweep just
to the north of the town, on what is the right bank of the Serein. They largely face south, maximising
exposure to the sun's rays, the exception being Les Blanchots which has a more south-easterly aspect. This
latter vineyard lies at the extreme east of the slope which explains its different aspect, as here the slope
turns northward, along the Valle de Brechain. It seems good sense to me to start our grand crujourney
here, and then work our way westward towards Bougros at the far end of the slope.

Les Blanchots is the grand cru with perhaps the most distinctive character, being a slightly cooler site than
the others, and thus the wines are a touch more steely, lighter and elegant. Sometimes the wines of this
12.2-hectare site are accused of being too light; that, of course, is down to personal taste. Lying adjacent to
les Blanchots is perhaps the most famous of all these seven climats, and at 24.8 hectares certainly the
largest of the group,Les Clos. Powerful, capable of long ageing, sometimes beautifully perfumed, a good
wine from Les Clos is more than a match for most from the Cte d'Or. Next comes Valmur, 11.9 hectares of
vines facing southwest, the wines elegant and precise and, like Les Clos, capable of long ageing. The midpoint is Grenouilles, the smallest of the seven grands crus and yet I would imagine one of the first many
people encounter. This is because 7.2 hectares of the site, which only amounts to 9.1 hectares in total, are
owned by the Chteau de Grenouilles and are thus made and distributed (widely) by owners La
Chablisienne, a fine co-operative and a source of many of my early Chablis experiences. Next-door
is Vaudsir, a 14.4-hectare site which sits higher up the slope above and beyond a shallow valley which
runs through the sweep of vineyards, separating Grenouilles from Vaudsir and the more westerly climats. It
is pictured above, as seen from the viewpoint I have marked on the map (below), facing southeast and
therefore looking across the vines down to the road which runs up this valley, with Valmur in the distance.
The wines of Vaudsir tend towards elegance, with a spicy, floral perfume.
The final two sites are Les Preuses and Bougros. The former,
11.1 hectares, runs up from road running through the
aforementioned valley, the incline gentle at first but much steeper
towards the top of the slope, so much so that erosion is a problem,
and there are steps built into the ground to facilitate the movement
of workers up and down the vineyard. The vines of Les Preuses
are illustrated in the image below, again as seen from the
viewpoint marked on the map, this time looking southwest down
across the vines towards the road which separates Les Preuses
from Bougros. On the far side of this road in the image are some
trees, but between the road and trees, unseen in the picture, is a
narrow stretch of vines, the beginnings of Bougros. Beyond the
trees, the town in the valley is Chablis itself, and the vineyards on
the slope opposite include the premier cru Vaillons and the climat Les Lys. Maintaining our focus on Bougros
for a moment, this 14.3-hectare vineyard is perhaps the black sheep of the family, the wines here tending
towards an earthy rusticity. Nevertheless they appeal to many. On some labels (namely those of William
Fvre) you may also find mention of Cte Bouguerots, a 2.1-hectare sub-climat on a steep slope at the
bottom of Bougros, as I have already discussed in my Burgundy label guide.

Although that completes our seven sites, mention of what many refer to as the eighthgrand cru (although the
team at Fvre might argue this is a title deserved by Cte Bouguerots) is certainly necessary. This is La
Moutonne, a plot of vines encompassing 2.4 hectares of the grand cru vineyard, straddling the Vaudsir and
Les Preuses climats; it is a monopole owned and worked exclusively by Domaine Long-Depaquit, part of
theAlbert Bichot portfolio. Having originally been owned by the monks of the Abbey of Pontigny, the vineyard

came to Long-Depaquit after the Revolution, and then to Bichot when this ngociant acquired the Chablis
domaine. Once used as a brand name for a wide range of wines, this practice was eventually halted,
although an agreement between Long-Depaquit and the INAO allows for its use effectively as a grand
cru appellation; you will find no mention of Vaudsir or Les Preuses on this label, only La Moutonne.

The Premiers Crus

There are in total 40 premier cru vineyards, and as I have written above it is simply not practical to give an
individual account of all these climats here. This is particularly true when one considers that many of
these climats rarely appear on the label, as many are merely sub-divisions of larger, better known vineyards
with more marketable names. These seventeen more recognisable names are the primary climats, and
although some producers are bottling the wines using the more specific sub-climats it is still the primary
names that are most commonly found. Although I will explore only a handful of the most important vineyards
in any detail, the full list of primary climats (with sub-climats in brackets) is given in the text box to the right.
Starting with the right bank premiers crus, the largest and perhaps the most
favoured isFourchaume. The Fourchaume sub-climatVaurolent is directly
contiguous with the grand cruLes Preuses, as it sits behind the crest of thegrand
cru slope. It is topographically isolated, separated from the rest of the
Fourchaume climatsby the valley formed by the Ru de Fontenay as it flows down
towards the Serein. to the north of thegrands crus. With appropriate care in the
vineyards and cuverie the wines of Fourchaume can, perhaps unsurprisingly,
challenge those from Les Preuses and the other grands crus, especially if they are
based on fruit from the Vaurolent end rather than L'Homme Mort at the other.
Perhaps highest in the right bank hierarchy, however, isMonte de Tonnerre, like
Fourchaume an extension of the grand cru vineyards, this time at the Blanchots
end. Again, here the vineyards are separated from the grands crus by a small
valley. Many wines produced here, especially from the south-facing vines in the
sub-climat Chapelot, challenge the grands crus on quality. Just a little further along
this south-facing slope is the cruMont de Milieu, another site responsible for some
very good wines.
Although it might seem that the greatest premiers crus lie on the right bank, there
are excellent sites on the left bank also, usually huddled onto south or southeastfacing slopes on the hills around the town. The largest although not necessarily the
most reliable is Vaillons, just to the southwest of the town of Chablis itself and
visible in the second of the two images above. It is quite common to see the subclimats on labels here though, particularly Les Lys. Perhaps my favourite of the left
bank vineyards, however, is Cte de Lechet. This site lies on the next south-facing
slope to the north of Vaillons and is an excellent source of fresh wines with racy
acidity. These characteristics perhaps reflect the cool and temperate nature of the
site which is rather exposed to the winds coming up the valley created by
the Serein. It was also the source of the first ever bottle of Chablis I drank, if
memory serves me correctly. Other memorable bottles have been sourced
from Montmains, which is on the next slope south of Vaillons. Here the wines tend
to have good substance with lively acidity.

Chablis
Premiers Crus
(including subclimats)
Right Bank
Berdiot, Cte de
Vaubarousse, Fourchaume,
(L'Homme Mort,
Vaupulent, Cte de
Fontenay, Vaurolent), Les
Fourneaux (Morein, Cte
des Prs Girots), Mont de
Milieu, Monte de Tonnerre,
(Chapelot, Pied d'Aloup,
Cte de Brchain),
Vaucoupin

Left Bank
Beauregards (Cte de
Cuissy), Beauroy
(Troesmes, Cte de
Savant), Chaume de Talvat,
Cte de Jouan, Cte de
Lchet, Montmains (Fort,
Butteaux), Vaillons
(Chtains, Scher,
Beugnons, Les Lys,
Mlinots, Roncires, Les
Epinottes), Vau de Vay
(Vaux Ragons), Vau
Ligneau, Vosgros
(Vaugiraut)

Notable Domaines
Billaud-Simon, JM Brocard,

Do not be fooled into thinking that the other premier cru vineyards after this halfLa Chablisienne, Daniel
dozen yield only substandard wines simply because I have not expanded on them
Dampt, R&V Dauvissat,
Daniel-Etienne Defaix,
here; they all have the potential to yield great bottles, and the key in all cases is to
Jean-Paul Droin, Longlook for reputable producers. I have provided a brief list of notable Chablis
Depaquit(Albert
domaines above, although this is not in any particular order and it is certainly not
Bichot), William Fvre,
exhaustive. Nevertheless each is worthy of mention, either in terms of absolute
Christian Moreau, Jean
Raveneau, Vauroux
quality, value or commercial significance. In the same vein, beyond
the grands and premiers crus there are extensive vineyards which are entitled only
to the Chablis or Petit Chablis appellations which also should not be summarily ignored. The latter is in all
honesty rarely interesting, but from a good grower the former can provide delicious wines which are typical of
the appellation and yet not expensive. They can certainly be worth seeking out. (28/12/00, last updated 27/8/09)

Cte dOr: An Introduction

Burgundy is the Cte d'Or. And of course the Cte d'Or is Burgundy. I know that the catch-all regional name
of Burgundy must, by rights, be applied to all the relevant appellations, including Chablis, the Cte
Chalonnaise and the vineyards around Mcon and Beaujeu, but for most I suspect it evokes thoughts of the
Cte d'Or more than these other regions. When a Burgundy acolyte thinks of Burgundy, he thinks first of the
vines of this 'golden slope', and when his eyes mist over, he is dreaming of bottles from Meursault and
Gevrey Chambertin, not Beaujolais or the Mconnais. When he recalls his trip to the region, and his walk
amongst the vineyards, he was strolling though the Montrachet vineyard, or standing on the road looking
over the vines of La Romane, not kicking up the dirt in Givry or Fleurie. Yes there are those that prefer the
wines of Chablis, and I certainly have empathy with that position, and there are those who have more
interest in the undersung wines of Mcon and Beaujolais, an equally laudable stance, but in most cases it is
the Cte d'Or that draws us back to the region. We wish once again to savour the wines of this great region,
and hopefully find that next haunting bottle, the memory of which will last a lifetime.
The Cte d'Or runs on an approximately north-south axis from just south of Dijon down to Santenay, its last
outpost before the Cte Chalonnaise begins. It is some distance from Chablis, which as I mentioned in
my Chablis guide arguably has more in common withSancerre - in geography, terroir and style - than these
Burgundian vineyards. Within there are about 5500 hectares of vines, of which about four-fifths are red,
roughly one-fifth white. The varieties, largely Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, I have already discussed in the
instalment entitled History and Variety. What must be approached in this instalment of my Burgundy wine
guide is the issue of terroir, followed by a few words on climate. I finish up by looking at some Cte d'Or
controversies; sadly, this latter section is the largest.

Cte dOr: Terroir

As I mentioned in my Chablis guide, the slopes that surround that town are formed partly by water erosion,
the instigators of the process being the Serein and her tributaries, and partly by ice erosion at the end of the
last Ice Age. Here though the geology is quite different, although one similarity is that here, as in Chablis, the
vineyards of the Cte d'Or were for many millennia underwater. As a consequence the soils contain many
small fossils dating from this prehistoric era. Many of the rocks of the 'golden slope' are sedimentary, formed
at the seafloor in a process lasting eons, the slow and continuous settling and compaction of a combination
of sediment and organic debris that would be slowly fossilised. Other rocks, principally limestone and marl,
formed from the precipitation of solids out of the seawater on the debris, whilst others are formed from fine
particles of clay, silt and sand washed down from the nearby land. These different rock types all make their
appearance at some point along the slope.
But what of the slope? It was not principally erosion by water or ice that created this viticultural homeland,
although it has played a part, creating the little valleys that run back to the Cte d'Or 'associates' communes set back from the main slope - such as Savigny-les-Beaune or St-Romain. No, rather it has been
the land movements that occurred with the formation of Europe's mountain ranges such as the Alps that
created the Cte d'Or. The sea that covered Burgundy receded about 70 million years ago, and the
mountains to the east began to move skyward 35 million years after that. As they did so faults, running in a
north-south direction, began to form on the great plain to the west, and shifting of the land produced ridges
and slopes, gigantic scratches and scars in the landscape, running in a north-south direction. Millions of
years later, this cornucopia of different limestones, marlstones, fossils and more would provide a perfect site
for vines to rest, bathed by the rays of the morning sun. And so the Cte d'Or was born. Today almost every
square inch is covered in vines, as shown in this image on the left taken from midway up the slope near
Vosne-Romane. In the foreground are the vines of the celebrated grand cru La Romane-Conti, then before
the wall those of La Romane, complete with vineyard worker, dog and horse-drawn plough. Beyond the wall
is the premier cru Aux Reignots, and the vines on browner soil running up the slope to the right of them
are grand cru Les Richebourg and premier cru Les Petits Monts.

Cte dOr: Climate

We are somewhat further south than Chablis here, and the oil burners that litter the vineyards there are not
seen on the Cte d'Or. The climate tends to be continental, with more stable temperatures throughout the
season, rather than the more erratic coastal pattern. The prevailing winds come from the west, often bringing
rain; nevertheless rain is not an outstanding feature of the local climate, and neither are humidity nor hours
of sunshine, both of which are relatively unremarkable in comparison with other wine regions on a similar
latitude. As with all regions there may be challenges to face as a consequence of global warming, and in the
case of the sensitive Pinot Noir this may be a very important consideration.

Cte d'Or: Controversy

There is no shortage of controversy here, as like anywhere else in Burgundy (and beyond) there are
appellation irregularities, issues of rootstock selection and clonal suitability, the debate of machine versus
hand-harvesting, yields, organics, biodynamics, chemical treatments (not uncommonly sprayed from
helicopters, who aim for the numbered posts in the vineyards, like the one shown here on the right),
chaptalisation and more. Some would argue that the region is too complicated, citing the existence of 600
appellations (although they are mistaken - the premier cru climats which they must be counting do not each
have their own appellation), and yet for many it is the patchwork nature of Burgundy, and the never-ending
journey of discovery it engenders, which creates a large part of the appeal. Unlike Chablis, where there are
obvious and inherent controversies concerning the relationship between appellation and terroir, or the use of
oak, the Cte d'Or does not have such overtly apparent or specific issues. And it may be that one of the
greatest Burgundy controversies simply reflects how difficult it is to just understand Burgundy, particularly red
Burgundy and the delicate and perfumed style it embodies. Fresh and acidic, often light in colour, at their
apogee these wines are stylistically a world away from the darker, richer, less acidic wines of Bordeaux or
California, for example. So this is the first of two Cte d'Or controversies that I will allude to here, the fact that
for many years the author of one of the world's leading wine publications, Robert Parker and his Wine
Advocate, was - in the words of many - persona non grata in this greatest of wine regions.
Although his opinions of wines from Bordeaux and the Rhne Valley have carried great clout for many years,
Parker never seemed to establish a similar reputation when assessing Burgundy. An endorsement of the
1983 vintage, a year tainted by hail and rot, caused the eyebrows of many Burgundy savants to rise sharply,
although it is only fair to say that the vintage certainly has plenty of fans, and overall opinion is divided rather
than one-sided. With the 1993 vintage a much more negative opinion was expressed, and yet the wines
found much more favour with other palates, such as Clive Coates who described it as an exciting red-wine
vintage. Years later, as Burgundy drinkers became increasingly familiar with the vintage and its wines, the
debate continued to rage on Parker's online forum, with many fans of the region vociferous in their
appreciation of the vintage. The furore over this vintage was a turning point for The Wine Advocate and
Burgundy, and with time Parker ceased reviewing the region and focused his attention elsewhere. Perhaps
the final straw came in 1996 when he faced a lawsuit for libel from Franois Faiveley, of the
Burgundy ngociant of the same name. Faiveley was infuriated at Parker's comments in his Wine Buyer's
Guide (Fireside, 1993) in which he wrote the Faiveley wines tasted abroad would be less rich than those
one can taste on the spot" - a statement which I believe Faiveley interpreted as meaning the wines he
shipped to the USA where not the same as those he served Parker when tasting in Burgundy. The case was
due to come before France's superior civil court, the Tribunal de Grande Instance, Parker being summoned
to appear in February 1994, but he settled out of court before the proceedings got underway. This episode
seemed to mark the end of Parker's relationship with Burgundy, as he subsequently turned over its review to
hired associate Pierre-Antoine Rovani in 1997
Rovani continued to stir up his own storm in a wine glass, with most controversies centred around his
opinions of not only the 1993 vintage, as previously reviewed by Parker, but also 1998. For Rovani, though,
this is now all very much in the past; he has given up the critic's pen and returned to wine retail. To this day,
however, Parker continues to contract out the review of Burgundy and David Schildknecht fills this role very
nicely. For those looking for guidance beyond Schildknecht's words there are plenty of alternative references,
including the published works of the retired Clive Coates, and perhaps the most popular choice Allen
Meadows (who I have already mentioned in this guide) who writes his own publication, Burghound.
Guidance on what to buy is out there, if you look for it (and if you pay for it).

Understanding The Pox

So that is one controversy, although it is one that has kept many fans of Burgundy interested and entertained
rather than causing any great distress. That is certainly not true of the second Cte d'Or controversy which
warrants a mention, the recently described and seemingly very prevalent problem of premature oxidation,
'prem-ox' (or sometimes just 'the pox') for short. In truth this is not just a Cte d'Or problem, as many wine
drinkers have also described unexpected oxidation in Chablis, and indeed some have commented that other
regions outside Burgundy - such as Alsace, or Savennires in the Loire - may be affected. Whatever the
case, it is certainly an ailment that affects white Burgundy more than any other style, and when would such
an affliction be more painful then when it has robbed you of your prized bottle of Corton-Charlemagne,
Montrachet or Btard-Montrachet? Never, I suspect, so it is an affliction I deal with here.
The problem of prem-ox is easy to understand; young wines expected to be in good condition, based on
provenance at purchase, subsequent care with storage, reputation or experience of the vintage and
knowledge of the domaine's track record, are instead found to be oxidised and undrinkable. Sometimes
these are inexpensive bottles, but just as often these are more precious examples, coveted bottles that

represent a significant financial outlay. Unfortunately the cause of the problem is not so easy to determine,
and as yet no good explanation has been found. Numerous commentators have their own theories, Rovani
and Tanzer being two notable examples, but the approach is often simple - looking for one over-arching
cause - and baldly stated. Proffered theories range from faulty or poor quality corks, under-use of sulphur,
inadequate filtration, heat damage and more. One explanation I heard offered in Burgundy was that the corks
used today were of too small a diameter to provide a good seal, an unlikely explanation, and proof that not
every wizened and seemingly sage old vineyard worker has an opinion worth listening to. As yet no one
individual has provided a credible and coherent explanation.
Why should this be, considering the prevalance of prem-ox is irrefutable? After all, some figures suggest well
over 10% of all white Burgundy is affected, and for some individual producers the reported figures are closer
to 100%. This is not a problem in our collective imagination. How can we determine or at least understand
the likely causes? We should perhaps look to other industries, such as aviation or healthcare, for some
analogies. When things go wrong in these arenas only rarely is it due to one single error, like those
suggested (or summarily excluded) by a number of critics. More often than not it is due to a sequence of
small errors or changes in practice, none of which in isolation seem significant or have any effect on
outcome, but when added together the result can be disaster. A popular analogy is the 'Swiss cheese' model.
Consider each step in your system - whether that system be the delivery of healthcare, or the process of
vinification - to be a layer of Swiss cheese. No individual process or layer of cheese is perfect - in each one
there are holes, potential small errors. Nevertheless, when the layers of cheese are stacked there is no
single straight route through the holes, no way for the error to be transferred through to the final outcome,
and the system is safe. The disaster occurs when the holes are aligned, or rather when a sequence of small
errors or omissions conspires to allow harm to result. This is a systems failure, and I suspect the process of
prem-ox is yet another example of this well-described phenomenon. Determining the identity of the culpable
processes, errors or omissions, and the role each has played in the eventual outcome is extremely difficult,
and demands a careful root cause analysis; unfortunately, no such process seems likely in the prem-ox
problem, one which has received very little attention in the printed wine press. For the time being, every
drinker of Burgundy opens his or her next bottle of Les Charmes or Les Mouches with a moment of
trepidation, unsure whether they will be savouring the wine with great pleasure, or cleaning their drains with
it. Unlike the Parker affair, this is a real controversy. In fact it is more than that. It is an unmitigated, ignored
and uninvestigated disaster and one that should leave many in Burgundy hanging their heads in
shame. (28/12/00, last updated 10/9/09)

Cte de Nuits Part 1

The first time I ever really explored the Cte d'Or in any detail I travelled northwards, coming from the
direction of the Cte Chalonnaise, with Beaune being my first stop and also the main headquarters for my
trip. In this guide, however, I am travelling in the opposite direction, heading south, which was the direction I
took - by train out of Dijon as it happens - on the most recent of my visits to the region. It seems a quite
logical way to approach the vineyards; once past the minor villages and vines of Marsannay and Fixin, which
some refer to as the Cte Dijonnaise, we are suddenly in the thick of it, arriving at some of Burgundy's
greatest vineyards. The villages here all have famous names, each one enough to make the heart of a
Burgundy addict flutter with anticipation. This excitement might begin with the names of the villages
themselves, as each of the most famous has taken on the name of one of their most renowned vineyards to
create a new double-barrelled moniker, as if the two were betrothed to one another. And so Gevrey - which
was first, setting the trend - became Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey evolved into Morey-St-Denis, Chambolle
into Chambolle-Musigny and so on. It is a practice that has been repeated along the Cte d'Or, as far south
as the faux jumeaux of Chassagne- and Puligny-Montrachet.
All these villages hide ancient history within, many of the vineyards here dating back centuries if not
millennia. I cannot provide a full history for every individual village, but I will try to highlight the most
interesting and relevant points. Perhaps more importantly, I will look in each case at what differentiates the
major vineyards from the lesser sites and also try to give some indication of the style of the wine (although in
my experience attempts to distinguish between the wines of different vineyards, or indeed of different
villages, when tasted blind, is no mean feat), aided where necessary with some maps of the grand
cruvineyards. What I will not do in these Cte d'Or village profiles is provide a run-down of every
individual premier cru, as I think this is beyond the remit of an introductory guide, and I will also not
catalogue every grower associated with every village. What I will do, however, is provide brief detail on the
identity of the premiers crus, and also provide the names of some of the most famous, reputed or remarkable
growers based in each commune. I start, as I have indicated above, with Gevrey-Chambertin.

Gevrey-Chambertin
The village of Gevrey-Chambertin dates backs to Roman times, as evidenced by the discovery of numerous
relevant artefacts in the vicinity. As is often the case on the Cte d'Or, once the influence of the Roman
Empire had waned other religious institutions began to take hold, and for many centuries much of the Gevrey
vineyard was owned by ecclesiastical orders based at nearby Cluny, Bze and Langres. This remained the
case until the 18th century when the wealthy ngociant Claude de Jobert increasingly gained control. After
the Revolution (which Jobert never saw, having died in 1761), many prestigious sites including Chambertin and the neighbouring grand cru Clos de Bze, named no doubt for the abbey - were
seized and sold off, and the fragmentation that turned Burgundy into what it is today began.
That fragmentation was, as I have discussed in my introduction, the result of
new inheritance laws introduced by Napoleon during the 19th century. It seems
very appropriate for the name of this self-appointed Emperor to surface here
once again, though, as his predilection for the wines of Chambertin (strangely,
diluted with water) has been well described. As a result of this endorsement by
Napoleon the Chambertin vineyard developed a considerable reputation, and
anything associated with it sold well. I have no doubt that this knowledge
contributed to the request, granted by King Louis-Philippe, to append the name
of the vineyard to that of the village of Gevrey, creating Gevrey-Chambertin, in
1847. The process continued, as individual vineyards as well the village could
benefit; and so a raft of name-changes followed, giving us the grands
crus Ruchottes-Chambertin, Mazis-Chambertin, Charmes-Chambertin and so
on.
The wines of Gevrey are usually placed at the richer, more substantial end of
the Burgundy spectrum. Le Roi de Bourgogne, some might suggest, the wines
playing the king to those from further south on the Cte d'Or, some of which
have the feminine grace and elegance perhaps more associated with a queen.

Gevrey-Chambertin: Vineyards & Wines

The Gevrey vineyards can be divided roughly into three; first, and perhaps
least interesting, there are the wines from the north side of the village, including

those from Brochon, a small village between Gevrey and Fixin, which are entitled to the appellation. Then
there are those from south of the village, which is where all the grand cru vineyards are sited, and finally
there are those to the east of the RN74, the road that runs along the Cte d'Or between Dijon and Beaune.
Gevrey is unusual in having village appellation land on what is generally regarded as the 'wrong' side of the
road, where most vineyards are considered only good enough for generic wines such as
Bourgogne rouge and blanc. All told, including the village vineyards, there are about 370 hectares to the
appellation, all of which are planted to red varieties; there is no allowance for white wines within the Gevrey
appellation.

No other commune of the Cte d'Or has more grands crus than Gevrey, which boasts nine. There is,
however, an unwritten two-tier quality league-table here; the first division includes Chambertin (12.9
hectares) and Clos de Bze (15.4 hectares). Curiously the latter of these two may be labelled as simply
Chambertin, but the converse is not true. Both vineyards yield only red wines, as I have alluded in my brief
introduction above this is true of the whole commune, and together they are divided between more than 20
individual domaines. History has it that the latter of this duo was established by the monks of Bze on land
donated to the order by Duke Amalgaire in 630. The origin of the former is perhaps less certain, although
legend has it that it was established later than the Clos de Bze by a vigneron named Bertin, and Champ de
Bertin evolved over time into the name by which we know it today. Both vineyards can be seen in the image
presented above, Chambertin in the distance on the left, Clos de Bze to the right, whereas in the
foreground (where the tractor is at work) are some of the other grands crus, as detailed below. The vineyards
are as seen from the viewpoint marked on the map, above.
The second division incorporates Chapelle-Chambertin (5.5 hectares), Griotte-Chambertin (2.7
hectares), Ruchottes-Chambertin (3.3 hectares), Mazis-Chambertin(9.1 hectares), LatriciresChambertin (7.4 hectares), Charmes-Chambertin andMazoyres-Chambertin. A second curiosity exists
here, as the last in this list may also be bottled as Charmes-Chambertin, a long-standing practice; together
they account for 30.8 hectares a large vineyard which runs right down to the RN74. It is perhaps little wonder
that such a site resides within the second tier; it would be appropriate to question its right to the grand
cru title at all. Indeed all of these vineyards have the potential to disappoint just as they also all on occasions
promise great pleasure. As usual with Burgundy, the best wines come from the good growers, in the best
vintages, and selecting a wine using some knowledge of this information is a more certain guide to a good
bottle than worrying too much about the differences between Mazis- and Ruchottes-Chambertin.
After the grands crus there come nearly 30 premier cru sites, which can yield truly
exciting wines from the right vignerons, although a complete coverage of all is not
part of my self-determined remit here. Nevertheless some deserve a mention. The
names of several hark back to when they were in ecclesiastical hands, vineyards
such as Clos Prieur, Combe aux Moines and Le Poissenot(2.0, 4.8 and 2.2
hectares respectively), each one calling to mind in turn images of priories, monks
and in the latter the fish-ponds they purportedly tended (there is some
archaeological evidence for this). As for absolute quality, Clos St-Jacques (6.7
hectares), which lies just to the west of the village, is perhaps one of the most
notable; it missed out on grand cru status as the classification process stipulated
that vineyards had to be adjacent to Chambertin to qualify. This probably gave
some of the lesser grands crus an unfair advantage, and inappropriately
disadvantaged sites such as Clos St-Jacques, which sits on the slopes above the
village. If there is a reclassification of any of Gevrey-Chambertin's sites this
vineyard has as good a chance of elevation to grand cru status as any other
possible contender.

Morey-St-Denis
Before moving onto Chambolle-Musigny, which is certain to stake a claim as the
queen to Gevrey's king, we must make a stop-off at Morey-St-Denis. A much
smaller commune than the two that flank it (there are about 140 hectares in total),
Morey has never really achieved the great fame of her neighbours, and indeed for
many years the wines were marketed under the names of Gevrey-Chambertin or
Chambolle-Musigny until the introduction of regulated appellations put a stop to
this. Nevertheless this is perhaps a minor and certainly historical point; after all,
with four grand cru vineyards in her armament, this commune is no shrinking violet.

Gevrey-Chambertin
Premiers Crus
Bel Air, La Boissire, Les
Cazetiers, Champeaux,
Champitenois (or PetiteChapelle), Champonnet,
Cherbaudes, Clos du
Chaptre, Au Closeau,
Combe aux Moines, Aux
Combottes, Les Corbeaux,
Craipillot, En Ergot,
Etournelle (or Estournelles),
Fonteny and Clos du
Fonteny (or Fontenys), Les
Goulots, Lavaut-StJacques, La Perrire, Petits
Cazetiers, Plantigone (or
Issart), Poissenot, Clos
Prieur (or Clos Prieur-Haut),
La Romane, Clos-StJacques, Clos des Varoilles

Notable Domaines
(based in Gevrey)
Denis Bachelet, Claude
Dugat, Bernard Dugat-Py,
Dom. des Estournelles,
Michel Esmonin, Denis
Mortet, Armand Rousseau,
Christian Serafin, Dom.
Tortochot, Dom. Louis
Trapet

The origins of the village lie in the 12th century when it went by the name of
Mirriacum, and as with Gevrey there was much ecclesiastical activity here. At the time of the Revolution, the

vineyards were largely divided between the Abbaye de Citeaux and a collection of Burgundian noblemen.
With the Revolution this state of affairs naturally came to an abrupt end. Nevertheless, today many of the
vineyards still carry some mark of this religious ownership, by bearing the term clos if nothing else. Indeed, it
was the name of Clos St-Denis that was appended to Morey, in 1927, following the fashion started by Gevrey
the preceding century. The choice of St-Denis is a little curious though; many would rank other Morey
vineyards more favourably, and thus one might assume they would have made better choices for this honour.
Perhaps Morey-Roche just didn't provide the auditory harmony of Morey-St-Denis?
As for the wines, they are charming and perhaps unsurprisingly are often
described as a halfway-house between those of Gevrey to the north and
Chambolle to the south. With the former having a reputation for punch and
substance and the latter for graceful elegance, however, this would seem to leave
sufficient room for Morey to be just about anything. One notable distinguishing
feature is the colour of the wine - unlike the other two communes just mentioned
the Morey appellation allows for white wine, although I admit that the production is
microscopic.

Morey-St-Denis: Vineyards
The vineyards surround the village which is small, and which is situated in the
more southerly half of the commune. The grand cru vineyards run on the most
favourable part of the slope above the village, and are contiguous with the grands
crusof Gevrey. First off is Clos de la Roche (16.9 hectares), which many would
put forward as the source of Morey's best wines. This is despite the fact that over
the years, as is the case with a number of other vineyard, the vineyard has
expanded somewhat to absorb several neighbouring climats. Then comes Clos
St-Denis(6.6 hectares), the origins of which are ecclesiastical, lieing with the
Collgiale de St-Denis de Vergy which was founded in 1203. This vineyard runs
along the route des grand crus to the third such climat, Clos de Lambrays (8.8
hectares). This latter site was only elevated to its current status in 1981, and
remains almost exclusively in the ownership of Domaine des Lambrays. Although the wines of the early 20th
century perhaps merited this promotion, like many concerns in France there was little investment, and it has
only been since the domaine changed hands at the close of the century that its potential is once again being
realised. Finally in this vinous foursome comes Clos de Tart, an historic site recorded as having been sold
by Maison Dieu in Brochon to the nuns of Notre Dame de Tart as long ago as 1141. It remained in their
ownership until the Revolution following which it passed through the hands of several owners until coming to
the Mommessin family in 1932, who saw it elevated to grand cru status seven years later. It remains
amonopole, a vineyard solely in their ownership, to this day.
This short list does not quite complete the grand cru run-down, though, as there is
one more site to consider. Although predominantly within the neighbouring
commune of Chambolle, there is a small section of Bonnes-Mares within the
Morey boundary. With just one owner to this section, however, it is not a huge
feature of the Morey vineyard, and I shall give this climat more attention in my
account of the vineyards of Chambolle-Musigny. As for Morey, after the grand
cru sites there are myriad of tiny premier cru sites, and thenvillage vineyards which
run down to the RN74, with just a few such vines on the other side. Some of
these premier cru vineyards are undoubtedly of merit, but it is not within the scope
of this guide to deal with them all in detail. Nevertheless a list of these climats can
be found in the box on the right. Perhaps one worth mentioning is Clos de la
Bussire (2.6 hectares), a monopole in the ownership of Domaine Georges
Roumier. A well drained site below Clos de Tart, it can produce a rich, characterful
wine. It is just one of many worthwhile sites though. (28/12/00, last updated 17/9/09)

Morey-St-Denis
Premiers Crus
Les Blanchards, La
Bussire, Les Chaffots, Aux
Charmes, Les Charrires,
Aux Cheseaux, Les
Chenevery, Clos Baulet,
Clos des Ormes, Clos
Sorb, Cte Rtie, Les
Faconnires, Les
Genavrires, Les
Gruenchers, Les Millandes,
Les Monts Luisants, La
Riotte, Les Ruchots, Les
Sorbs, Le Village

Notable Domaines
(based in Morey)
Dom. Dujac, Robert
Groffier, Domaine des
Lambrays, Georges Lignier,
Mommessin (Clos de Tart),
Perrot-Minot, Dom. Ponsot

Cte de Nuits Part 2

Leaving behind the vineyards of Gevrey-Chambertin and Morey-St-Denis we move on into the centre,
geographically if not viticulturally, of the Cte de Nuits. Here we have two equally famous appellations,
Chambolle-Musigny and Vougeot. The former is not particularly striking in terms of size compared to the
other Cte de Nuits villages; Chambolle-Musigny is small, quite comparable in terms of area of vineyard to
Gevrey-Chambertin, a little larger than Morey-St-Denis. Vougeot, however, is considerably smaller than
many other communes, covering less than 70 hectares in total. As with any of these communes though it is
all too easy, if the concentration lapses for a few moments, to drive past not only grand cruvineyards of
considerable significance, but perhaps entire appellations without even noticing them. This may be true of
Chambolle and her vineyards, but it is perhaps less true of Vougeot, small though it is. This commune is
dominated by its gigantic closand the historic abbey within, and its situation is such that it is difficult to pass
through the appellation without noticing it, indeed without having to drive around it.

Chambolle-Musigny
I have already alluded to Chambolle in my guide to Gevrey and Morey; this is Gevrey's queen, the commune
regarded by most as being responsible for the most haunting and delicately perfumed wines of the Cte d'Or.
The litany of writers willing to put their name to this assertion is considerable; I am certainly not going to take
issue with them!
Again here the history is largely ecclesiastical, although the origin of the name is perhaps first worthy of our
attention. Bisecting the commune is the Grne, a small stream which runs down from the hills above the
village. Following heavy rain this small waterway would turn into a raging, flooding torrent, giving rise to the
name champ bouillant (literally, "boiling field"), eventually evolving into Chambolle. For many centuries the
vineyards were owned by the Cistercians of Citeaux, including Musigny which was which was donated to the
monastery in 1110. As is usual this lengthy ownership ended with the Revolution. It was a century or so after
the Terror that the name of Musigny, now a vineyard in the hands of many different owners, was appended to
that of Chambolle. The year was 1878, some thirty-or-so years after the Gevrey authorities began the
double-barrelled trend.

Chambolle-Musigny: Vineyards
The run of grand cru sites is somewhat broken here, as
Chambolle itself lies slightly higher up on the slope than the other
Cte de Nuits villages, surrounded by a buffer ofpremier
cru and villagevineyards. Thus there are just two grands
crussituated at either end of the commune, flanking the village,
and without doubtMusigny (10.9 hectares), the longest
established, is the best known. Thisclimat sits at the southern end
of the commune, squeezing in between the hills behind and the
vast Clos de Vougeot below. There are two halves to the
vineyard; to the north is Grand-Musigny, usually just referred to as
Musigny, and to the south is Les Petits-Musigny. The former faces
south-east with a gradient as high as 14% in places, and
underfoot the soils are poor, stony, with limestone and some ironrich clay. Much of this vineyard is in the ownership of Comte
Georges de Vog, as is Les Petits-Musigny in its entirety. This
latter section has deeper and richer soils, with more clay surrounding a few rocky prominences. Together the
two sections of the Musigny vineyard are almost entirely red; this might come as no surprise to those who
know that the village appellation of Chambolle-Musigny is 100% red, Pinot Noir only, obviously. Note,
however, that the grands crus are appellations in their own right, and as such the regulations may differ from
those that pertain to the surrounding communal andpremier cru vineyards. The vineyard is almost entirely
red; there is a small plot of Chardonnay planted, in the ownership of Comte Georges de Vog naturally, and
although this was once blended with the red wine, today this wine is more likely to be bottled and sold as
Musigny Blanc. Having said that, a period of replanting during the 1990s has left this section with lots of
young vines, and so in many recent vintages it has been sold as a Bourgogne Blanc. Nevertheless, Musigny
is one of only two grand cruvineyards that may yield both red and white cuves.
On the other side of the village lies the second grand cru Bonnes Mares (15.1 hectares), with a small
portion of this vineyard trespassing into the adjacent commune of Morey-St-Denis, abutting Morey's Clos de
Tart. At the Morey end the soils are richer, deeper in colour and marl, and naturally they are often described

as having a character more akin to Morey than Chambolle. Moving towards the village of Chambolle the soils
are finer, lighter, and there are fossilised oysters and limestone. As a consequence wines that originate from
this end of the vineyard are often said to be lighter and more elegant. Historically, this is another vineyard
with potential ecclesiastical origins, although I note there are numerous proposed origins for the name.
Some, including Clive Coates writing in Cte d'Or (University of California Press, 1997), suggest that the
name originates from the verb marer, meaning to cultivate, although he also acknowledges that it may be
derived from the bonnes mres of the Bernadine order at Notre-Dame de Tart. Many others prefer the latter
explanation, although the Drouhin family, noted Burgundyngociants, prefer to expound the myth of
the vigneron who unearthed a sculpture representing the three goddesses of fecundity, the bonnes mres, in
his field.
Overall the Chambolle-Musigny appellation covers about 190 hectares, and as I
have already noted above it is 100% red, as is Bonnes-Mares, with only the grand
cru Musigny itself permitted to produce a small amount of white wine. Of the 24 (25
if one considers Aux Combottes and Les Combottes as separate entities, as I have
listed them on the right) premier cru vineyards here, there are few large enough to
attract our attention, although that is not to say that many do not provide us with
delicious wine. It is more a matter of defining the scope of this article, which is a
Burgundy primer rather a comprehensive vineyard-by-vineyard guide. A number of
the vineyards directly abut (or at least lie very close to) the grand cru vineyards,
and it can be worth looking out for these. Les Amoureuses (5.4 hectares) and Les
Charmes (9.5 hectares) are both large and noteworthy sites. The former lies just
below Musigny and would almost certainly be the front runner in any contest for
promotion togrand cru status in this commune; from a dedicated vigneron the wines
can be excellent. Les Charmes meanwhile is not so exalted but provides very
typical examples of Chambolle. Les Vroilles (0.4 hectares), a more recent
elevation to premier cru status, runs along the top of Bonnes-Mares, and Les
Fues (4.4 hectares) lies at the southern end. La Combe d'Orveau (2.4 hectares),
meanwhile, lies directly adjacent to Musigny on the border with the commune of
Flagey-Echzeaux. Many of the other vineyards, particularly the smaller sites, are
rarely seen, the exponents preferring to blend what they harvest and therefore
market the wines as straight Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru.

Vougeot

Chambolle-Musigny
Premiers Crus
Les Amoureuses, Les
Baudes, Aux Beaux Bruns,
Les Borniques, Les
Carrires, Les Chabiots,
Les Charmes, Les
Chatelots, La Combe
d'Orveau, Aux Combottes,
Les Combottes, Les Cras,
Derrire la Grange, Aux
Echanges, Les
Feusselottes, Les Fues,
Les Grands Murs, Les
Groseilles, Les Gruenchers,
Les Hauts Doix, Les
Lavrottes, Les Noirots, Les
Plantes, Les Sentiers, Les
Vroilles

Notable Domaines
(based in
Chambolle)
Ghislaine Barthod-Nollat,
Jacques-Frdric Mugnier,
Georges Roumier, Comte
Georges de Vog

How curious to move from a trio of communes where the grand cru vineyards are meticulously defined, row
by row, dotted about the commune on only the choicest slopes, to one where the definition appears to lose
all focus. This is the Clos de Vougeot, a fascinating site of great historical interest and of great importance
to the Cte d'Or and to Burgundy as a whole, and yet one where all of a sudden those responsible for
drawing out the margins of the grand crus seem to have misplaced their spectacles.

The history of the Clos de Vougeot, and thus of Vougeot the commune, runs back to the days of the Abbaye
de Cluny, a powerful and wealthy ecclesiastical institution already mentioned several times in this Burgundy
guide. Disenchanted with the decidedly impious and perhaps even debauched lifestyle found at such
monasteries, a group of monks set out to establish a new order at Citeaux. It was these Cistercians, as they
became known, that founded the abbey at Vougeot, gradually acquiring a handsome vineyard built up from
donations made by local landowners. Today the abbey, shown above, sits within an
impressive clos surrounded by vines. In the image above the vines in the foreground are within Echzeaux
and Les Grands Echzeaux, the grand cru vineyards of Flagey-Echzeaux, a commune I will discuss in the
next instalment of this guide. The vines and walls of the clos are visible in the distance, to the left of the
abbey, whereas to the right is the village of Vougeot itself.
The order naturally suffered during the Revolutionary fervour at the end of the 18th century; the abbey and
associated land were confiscated, and the vineyard was auctioned off as a single lot. It was during the 19th
century that the parcellation began, kick-started by the Napoleonic laws of inheritance. Today the buildings,
restored after World War II when they served as a hiding place for many, remain impressive, and they are
home to the celebrated Confrrie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, a wonderful public relations machine which
hosts fine dinners in the monastery, featuring the local wines of course. The vineyard, however, has become
greatly divided; at first one owner became just six, but the divisions continued and the numbers escalated,
and today there are more than 80 separate proprietors, some with only a few rows - or part-rows - to their
name. For a detailed assessment of exactly who owns what, I would recommend you take a look within the
pages of Anthony Hanson's Burgundy (Faber & Faber, 1999).

Vougeot: Vineyards
The Clos de Vougeot vineyard dominates this commune (at 50.6 hectares it
accounts for more than 80% of the vines), and there is just a tiny appendage
of premier cru andvillage climats to the north of this expanse. Running from
the commune's boundary with Chambolle-Musigny at the top, with the great
Musigny grand cru on the other side of the wall, the vines run all the way
down the slope to the RN74. As can be seen in the other commune profiles,
the normal progression is to move from grand topremier cru, and then
to village vineyards as you near the road. Even just at first glance this site
would appear to be too loosely drawn, following the wall of the clos rather than
any more exacting logic. For those that might think this a point of pedantry,
there are a number of other communes that set an appropriate precedent
here, where a classification or appellation might stop just a few rows short of a
physical boundary such as a wall, path or road. Indeed, this is the opinion of
many Burgundy critics and commentators, who point out that if appellations
are supposed to reflect origin and terroir, why does this particular grand
cru incorporate six different soil types? Near the top the soils, slope and
drainage may well be favourable, but nearer the bottom the soils are heavier, the drainage less adequate,
and some would argue the land would be better planted with beet than the vine. Writing in the
aforementioned tome Burgundy, Anthony Hanson recalls the time he found one grower cultivating a fine crop
of asparagus between his vines. The fact that Clos de Vougeot was the source of the first ever and also the
cheapest ever bottle of grand cru Burgundy I have purchased - a bottle that then went on to disappoint would seem in keeping with these failings.
In my opinion the Clos de Vougeot needs a detailed examination and reclassification, with areas of the
vineyard being downgraded to premier cru and village status as required. There should be no inherent
problem with this as a concept, as again there is already a precedent in other individual vineyards, such as
Corton's Clos des Marechaudes, which is divided into one-third grand cru and two-thirds premier cru, and
any number of other sites which are part premier cru and part communal appellation. But the Clos de
Vougeot plays a vital role in Burgundy, and too many interested parties have something to lose from the
process; the reclassification will, I suspect, never happen. And so the responsibility falls at the feet of the
consumer; choose very carefully when buying here.
As for the premier cru and village sites these can be dealt with quickly. The former
total only four, on the northern border of the clos, and as with Morey (but not
Chambolle, as described above) these - and the communal vineyards - may yield
red or white wines. With a less auspicious grand cru to its name, it is perhaps not
surprising that these other Vougeot vineyards are also not so interesting. It is
perhaps best to draw this review to a close with our minds still focused on
Burgundy's most famous but not necessarily most worthwhile clos. (28/12/00, last
updated 24/9/09)

Vougeot
Premiers Crus
Les Clos Blanc, Les Cras,
Clos de la Perrire, Les
Petits Vougeots

Notable Domaines
(based in Vougeot)
Dom. Bertagna, Alain
Hudelot-Nollat

Cte de Nuits Part 3

In this guide's final visit to the Cte de Nuits we move from Vougeot and its somewhat inauspiciousgrand
cru Clos de Vougeot to the exalted grands crus of Vosne-Romane; the two are as dissimilar as chalk and
cheese. The former is large and bloated, carelessly defined, the wines not infrequently known to disappoint,
whereas the latter is a collection of very tiny vineyards, precisely drawn, which in many cases produce highly
sought after wines of great quality. One even holds the title of France's smallest appellation. In addition, Clos
de Vougeot is greatly parcellated, with a multitude of proprietors treading the soil here, whereas a number of
the Vosne grands crusare monopoles, vineyards in the sole ownership of a single vigneron or other
proprietor. The system is not perfect, however, for not all of the Vosne-Romane grands crus should be
considered above appropriate criticism, as I explain below in my account of the Vosne vineyards. Those
of Flagey-Echzeaux, the vinous orphans nestled between the vineyards of Vosne-Romane and the stone
walls of the Clos de Vougeot, are also included here. We finish up, quite fittingly perhaps, with the commune
that gives its name to this section of the Cte d'Or, Nuits-St-Georges.

Vosne-Romane & Flagey-Echzeaux

Of all the communes of the Cte de Nuits, regardless of how lyrically I may have waxed about the king that
is Gevrey-Chambertin, or the queen that is Chambolle-Musigny, no lover of Burgundy can do without VosneRomane. So how can we extend these regal metaphors to cover this village? Emperor, perhaps? Whatever
title we may choose, there is certainly a majesty about the wines of Vosne-Romane, much of it engendered
by the commune's fine collection of grands crus, most notably La Tche and La Romane, both exploited by
the equally fabled Domaine de la Romane-Conti - DRC to friends.
The village of Vosne has its origins in the 6th century or perhaps even earlier, the name evolving from the
original Vaona, mutating by a number of steps into the Vosne we have today. As usual there was a significant
religious presence within the commune, in this case the Prieur de St-Vivant, although the Abbaye de
Citeaux and other ecclesiastical institutions also owned vineyards. Many of the grands crus owe their names
to these early owners, St-Vivant being an obvious example (for Romane-St--Vivant) but other proprietors
included the Prince de Conti (for Romane-Conti). Naturally, with the Revolution these men of the cloth and
noblemen lost control of their vineyards and they were subsequently auctioned off. Thereafter the usual
process of micro-division began, although some reconstitution before the appellation laws were drawn up in
the early 20th century meant that at least some of the grand cru sites are of meaningful size. On the other
hand, amongst the grands crus of Vosne-Romane we also have some of the smallest appellations in all
France.
A curious anomaly associated with Vosne is the commune of Flagey and her two grand cru vineyards,
Echzeaux and Grands-Echzeaux. Flagey itself is a small village which lies a little way from the slopes of
the Cte d'Or, down on the plain beyond not just the RN74 but on the other side of the railway. In an honest
assessment of the distance it is not really that far, but from a viticultural viewpoint it could be a whole world
away. Perhaps reflecting this, the commune's small number of premier cru and village vineyards are bottled
and sold under the name of Vosne-Romane rather than Flagey-Echzeaux. For this reason it is
commonplace to deal with the two communes in tandem.

Vosne-Romane & Flagey-Echzeaux: Vineyards

Beginning with the grands crus, and those of Flagey first, these vineyards lie on the slope above the
questionably qualified Clos de Vougeot. The larger at 37.7 hectares isEchzeaux, one of the largest grands
crus of the whole Cte d'Or in fact. Divided into a number of climats the vineyard sprawls around the
famous clos and its smaller (despite the name perhaps suggesting otherwise) companion, GrandsEchzeaux. Naturally within such a large site the terroir varies considerably, and thus the climat of origin may
have considerable importance in determining the style and quality of the wine. Sadly this information does
not always appear on the label (especially if the wine is blended from several climats), but a number of
producers do make clear the location of their vines, so it is worth noting which sections of the vineyard have
the best reputation. Generalising, those lower down the slope have more clay and yield richer wines,
whereas those higher up have more sandy soils, and what results is more elegant. The difference is not as
marked as in Clos de Vougeot, as at least here the vines do not run all the way down to the road, but there is
certainly a climat-effect. Two worth noting perhaps more than others include Echzeaux-duDessus and Les Poulaillires; both lie just above Grands-Echzeaux, and the latter counts the Domaine de
la Romane-Conti amongst its proprietors.

Perhaps more reliable are the wines of Grands-Echzeaux (9.1 hectares), a curiously shaped vineyard
which squares off one corner of the Clos de Vougeot, sandwiched between this famous vineyard and the
Echzeaux climats. I have coloured it a little paler on my map (below) to differentiate more clearly between
this vineyard and Echzeaux. Once the property of the Citeaux abbey this site, dominated by shallow clay
and chalk, enjoys a somewhat superior reputation when compared with any of its Echzeaux or Vougeot
neighbours, although visually it is hard to see why. It may have as much to do with the dedication of the
proprietors, again including the Domaine de la Romane-Conti. Whatever the reason the wines are better
and therefore the prices are higher; nevertheless the step up in quality can make this expenditure
worthwhile.
As for the grands crus of Vosne itself, these number six on total, and
include perhaps some of Burgundy's most evocative names. It is
difficult to know where to begin here, as almost all of these
vineyards enjoy a spotless reputation and they each have their
dedicated band of followers. Head of this cohort is
undoubtedly Romane-Conti, at 1.8 hectares a vineyard of
minuscule size. Like all the grands crus this site lies on the slope
directly to the west above the village of Vosne, and it is one of a pair
of these exalted sites that is owned in entirety by the Domaine de la
Romane-Conti. Originally known simply as La Romane
(confusingly the same name as the adjacent vineyard) the site came
into the ownership of Franois de Bourbon, the Prince de Conti, in
1760. In a sale seemingly arbitrated by France's regent himself, a
distant relation of the prince, Franois paid a high price and he
rewarded himself by stamping his authority on the vineyard by
appending his name. It remains Romane-Conti to this day; the
wines are highly regarded, perfectly composed, desirable and
naturally therefore they can fetch high prices. Unusually for
Burgundy, they have also become an investment vehicle, with
bottles and cases lingering on the after-market for decades. Those
who can not afford a bottle (and that is most of us) must perhaps
make do with a photograph of themselves beneath the cross (shown
below) which sits at the foot of the vineyard; a site of pilgrimage for
Burgundy-lovers, it is perhaps the most photographed vineyard
ornament in the whole region.
Although DRC's other monopole La Tche might seem the obvious candidate to be next under the
microscope, just above Romane-Conti is La Romane, the smallest appellation in Burgundy and indeed all
France (at less than 0.9 hectares), and this is the next vineyard in my journey through Vosne. Only a path
separates the two sites, and in considering Romane-Conti's change of name it would seem reasonable to
assume the two were once part of the same vineyard. Writing in Cte d'Or (University of California Press,
1997), Clive Coates nevertheless argues that this was not the case, La Romane and Romane-Conti
having had quite different owners across the centuries. Visually the two can be differentiated by the
orientation of the vines, those in Romane-Conti running up the slope, whereas in Romane they run along
the slope. In the sole ownership of the Ligier-Belair family, for many years the wines have been marketed by
Bouchard Pre et Fils, but the owners have in recent vintages undertaken this themselves. Although perhaps
not quite as highly regarded as the wines of Romane-Conti, to point out such differences does feel like
splitting hairs. The wines can be excellent.
The Romane and Romane-Conti duo lie at the heart of the Vosne grands crus, which lie clustered on the
slopes to the west of the village. Lying between this pair and creeping north and east around Vosne itself
isRomane-St-Vivant (9.4 hectares), named for the abbey that once owned this land. There are a number of
owners but they include once again Domaine de la Romane-Conti. The soils are limestone higher up the
slope, with more clay at the bottom near the village, and the style is said to be somewhat lighter than some
other Vosne grands crus, but nevertheless of very high quality. To the south of these three vineyards lies the
aforementioned La Tche, a 6 hectare vineyard the name of which translates literally as "task", perhaps
relating to the work involved in tending the vines. As mentioned above, this is another DRC monopole, and it
is divided up into two climats, La Tche and La Tche-Gaudichots. These were united following an
application to do so in 1932 from the owners, the only opposition coming from the aforementioned LigierBelair family who owned some vines in the smaller of the two; they lost the case, and subsequently sold their
vines to the victors. The wine is again highly regarded, consistent and rich.
Sandwiched between La Tche and the three aforementioned vineyards is La Grande Rue (1.7 hectares), a
curious site because - despite its exalted position interposed between these other grands crus - it was only
elevated to the position of grand cru itself as recently as 1992. The responsibility for this failure to correctly

classify this site would appear to lie with the Lamarche family, proprietors in the early 20th century when the
rankings were determined, to press for the site's recognition as a grand cru. Today the vineyard remains
a monopole in the hands of the same family, and there are some who would argue that the promotion was
not merited by the quality of their wines. La Tche and Grande Rue are shown in the image below, taken
from the road at the bottom of La Romane-Conti as indicated by the viewpoint on the map above. In the
foreground are La Romane-Conti and La Romane, whereas further up and along the slope are
the premier cru Aux Reignots and the villages-level lieu-dit Aux Champs Perdrix. Rolling your mouse cursor
over the image will show which is which.

The final member of the Vosne sextet is Richebourg, not quite the largest grand cru at just a little over 8
hectares, but certainly one of the most significant, especially for those looking for a taste of what VosneRomane can offer without having to go to the Domaine de la Romane-Conti (who own a portion of this
vineyard, but so do a number of other highly reputable growers). The vineyard lies just to the north of the
Romane/Romane-Conti pair, and is separated from the village by the aforementioned Romane-St-Vivant.
The origins of the vineyard lie with the abbey at Citeaux, but following the Revolution it came to be in the
joint possession of a number of proprietors. Today that situation persists, and although those with sufficient
funds may sample this vineyard's delights as conceived by the Domaine de la Romane-Conti, as indicated
above there are a number of other names that make wines which give a similarly fine experience.
Nevertheless, despite the size of the vineyard the bottles can still be difficult to track down, and naturally they
still command a significant premium!
With so may fine grand cru sites it should come as no surprise that there are a
number of excellentpremier cru vineyards here and Aux Malconsorts(5.9
hectares), a vineyard which abuts La Tche and to which I alluded in my
introduction, is just one of the better sites. There are some who would support its
elevation to grand cru status. Other notable vineyards include Les Suchots, a
large vineyard (13 hectares) which lies between thegrands crus of Romane-StVivant to the south and Echzeaux to the north; its extensive nature means that it
may well serve as an introduction to Vosne premier cru for many. And below the
village, beneath the Echzeaux vineyards and the grandand premier cru sites of
Vosne are the village vineyards, running along the village-side of the RN74.
Altogether there are about 238 hectares, including the Echzeaux vineyards, all of
which is committed to red.

Nuits-St-Georges
It is perhaps curious that the town which gave its name to the greatest Pinot Noir
region on earth, the Cte de Nuits, the largest of all settlements on this section of
the Cte d'Or, itself has no grands crus.

Vosne-Romane
Premiers Crus
Les Beaux Monts (part),
Aux Brles, Les Chaumes,
La Croix Rameau, Les
Gaudichots, Aux
Malconsorts, Au-dessus des
Malconsorts, Cros
Parentoux, Les Petits
Monts, Clos des Ras, Aux
Reignots, Les Suchots
In Flagey: Les Beaux
Monts (part), En Orveaux,
Les Rouges

Notable Domaines
(based in Vosne)
Sylvain Cathiard, Bruno
Clavelier, ConfuronCottidot, Rgis Forey,
tienne Grivot, Anne Gros,
Jean & Michel Gros, Henri
Jayer, Franois Lamarche,
Leroy, Mo-Camuzet,
Gerard Mugneret,
Mugneret-Gibourg,
Romane-Conti

There are those who would like to see this anomaly - as they see it - rectified. The
foremost candidate would be Les St-Georges, the southernmost premier cru, and
indeed there is a movement from within the commune, seemingly led by Thibault
Ligier-Belair, to have the vineyard elevated in rank. The process is certainly not
going to be a quick one, and I would imagine it is unlikely to be straightforward or to
go unopposed. Although Les-St-Georges and many of the other Nuits vineyards
have a fine reputation they tend to have more clay than is found in communes further north along the Cte
d'Or; as a result they yield a style with greater richness than these more northerly communes, albeit a style
perhaps with less extreme finesse. This is what holds them back from ascending to the grand cru rung of the
ladder, and so the saga of elevation is one we will be able to watch unfold over many years, I think.
Although there is evidence of Roman settlement in the region, the town of Nuits-St-Georges (seen above,
looking down onto the rooftops from the vineyards to the south) itself is probably of medieval origin. Once a
fortified border-town between France and the fiefdom of the Burgundy dukes, today it is a lively industrial
settlement which dwarfs the sleepy villages to the north, and it is home to many cellars, coopers,
warehouses and the offices of several ngociants. I think the name to be quite majestic, conjuring up for me
images of the dragon-slaying knight St George, although that thought reflects only the workings of my own
mind and is not intended to suggest that is the origin of the name. Indeed, the origin of Nuits - for as with the
other Cte de Nuits villages the 'St-Georges' was appended relatively recently - is quite unclear. Writing in
the aforementioned Cte d'Or Clive Coates suggests it is a mutation derived from un win, the name for a
stream within a valley, perhaps the Meuzin which flows here. Or perhaps it reflects the presence of the many
hazelnut and walnut trees high above the village. The answer will forever remain a mystery I suspect.

Nuits-St-Georges: Vineyards
The string of grand and premier cru vineyards that runs through Vosne-Romane
continues here, although as stated above only in premier cruformat, until they come
to an abrupt stop half way through the commune. The natural barrier that forces
this is the valley of the Meuzin within which the town of Nuits-St-Georges sits; hop
across to the other side and the vineyards continue. There are a large number
of premier cru sites here, more than 30 if those of nearby Prmeaux, which may be
bottled as Nuits-St-Georges, are included.
The vineyards are usually divided into three sections, determined by the style and
quality of the wines. From the more northerly section, abutting the vineyards of
Vosne-Romane, the wines are said to have a more elegant although slightly
lighter style. Here the vineyards include such famous names
as Boudots, Damodes and Chaignots(6.3, 8.6 and 5.7 hectares each). From the
south of the town up to the border with Prmeaux come wines with the more meaty
and masculine character that many look for in Nuits-St-Georges; here there are
some equally familiar names,
including Roncires, Porrets, Vaucrains, Caillesand of course Les StGeorges (1.0, 7.4, 6.2, 7.1 and 7.5 hectares respectively). Continue on into
Prmeaux and there is no shortage of equally evocative names including Les
Frets andPerdrix (7.1 and 3.5 hectares), the latter my personal tasting
introduction to the wines of Nuits-St-Georges, if I recall correctly, as well
as Arlot and Marchale (5.5 and 9.6 hectares). Nevertheless, the wines of
Prmeaux to have the reputation of being the lightest of the commune.
Such is the myriad of sites and terroirs that, despite the absence of any one standout vineyard, Nuits-St-Georges is certainly not a commune to be ignored. There are
a number of reputable domaines producing excellent wines here, the last bastion of
the Cte de Nuits before we cross the divide to the Cte d'Or. The style is one of
the richer examples of the Cte de Nuits, in red at least, firmer and more
masculine, perhaps subconsciously reinforcing my erroneous association of the
commune with St George. The appellation also allows for white though, the most
notable example being the white Pinot Noir mutant which I have already discussed
in History and Variety, although obviously the majority of samples - not a huge
proportion of the commune's output per se - are made using Chardonnay. (28/12/00,
last updated 1/10/09)

Nuits-St-Georges
Premiers Crus
Aux Argillas, Aux Boudots,
Aux Bousselots, Les
Cailles, Les Chaboeufs, Aux
Chaignots, Chanes
Carteaux, Aux Champs
Perdrix, Aux Cras, Les
Crots, Les Damodes,
Chteau Gris, Les Hauts
Pruliers, Aux Murgers, En la
Perrire Noblot, Les
Perrires, Les Porrets
Saint-Georges, Clos des
Porrets Saint-Georges, Les
Poulettes, Les Procs, Les
Pruliers, La Richemone,
Roncire, Rue de Chaux,
Les Saint-Georges, Aux
Thorey, Les Vallerots, Aux
Vignerondes, Les
Vaucrains
In Prmeaux: Les
Argillires, Clos des
Argillires, Clos Arlot, Clos
des Corves, Clos des
Corves Pagets, Les
Didiers, Clos des Forts
Saint-Georges, Clos des
Grandes Vignes, Clos de la
Marchale, Aux Perdrix,
Clos Saint-Marc, Les Terres
Blanches

Notable Domaines
(based in Nuits)
Domaine de l'Arlot, Jean
Chauvenet, Robert
Chevillon, Jean-Jacques
Confuron, Joseph Faiveley,
Henri Gouges, Thomas
Moillard, Domaine des
Perdrix, Daniel Rion

Cte de Beaune Part 1

Just as the Cte de Nuits peters out through Nuits-St-Georges and Prmeaux, the Cte de Beaune begins in
a similarly stuttering fashion, slowly whirring and wheezing rather than roaring into life.LadoixSerrigny marks the true starting point, a small village which possesses a tiny cluster ofpremier cru vineyards
and a rather larger array ofvillage sites. Right next-door is Aloxe-Corton and then just around the corner
there is Pernand-Vergelesses, and together these three villages encircle the grand cru vineyard Corton
which sits on the hill above them.
Rather like Clos de Vougeot this famed grand crucovers an expansive area and for me it was another early
introduction to the highest rung of the Burgundy appellation ladder. And just like my first ever taste of Clos de
Vougeot, it was another disappointment, for although this vineyard is famed, not all its wines are necessarily
fabulous. To understand more we should explore this vineyard in some detail, and so it is with this famous hill
that I open my guide to the Cte de Beaune.

The Hill of Corton

It might seem peculiar to focus on a single grand cru site rather than an associated commune, but in terms of
topography at least this is no ordinary vineyard. There are 160 hectares of vines here; thus the vineyard not
only dwarfs every grand cru site on the Cte de Nuits and Cte de Beaune, it is larger than the footprint of
some communes, grand cru, premier cru and village vineyards combined. Such is its size that it lies within
not one or even two communes but three, the aforementioned Ladoix-Serrigny, Aloxe-Corton and PernandVergelesses. The only sensible approach is to look at all three in union.
The larger of the Corton trio is Aloxe, its boundaries extending around the hill of Corton, northwards towards
Ladoix and westwards towards Pernand, and it thus lays claim to most of the hill (about 120 hectares) and
associated premier cru vineyards; it is not surprising this association between commune and grand cru has
been cemented with the appending of the vineyard's name, giving us Aloxe-Corton. As with most other Cte
d'Or communes village and vines are contiguous, as shown in the image on the left; this is a view of Chteau
Corton-Andr, a domaine which lies on the very edge of Aloxe-Corton, as seen from the Corton vineyards
just below the Corton-Charlemagne section near the southern end of the hill, as indicated by viewpoint 1 on
the map below.
There is more to Corton than just Corton though, as there are also the overlapping Corton-Charlemagne and
Charlemagne appellations. Whereas Corton is usually red (although it can also be white) the wines of
Corton-Charlemagne and its Charlemagne enclave, the produce of land donated by Charlemagne to the
Abbey of St Andoche in Saulieu in 775, are always white (if the land is planted with red wines it must be
labelled as Corton). Legend has it that a section of the hill was converted to producing white rather than red
under the direction of Charlemagne himself, purportedly to provide him with a wine which did not stain his
beard. Modern maps of the vineyard tend to show the division between red and white as distinct regions, the
Charlemagne portion running around the south-western slopes predominantly, the red Corton vineyards
close to Aloxe and Ladoix, but in truth to state this as a bald fact is an over-simplification. The two are not so
clearly defined, and a number of domaines have in the past opted to replace red vines with white, and more
recently I know of at least one domaine that has done the converse, grubbing up its Chardonnay vines, used
for Corton-Charlemagne, and replacing them with Pinot Noir.

What are well defined, however, are the various climats which Corton possesses, including evocative names
such as Clos-du-Roi, Le Corton and Les Bressandes. All these may appear, in suffixes, on the label. If the
declaration admits to only Corton, it is most probably a blend from various sites on the hill. A number of
these climats may be seen in the image below which shows the view up the hill from close to the intersection
of the rue des Vergennes, which runs up the slope out of Ladoix-Serrigny, and the chemin des
Marchaudes which runs along the lower edge of Les Bressandes, just above Les Marchaudes; the
position is indicated by viewpoint 2 on the map above. Running your mouse over the image will provide more
detail on the boundaries of each climat.

Just as Chambertin had Napoleon, Corton too has had its acolytes. Not just Charlemagne, but also Voltaire,
who would order case after case of both white and red. This was pre-Revolution, when much of the hill was
in the hands of the church, later joined by a number of wealthy local landowners also. Naturally these assets
were all seized and auctioned off after the events of the late-18th century, bringing us gradually to the current
state of play. And as you might imagine and as I disclosed in my introduction, today we have an extensive
vineyard that provides us both with exceptional wines white and red, but also a number of less-thanmemorable grand cru disappointments. For the red wines in particular some sections of the vineyard are
certainly less worthy of the appellation than others, and prices may reflect this. When successful, though, the
wines can be certainly enticing if not enthralling, offering perhaps one of the deeper and more structured
experiences of the Cte de Beaune, if nothing else. The white wines can be truly exceptional though;
substantial and solid, they can be more austere than those from Montrachet to the south, cut through with a
firmer acidity. I like the style very much.

The Vineyards of Ladoix, Aloxe & Pernand

As for the premier cru and village wines of the associated three communes, these
may also provide some worthwhile bottles. Ladoix-Serrignyhas eleven premier
cru sites clustered around the village and the northern end of the Corton vineyards,
which rudely intrudes onto Ladoix territory behind the village itself. Note though that
there are another six climats within the commune of Ladoix-Serrigny which come
under the Aloxe-Corton appellation. The Ladoix wines are not particularly
distinguished compared with their Cte d'Or peers, but can provide good, sturdy
drinking. Including the communal vineyards and the appropriate section of Corton
there are about 150 hectares here, producing red and white wines. As for Aloxe,
the fifteen premier cru sites (nine in Aloxe, six in Ladoix) tend to run along the foot
of the Corton grands crus, and a number of sites are divided between grand cru at
the top and premier cru lower down, or in the extreme example of Les
Paulands, grand cru, premier cru and villageappellation at top, middle and bottom
respectively. The village vineyards tend to be to the south, running into Chorey-lesBeaune. In total the commune amounts to 250 hectares, including the Corton vines,
and although the regulations allow for white wine the vast majority is red.
Finally come the vineyards of Pernand-Vergelesses which are contiguous with
those of Aloxe-Corton running around the hill of Corton and which then spread out
on the slopes behind and opposite the hill. All told there are about 210 hectares
which, like those in Ladoix and Aloxe, may be planted to red or white. Although for
these other two communes I have not singled out any particular premier cru for
attention there is one site here that should be noted; this is Ile de Vergelesses (9.4
hectares) which sits in the southerly part of the commune, abutting that of Savignyles-Beaune. I have had a number of good bottles from this site, and the importance
of this climat to the inhabitants of the village has, like so many other vineyards up
and down the Cte d'Or, been emphasised by appending its name to that of the
commune.

Ladoix-Serrigny: Basses
Mourottes, Bois Roussot,
Les Buis, Le Clou dOrge,
La Corve, Les Grchons,
Hautes Mourottes, Les
Joyeuses, La Micaude, En
Naget, Le Rognet et Corton
Aloxe-Corton: Les
Chaillots, Clos du Chaptre,
Les Fournires, Les
Gurets, Clos des
Marchaudes, Les
Marchaudes, Les
Paulands, Les Valozires,
Les Vercots
Aloxe climats in the
commune of LadoixSerrigny: La Coutire, Clos
des Marchaudes, La
Marchaude, Les
Moutottes, Les Petites
Lolires, La Toppe au Vert
Pernand-Vergelesses: Clo
s Berthet, En Caradeux,
Creux de la Net, Les
Fichots, Ile des
Vergelesses, Sous Frtille,
Vergelesses, Village de
Pernand

Notable Domaines
(based in these
villages)

From Corton to Beaune

From the grandeur of Corton we move to the headquarters of this section of the
Cte d'Or, Beaune itself. Neither here nor in the nearby villages of Chorey-lesBeaune or Savigny-les-Beaune (both sources of some
Beaune
good-value bottles) are there any grand cru vineyards to
Premiers
Crus
be found, a situation akin to that in the Nuits capital.
Nevertheless this is the hub of the Cte de Beaune, home Les Aigrots, Les Avaux,
to numerous wine-related businesses, offices and
Clos des Avaux, Le Bas des
Teurons, Blissand,
warehouses, as well as the most picturesque and
photogenic aspect of the Burgundy wine industry, namely Blanches Fleurs, Les
Boucherottes, Les
the historic Hospices de Beaune with its fabulous multiBressandes, Les Cent
coloured tiled roof (akin to that of Corton-Andr above,
Vignes, Champs Pimont,
Les Chouacheux, Aux
but on a much grander scale). I have walked around the
Coucherias, Aux Cras, A
centre of Beaune several times, and have been within
lcu, Clos de lcu, Les
the hospices to appreciate this visual wonder for myself,
penotes, Clos de la
but sadly never in conditions that favoured photography.
Fguine, Les Fves, En
The vineyards of Beaune lie to the west of the town, a
huge swathe of premier cru sites, with a very small
associated area eligible only for thevillage appellation. To
the north are Savigny and Chorey, which sit between
Beaune and Aloxe-Corton, and to the south is Pommard.
The style of wine produced here is much more typical of
the Cte de Beaune, lighter in terms of substance and
structure than the Cte de Nuits and also Corton, and it is
largely red, the production of white being on a
microscopic scale. With so many premier crusites there is
obviously some variation in quality, and Burgundy anoraks
will each have their own preferences I am sure. Some are
very well known, some are extraordinarily obscure and
rarely (if ever) seen. Top choices are likely to include Les

Ladoix, Aloxe &

Pernand
Premiers Crus

Gent, Les Grves, Les

Marconnets, La Mignotte,
Monte Rouge, Les
Montrevenots, Le Clos des
Mouches, Clos de la
Mousse, En lOrme, Les
Perrires, Pertuisots, Les
Reverses, Clos du Roi,
Clos Sainte-Anne, Clos
Saint-Landry, Les Sceaux,
Les Seurey, Les Sizies, Sur
les Grves, Les Teurons,
Les Toussaints, Les
Tuvilains, Clos des Ursules,
Les Vignes Franches

Notable Domaines
(based in these
villages)
Albert Bichot, Bouchard
Pre, Joseph Drouhin,
Hospices de Beaune, Louis
Jadot, Albert Morot,
Remoissenet

Bonneau du Martray,
Florent de Mrode, Louis
Latour, Comte Senard

Marconnets (9.4 hectares) and Les Perrires (3.2 hectares), both at the northern end of the commune and
moving towards the centre Les Bressandes, Les Grves and Les Teurons, these three all large vineyards
(17, 31.3 and 21 hectares in turn) and amongst the best sites of the commune. Further to the south nearer
the border with Pommard are Les Chouacheux (5 hectares), one of my earliest (and again fairly
disappointing) experiences of the commune, and Clos-des-Mouches (21.2 hectares), another large site with
a decent reputation and a particularly respectable source of white Beaune. Beyond the premier cru sites (of
which a number are fairly uninspiring) the village wines here are of limited interest. All told there are about
450 hectares, making this one of the largest communes of the Cte d'Or, especially if we throw in the 30 or
so hectares of Cte de Beaune (note not Cte de Beaune-Villages, a more generic appellation) vineyards
cultivated on the hills above the town.

The image above shows the vines of the Clos des Mouches, looking down onto the outskirts of Beaune and
the Avenue Andr Boisseaux. This is a fairly typical view of the Beaune vineyards, a swathe of vines and the
town in the distance, and in truth there is little more to the appellation than this, and thus there is little more
to say about Beaune. Although the town undoubtedly plays a key role as the hub of the wine industry on the
Cte de Beaune, as for understanding its wines it is really a matter of exploring thepremiers crus to find a
favourite, naturally paying as much attention to the domaine as much as the climat. The handful of vineyards
listed above, perhaps in combination with some of the suggested domaines given on the right, would be as
good a place to start as any. (28/12/00, last updated 8/10/09)

Cte de Beaune Part 2

After the broad sweep of the premier cru vineyards of Beaune, itself a large urban sprawl, we arrive at
Pommard and then Volnay, two much smaller and more compact villages that lie to the southwest of the Cte
de Beaune's capital. Although like their larger neighbour neither have a grand cru vineyard to the name, I
think few would argue with my assertion that here we have more superior wines.
Somewhat curiously for this section of the Cte d'Or though, both of these communes are renowned for the
red wines they yield, a fact which sets them apart from their neighbours to the north and south somewhat.
These other Cte de Beaune communes, particularly Meursault, the Montrachet communes and to some
extent the hill of Corton in the guise of Corton-Charlemagne, have all earned reputations as sources of
Burgundy's finest white wines. Not here though; appellation regulations prohibit the planting of white varieties
within the boundaries of these two communes, so part twelve of my wine guide is a purely Pinot affair.

Pommard
The premier cru vineyards of Pommard are contiguous with those of Beaune, the broad spread narrowing to
create a phalanx which runs directly through the middle of the commune, broken only by the village of
Pommard itself. The image below is taken from the upper part of this seam of premiers crus, on the border
between Les Saussilles (3.8 hectares, Pommard) and the Clos des Mouches(21.2 hectares, Beaune), and
in the distance the urban sprawl of the latter of these two towns can be seen. Both higher up and lower on
the slope the premiers crus are flanked by two runs of village vineyards, in the former case running up a
small valley in the slope, created by the Dheune, a small stream which runs through the commune, in the
latter running down to but not beyond the RN74, the road between Beaune and Chalon-sur-Sane.

As with most of the villages of the Cte d'Or the origins of Pommard are truly ancient, there having been a
settlement here at least a millennium ago. The name may well originate from that of the Roman goddess
Pomona, the deity associated with fruit trees and gardens. There was, perhaps, a place of worship here. In
more recent centuries more familiar ecclesiastical institutions have played their part in the evolution of the
commune and the vineyard, and even the Knights of St John have owned land here, alongside other such
orders and a number of local noblemen. This all ended of course with the Revolution. Two hundred years on
what we have is an excellent source of red Burgundy, somewhat fuller and richer in style than the leaner
Beaune to the north and the more elegant and perfumed Volnay to the south, no doubt a characteristic of
the terroir. The soils are typically marl at the top of the slope, richer and less stony through most of
thepremiers crus and more marked by clay as you approach the road at the bottom.

Pommard: Vineyards
Although there are no grand cru sites there are certainly some excellent vineyards
here, indeed inCte d'Or (University of California Press, 1997)Clive
Coates expresses the opinion that some are worthy of elevation to grand cru. In
particular he singles out Les Rugiens-Bas (5.8 hectares), a site just to the south of
the village with some of the richer, redder soils (hence the name) that characterise
the premiers crus, and also the central part of Les Epenots (30.5 hectares). Being
a large vineyard this is a name no doubt all Burgundy drinkers are familiar with,
although here Coates is referring particularly to the Clos des Epeneaux (5.2
hectares), a small section - a walled clos in fact - which straddles the two better
know sections of the vineyard, Grands and Petits Epenots. The clos in question is
a monopole in the ownership of Comte Armand. Of course, this is not new opinion;
the vineyards were considered when the appellation boundaries were drawn up in
the 1930s, but without a grower to push the process forward the award of grand
cru status would never be made. Although it may seem surprising to us today,
failure to seek grand cru status was not unheard of; usually it was concern over
restricted yields or higher taxes that discouraged growers from seeking the ranking,
although I suspect some just couldn't be bothered with the paperwork involved.
All told there are about 336 hectares cultivated in Pommard, roughly onethird premier cruand two-thirds communal, all of which is red - as stated above
there is no room in this appellation for white wines. Thanks to the presence of clay
and limestone throughout much of the commune the wines tend on the whole to

Pommard
Premiers Crus
Les Arvelets, Les Bertins,
Clos Blanc, Les
Boucherottes, La Chanire,
Les Chanlins-Bas, Les
Chaponnires, Les
Charmots, Clos de la
Comaraine, Les CombesDessus, Les Croix Noires,
Derrire Saint-Jean, Clos
des Epeneaux, Les
Fremiers, Les Grands
Epenots, Les Jarolires, En
Largillire, Le Clos Micot,
Les Petits Epenots, Les
Pzerolles, La Platire, Les
Poutures, La Refne, Les
Rugiens-Bas, Les RugiensHauts, Les Saussilles, Clos
de Verger, Le Village

Notable Domaines
(based in these
villages)
Comte Armand, Jean-Marc
Boillot, Coste-Caumartin,
De Courcel, Anne-Franois
Gros

have a more sturdy style than those from neighbouring Beaune, or indeed Volnay. Having said that,
differentiating between the two in a blind tasting is no simple task.

Volnay
From Pommard to Volnay now, and here we have a very similar story. Again its origins are ancient, the
original name De Volen transforming over the years to Vollenay (as it is still spelt by the Marquis d'Angerville)
or even Voulenay, as Thomas Jefferson referred to it when he visited here during the 18th century. The run
of premier cru vineyards continues, again with the commune vineyards both higher and lower on the slope.
The village lies higher up the slope than Pommard at the top of the run of premier cruvineyards, close to the
tree-lined summit that lies behind it.

The picture above shows vines in spring, the rows piled with Volnay's friable soils to protect them from the
winter frost. One of the first tasks of the growing season will be to lift away this soil, a process known
as dcavaillonnage, in anticipation of the vines' reawakening. The fruit these vines yield will ultimately give
rise to a wine which, if typical of the commune, will be lighter in style than those from Pommard, with perhaps
a greater degree of elegance. This is often attributed to the very soils shown above, which are somewhat
lighter than those found just to the north, with less clay. I am sure this conclusion has much merit.

Volnay: Vineyards
The band of premiers crus is a little broader in this commune compared to
Pommard, and indeed there are more than 30 separate climats within.
Nevertheless as is usual some have better reputations than others, and it is these
that deserve most attention. The largest such vineyard is Les Santenots, which
has more than 22.7 hectares; even within this vineyard there are divisions of
quality, and it is Santenots du Milieu(the middle section, as the name suggests)
that yields the best wines. Other sections includeSantenots-Dessous and Les
Plures, and the wines here are less admirable. Most curious though, is this
vineyard's location; situated at the southern end of the appellation, it is in fact in
entirety located within the commune of Meursault which borders Volnay to the
south. When it yields a red wine it is Volnay-Santenots, but the vineyard is also
planted with Chardonnay and the white wines that result are eligible for the
Meursault Santenots label.
Other noteworthy sites include the Clos des Chnes (15.4 hectares), also at the
southern end of the commune but higher up the slope than Santenots. Sandwiched
between the two is Les Caillerets (14.4 hectares) and En Chevret (6.4 hectares);
if looking for a reliable Volnay experience, find a wine that combines one of this trio
of climats with a good domaine; there will, I suspect, be no better Volnay. Taken
together the premier cru vineyards cover around 136 hectares and the communal
appellations 98 hectares; as mentioned above, as with Pommard there is no
allowance for white wine within the appellation, the output here is 100% red.

Looking West

Volnay
Premiers Crus
Les Angles, Pointes
d'Angles, Clos de
l'Audignac, Clos de la
Barre, Clos de la Bousse
d'Or, Les Brouillards, Les
Caillerets, Les CailleretsClos des 60 Ouvres,
Carelles, Carelle Dessous
la Chapelle, Champans,
Clos de la Chapelle, Clos
des Chnes, En Chevret,
Clos des Ducs, Clos de la
Cave des Ducs, Clos du
Chteau des Ducs,
Frmiets, Frmiets-Clos de
la Rougeotte, La Gigotte,
Les Grands Champs,
Lassolle, Les Lurets, Les
Mitans, Pitures-Dessus,
Robardelle, Le Ronceret,
Clos de la Rougeotte, Taille
Pieds, Clos du Verseuil, Le
Village
In Meursault: Santenots

Notable Domaines
(based in these
villages)

After these two bastions of the Cte d'Or proper we should already be looking
south to the great white wine communes of Meursault, Puligny and Chassagne. But Marquis d'Angerville, Michel
Lafarge, Hubert de Montille,
we must complete one other task first, and that is to take at least a brief look at a
Pousse d'Or
number of lesser communes which are also located in this section of the Cte de
Beaune. Situated to the west of Volnay and the three famous white appellations
mentioned above are three other communes which can provide good value to the Burgundy drinker, provided
the domaine and the vintage are right.
The trio in question are located within an interruption in the run of the Cte d'Or just above the VolnayMeursault border. The first, which sits up behind the vineyards of Volnay isMonthlie, a reasonably-sized
commune with a small gathering of premier cru vineyards, mostly those closest to the border with Volnay and
Meursault. Then just to the south of Monthlie, up behind the Meursault vineyard is Auxey-Duresses, again
with a small handful of premiers crus. The third member of this breakaway triumvirate is St Romain, which
can be reached by travelling westwards through the valley within which Monthlie and Auxey sit. Although
really some distance from the Cte d'Or, and surrounded by the lesser Hautes Ctes de Beaune appellation,

the commune seems to have been considered part of the Cte d'Or since gaining its own appellation in
1947. I had long considered it my first ever taste of the "golden slope" having bought and drank a bottle when learning about Burgundy for the first time - in the early 1990s. On reflection it was, I suppose, nothing
of the sort. (28/12/00, last updated 15/10/09)

Cte de Beaune Part 3

Perhaps The Great Whites of Burgundy would be a more evocative and maybe even more informative title
than Cte de Beaune Part 3? After all, we have travelled from Dijon along the Cte d'Or savouring almost
exclusively red wines along the way (although of course we must not forget the sometimes excellent white
Corton-Charlemagne). And yet now it is time to see why Burgundy has just as fine a reputation for white
wines as it does for red. We are here. We have arrived at the spiritual home of Chardonnay, the world's most
famous white grape. We are about to set foot on the soils of the Montrachet vineyard.
Well....not quite. The Montrachet vineyard sits astride the boundary that separates the communes of Puligny
and Chassagne, a little to the south. Before we reach those vineyards we have one other appellation to
explore first. As was the case with the red communes of Volnay and Pommard that we have just left behind
us this commune also has no grands crus to its name, nevertheless it has considerable fame all the same,
and like Puligny and Chassagne its reputation is based solely on white wine. Our next stop is Meursault.

Meursault
A handsomely sized commune amounting to more than 430 hectares, to the north and north-west Meursault
borders (running from east to west) Volnay, Monthlie and Auxey-Duresses, and to the south lies PulignyMontrachet. The village lies slightly closer to the northern than the southern end, and is surrounded by a
considerable swathe of villagevineyards, and to the north even one vineyard (Les Santenots) the produce of
which is bottled and sold as Volnay Les Santenots if red - but as Meursault Les Santenots if white. There are
some village vineyards committed to Pinot Noir, such as Les Malpoiriers and Les Dressoles, the wines
taking the little-known Meursault Rouge appellation, and many premier cru climats can legally be planted to
red, but in practice most are white and as a result this is by a huge margin a white wine commune.

Meursault: The Vineyards

There are a number of very good premiers crus here which are largely concentrated in the southern half of
the commune, with just one, Les Cras (3.5 hectares) to the north. Some of these can produce exceptional
wines; whereas I often think of Meursault as one of the richer, occasionally more voluptuous of the three
white Cte de Beaune communes, some wines from the premier cru vineyards, endowed with a fine linearity
and precise fruit, have the capability to quickly dispel this whitewashed misconception. The best are certainly
worth knowing, and it should be made clear that there are also a good number of unclassified lieuxdits which can yield very good wine. The largest vineyard lies at the very southern end of the commune; this
is Les Charmes (31.12 hectares), a long slope some of which should arguably be downgraded
to village appellation. Nevertheless the upper slopes can produce excellent wine; I have had some very fine
examples of Les Charmes, including some that have still been drinking very well at twenty years old.
Next comes Les Perrires (13.72 hectares) which lies just above Les Charmes on the slope. Divided into
two sections, unimaginatively but informatively christened Dessous and Dessus, it is the former that is
generally regarded as the better site. The style tends to be fresh and delineated. Les Genevrires(16.48
hectares) is the third in this trio of large vineyards; this site lies just a little further into the commune than Les
Charmes and Les Perrires, and it sits on the border of both. Unlike those two climats, however, it probably
gives what many people would expect from Meursault, yielding a somewhat richer style of wine. The image
above shows two of thispremier cru trio, with Les Charmes in the foreground and the similarly ranked Les
Genevrires and a number of village lieux-dits in the distance.
Meursault
Even though Charmes, Perrires and Genevrires might be regarded as
Premiers Crus
Meursault's holy triumvirate, there are a number of other, smaller sites, many of
Les Bouchres, Les
which can have merit. Perhaps the most notable are Les Gouttes d'Or (5.3
Caillerets, Charmes, Les
hectares) and Le Porusot (11.4 hectares).
One final curiosity in Meursault, before moving onto the Montrachet communes, is
Blagny. This neighbouring village, which sits on the hills above Meursault and
Puligny, has a number of vineyards including several premier cru sites. If yielding a
white wine these latter climats are entitled to either the Meursault or
Puligny premier cru appellation, whereas if the wine is red they remain
Blagnypremier cru. I have provided details of all the Meursault vineyards, including
those in Blagny, on the right here.

Cras, Genevrires, Les

Gouttes dOr, Perrires,
Clos des Perrires, Les
Plures, Le Porusot, Les
Santenots Blancs, Les
Santenots du Milieu
In Blagny: La Jeunelotte,
La Pice sous le Bois, Sous
le Dos dAne, Sous Blagny,
Les Ravelles

Notable Domaines
(based in Meursault)
Robert Ampeau, Michel
Bouzereau, Yves BoyerMartenot, Coche-Dury,
Gnot-Boulanger, Patrick
Javillier, Pierre-Morey, Guy
Roulot

Puligny-Montrachet
First in our inspection of the Montrachet communes is Puligny-Montrachet, and there are many ways in
which this is appropriate. Geographically it comes first in our vicarious north-south journey, directly abutting
Meursault to the north. More importantly, perhaps, Puligny is the strongest contender in the competition for
the white crown of Burgundy. Here we have not only a fine source of village and premier cru wines but also
the leading source of at the grand cru level. In contrast to the myriad of red grand cru climats dotted along
the Cte d'Or there are only six such appellations for white wine. Of these one is Corton-Charlemagne,
which covers white wines produced on the hill of Corton. The other five are shared between Puligny and
Chassagne, and although the smaller of the two communes Puligny would appear to have the lion's share of
the greatest vineyards.
The village of Puligny has its origins during the latter years of Rome's influence in France when it was known
as Puliniacus. Unsurprisingly the unbroken thread of viticulture that stretches from those ancient times
through to today has been carried, for many centuries, by a number of religious orders. In the case of
Puligny a Benedictine order based in Maizires tended many of the vineyards, which were donated or
bequeathed to them in the usual fashion. There was a brief hiatus during the 14th century when the Duke of
Burgundy Philippe le Hardi seized some of the land from a local opponent, but by the following century what
was lost had been replanted and the commune has never since looked back. There have been upsets along
the way - during the Revolution many vineyards, including much of the Montrachet vineyard - was
confiscated and sold off, and of course there has been phylloxera and the other vine diseases of the 19th
century. But on the whole the village and vineyards have thrived.
The wines produced in this commune are some of the world's most enticing, and they certainly provide us
with some Chardonnay benchmarks. Those from Montrachet and the associated grand cru sites are some of
Burgundy's most iconic wines, whereas those from the premier cru sites can also be magnificent and ageworthy, if not quite so rich or concentrated. There is also excellent character to be found at the village level.
On all rungs of the ladder though there is a common thread running through the wines that distinguishes
them from those of Chassagne-Montrachet to the south, and Meursault to the north. Those of Puligny tend to
have a firmer, more precise style, being more taut and linear, than the softer wines from Chassagne and the
occasionally more heady Meursault. Please note though that these observations are very broad
generalisations; although I recall several occasions where the wines have performed true to this clich, I
have equally have had my share of softer Pulignys and taut, minerally, well-defined Meursaults.

Puligny: The Vineyards

The grand cru vineyards sit at the southern end of the commune, just
to the west of the village itself. Both the premier and grand cru sites run
along the slopes behind the village, with the communal appellations
lower down on the plain. They do not quite encircle the houses of
Puligny itself, and unlike some other communes to the north they stop
well short of the RN74 which runs between Beaune and Chalon-surSane. Amongst the grands crusit is Montrachet that deserves our
attention here; it has certainly attracted the attention of those before
us. Thomas Jefferson, who became enamoured with the wines of
Burgundy during his time as ambassador to France, ranked it among
the best wines of the Cte d'Or along with those ofChambertin, Clos de
Vougeot andLa Romane. Likewise the French gastronome Maurice
Sailland, who wrote under the name Curnonsky, was equally smitten;
he ranked the site as one of France's top five vineyards, the other four
being Yquem, Coule de Serrant, Chteau Grillet and Chteau Chalon.
Such was its fame that this commune, as well as neighbouring
Chassagne which also claims a section of the site, appended
Montrachet to the village name, in both cases in 1879.
There are 8 hectares of vines to Montrachet divided between a small cornucopia of proprietors including
great names such as Comtes Lafon and Domaine de la Romane-Conti. Thus several producers have very
small holdings, tiny fractions of a hectare. Rarity combined with supreme quality can make for very
expensive bottles, so these wines are sold and bought at sometimes exorbitant prices, outclassing not only
most of Burgundy but also most of Bordeaux, even if we include such wallet-busters as Le Pin and Ausone.
For a more attainable example of the vineyard one might have to look to one of the lesser domaines
or ngociants, or perhaps one should settle for a wine from one of the neighbouring grands or premiers crus.

The grand cru neighbours include Chevalier-Montrachet (7.4 hectares) which lies
on the slope just above Montrachet; this is perhaps number two in the Puligny
firmament, producing a generally superior wine to those from BtardMontrachet(11.9 hectares), which is downhill. The final Puligny grand
cru is Bienvenues-Btard-Montrachet (3.7 hectares), which occupies the corner
of Btard-Montrachet closest to the village of Puligny itself. There is one other
'Montrachet' vineyard, Criots-Btard-Montrachet, but I deal with this under
Chassagne-Montrachet, below. Finally, at the premier cru level there are many fine
sites here, and perhaps naturally those that deserve closest examination are
nearest the cluster of grands crus. These include the tiny Les Demoiselles (0.60
hectares) and Les Caillerets (3.33 hectares); the former is a small enclave within
the latter and it would appear to be superior, lying with Montrachet to the south and
Chevalier-Montrachet upslope. Next to these two are Les Pucelles (5.13 hectares)
and Clos des Meix (1.63 hectares), in this case the latter is an enclave within the
former. With Btard-Montrachet and Bienvenues-Btard-Montrachet just to the
south these two are also well positioned to offer fine drinking. And as I have already
discussed, a small number of Blagny premiers crus are entitled to the Puligny
appellation if the wine is white. I have again listed all such sites in the box above,
right.

Puligny-Montrachet
Premiers Crus
Le Cailleret, Les
Chalumaux, Champ Canet,
Champ Gain, Clavaillon,
Les Combettes, Les
Demoiselles, Les
Folatires, Clos de la
Garenne, Clos de la
Mouchre, Les Perrires,
Les Pucelles, Les Referts,
La Truffire
In Blagny: La Garenne,
Hameau de Blagny, Sous le
Puits

Notable Domaines
(based in Puligny)
Louis Carillon,
Leflaive, Olivier Leflaive,
Paul Pernot, tienne
Sauzet

Chassagne-Montrachet
Chassagne is a somewhat larger commune than Puligny, with a large swathe of premier cru vineyards
running along the slope here, sitting slightly higher than the grands crus of Puligny. Historically the town is
ancient, once known as Cassaneas, and as with Puligny much of the vineyard was in the hands of the
Benedictines at Maizires. The village itself is ensconced in the centre of this patchwork quilt of vines, with a
similar area of communal vineyards down the slope, bisected by the RN6 which runs between Paris and
Lyon. As with Puligny the wines are largely white, although not exclusively so, and indeed only a hundred
years or so ago the village was better known for its red wines (save for Montrachet itself which has always
been white). During the 20th century this state of affairs gradually reversed, kick-started by the need to
replant after the phylloxera epidemic near the end of the previous century, and then reinforced by the
growing recognition that the wines here were much better in white than red, and thus the former could
command significantly higher prices.

Chassagne: The Vineyards

Having just cantered through the vineyards of Puligny it makes sense to
immediately continue with those sites that run across the boundary into
Chassagne. Both Montrachet and the lowerBtard-Montrachet fit this description,
and at the end of the latter there is a tiny collection of vines (just 1.6 hectares)
which goes by the name ofCriots-Btard-Montrachet. In terms of the
Montrachet grand cru hierarchy this site sits on the third rung alongside BtardMontrachet andBienvenue-Btard-Montrachet, beneathMontrachet itself on the
top rung and Chevalier-Montrachet on the second level. Nevertheless the wines,
from the right domaine, can still be excellent.
As for the premiers crus the best include those nearest Montrachet, these
being Les Chenevottes(9.26 hectares), Les Bondues (1.73 hectares) and a
handful of others. A commonly sighted climat is Morgeots, a huge grouping of
close to 20 premiers crus amounting to just over 54 hectares which includes much
of the lower land at the southern end of the commune. Found in both red and white,
the quality is not the highest but from a good domaine they can be reliable wines.
As for the communal wines, as with Puligny these are largely white although there
is still a small production of red wines permitted. In total the commune covers more
than 340 hectares.

And onwards....

ChassagneMontrachet
Premiers Crus
Abbaye de Morgeot,
Blanchot-Dessus, Bois de
Chassagne, La Boudriotte,
Les Brussonnes, Cailleret,
Les Champs Gains, Les
Chaumes, Les
Chenevottes, Dent de
Chien, La Grande
Montagne, Les
Macherelles, La Maltroie,
Morgeot, En Remilly, Clos
Saint-Jean, Tonton Marcel,
Les Vergers, Vide Bourse

Notable Domaines
(based in
Chassagne)
Colin-Delger, Jacques
Gagnard-Delegrange, JeanNol Delagrange, Michel
Niellon, Jean & Jean-Marc
Pillot, Ramonet

Chassagne is not the true end of the Cte d'Or, but it is where this simple guide
draws to a close. It would be foolish not to at least mention St Aubin, another village like St Romain which is
set back from the true Cte d'Or which has, nevertheless, managed to earn an appellation to distinguish it
from the Cte de Beaune-Villages. It has turned out to be a good source of white wines, as well as some

rustic reds, with a number of premier cru sites being exploited. Hubert Lamy is often touted as one of the
leading growers. Then further south there is Santenay and then Maranges, these two villages being the
golden slope's last gasps before the favourable slopes and soils peter away, leaving us only the vineyards of
the Cte Chalonnaise, Mconnais and Beaujolais to look forward to. And these regions - of which at least
one some people argue should not be considered a part of Burgundy at all - are the next up for
consideration. (28/12/00, last updated 22/10/09)

Cte Chalonnaise
There are without doubt some who would consider this guide, now that it has dealt with Chablis and the
great wines of the Cte d'Or, to be at an end. It is a sad fact of life that for some wine drinkers - perhaps
label drinkers would be a better description - only the greatest wines, the best producers and the most
sought-after vintages will do. These are the people who stuff their cellars full of grand cru bottles from the
likes of Armand Rousseau, Domaine de la Romane-Conti andDomaine Leroy. Yes, these are great
bottles and yes, we are envious. But there is more to Burgundy than this finery; not just from the 'lesser'
appellations, the village and generic wines, but from Burgundy's other regions too. To find these regions is
simple; head south from the Cte d'Or. It is not far; after all, when standing at the centre ofChassagneMontrachet, you are closer to Rully (about 6 miles to the south, by road), one of the principle towns of
the Cte Chalonnaise, than you are to Beaune itself (which lies about 10 miles by road to the north).
To those who remain fixated on only grand crubottles a discussion of the Cte Chalonnaise might seem
about as relevant as discussing the wines of India or Japan, regions that are a world away from the Cte
d'Or. But the truth is we are not a world away from that golden slope. Our first of five stop-offs on this leg of
our journey is Bouzeron, which at just 5 miles from Chassagne-Montrachet is even closer than Rully. For
sure the topography here does not match the grandiose slope that can be found running from ChassagneMontrachet up to - with admittedly a few interruptions on the way - Gevrey-Chambertin, but there are many
favourable sites for viticulture nevertheless. Some of these vineyards are no less eligible for consideration
alongside those of the Cte d'Or than those that hide in the valleys to the west of Beaune andNuits, such as
St-Aubin and St-Romain, or the border-outposts of Marsannay or Santenay.
This diatribe is naturally backed up by some tasting experience; yes there are disappointing wines here (but
what's new, this is Burgundy) but as usual choosing the producer, the vineyard and the vintage with care can
yield delicious, vibrant ageworthy bottles. As with the Cte d'Or these can be red or white, led by
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir respectively. The Cte Chalonnaise is much more a microcosm of Burgundy as a
whole than Mconnais, where the majority of interesting wines are white, or Beaujolais where Gamay rules.
As alluded to above there are five villages of interest, four long-established names and the more recently
included oddity, Bouzeron. This latter appellation is first up for consideration here.

Bouzeron
I say oddity because this appellation, which officially came into being in 1979, allows solely for wines made
from Aligot, one of the less common white varieties permissible in Burgundy which I have briefly alluded to
in my introductory piece on Burgundy's History & Variety. In this it is unique, the only appellation in all France
to be based on this variety alone, a Burgundian analogy to the Loire's Cour-Cheverny and Romorantin,
perhaps. Although it began life as Bourgogne Aligot de Bouzeron, today this has been simplified to just
the commune name, Bouzeron.
The wines must comprise solely this variety and no other, unlike the more
generic Bourgogne Aligot which, perhaps surprisingly, may legally include
up to 15% Chardonnay. Although there were initially just a few hectares of
eligible vines today the appellation enjoys moderate commercial success
and there are currently in excess of 100 hectares planted up, the vineyards
tended by a number of very notable producers. Perhaps one of the most
remarkable names is that of de Villaine; Aubert de Villaine is of course best
known for his role at the Domaine de la Romane-Conti, and this
Bouzeron estate - ran in conjunction with his wife Pamela - is perhaps
appellation leader.

Rully
Keep heading south after Bouzeron and we come to Rully, the first I
suppose of the Chalonnaise quartet proper. The name of the town is
perhaps derived from Rubilium, the name of a wealthy proprietor resident
here in the latter years of the Roman occupation. Today it is an appellation
divided largely between still white and red wines, the former having largely
had the upper hand both in terms of area planted but also in quality. During
the 19th century, however, it had a much stronger reputation for sparkling
wines, an alternative to Champagne which was consumed locally but also
exported widely. Today the vineyard is considerably smaller than it was

during those times, as is the case for all Burgundy, a residual effect of the phylloxera epidemic of the late19th century, but at more than 300 hectares this appellation still dwarfs that of Bouzeron.
As with the villages of the Cte d'Or there are a number of climats classified as premier cru so this
information may find its way onto the label. Perhaps my favourite ever bottle from this appellation was the
1992 Premier Cru Grsigny from Henri & Paul Jacqueson(not to be confused with the Champagne
house Jacquesson - the spelling is subtly different) which was consumed eight years after the vintage and
which was enough to convince me, in a single taste, that it is always worth looking outside of the Cte
d'Or for quality bottles.

Mercurey
The Cte Chalonnaise was once known as the Rgion de Mercurey, some
indication of the significance of this, the second of the region's four original
appellations. It is reputedly named for Mercury, not the planet itself but the Roman
god (which is of course also the origin of the name of the planet), offspring of
Jupiter and Maia and messenger of the gods. In contrast to Rully we are now firmly
in red wine country, the plantings of Pinot Noir here in Mercurey being ten-fold
those of Chardonnay. The vineyard area is much larger than what has gone before,
approximately 650 hectares in all (enough to swallow up several Cte d'Or
communes, never mind Rully or Bouzeron), and of this at least 100 hectares are
classed as premier cru. The countryside here has rightly earned a reputation for its
serene and pastoral nature, something I very much appreciated when staying in the
region in 1997, and this is despite the installation of many kilometres of culverts
and drainage channels following the damaging floods which afflicted the region in
1981.
Despite this my own experiences of this appellation do not throw up a huge number
of enthralling tasting experiences, although those wines from Chteau de
Chamirey, the Chalonnaise base for ngociant Antonin Rodet, have certainly been
worthwhile.

Givry
The first bottles of Givry I ever experienced were crystal clear and pure of flavour,
reminiscent of green apples, freshly plucked from the tree. They were, if I recall
correctly, purchased from the co-operative at Buxy on one of my adventures
travelling through the region many years ago now. They were a salutatory lesson,
as I have already expounded in my introduction to this piece, that it is not only the
great wines of the grands crus of the Cte d'Or that have the power to please; the
look and taste of that wine is etched onto my memory, for all the right reasons.

Cte Chalonnaise
Premiers Crus
There are over a
hundred premiers
crus spread over this
region, over fifty in
Montagny alone, too many
to list here. Instead I have
given just three of the most
notable from each
commune.
Bouzeron: None classified
Rully: Les Grsigny, Clos
du Chaigne, Vauvry
Mercurey: Sanzenay, Clos
lvque, Clos Fortoul
Givry: Clos de la
Servoisine, La Grande
Berge, Clos du Cras Long
Montagny: La Grande
Roche, Les Bassets, Les
Burnins

Notable Domaines of
the Cte
Chalonnaise
Bouzeron: de Villaine
Rully: Raymond Btes,
Andr Delorme, H&P
Jacqueson
Mercurey: Michel Juillot,
Jean Marchal, Jean
Raquillet, Antonin Rodet
Givry: Michel Goubard,
Jean-Marc Joblot
Montagny: Cave des
Vignerons de Buxy, Alain
Roy

Givry is again white or red, with neither developing any great prominence in terms
of quality in my experience. The reds can be robust and worthwhile, and may
certainly be identifiable as Burgundy, the whites tend to be flavoursome and fun
(such as that apple-tinged wine discovered in the course of my early explorations),
even if both types perhaps lack the great finesse that more expensive bottles of
from the Cte d'Or might convey. Despite my happy memories of that white, it is still Pinot Noir that
dominates here, and of the 270-or-so hectares about 85% is planted to this red variety. As with Rully and
Mercurey there are a considerable number of classified premiers crus, and a small number of worthwhile
producers turning out very good wines indeed. The value of the premier cru epithet is somewhat limited here
(indeed this is true of much of the Cte Chalonnaise) - such grand titles account for more than 40% of the
Givry vineyard.

Montagny
Was Montagny the first ever Burgundian appellation - excluding Beaujolais for a moment, a decision some
would unfairly say should be made permanent - that I tasted? Possibly. I certainly have some recollection of
a bottle of Montagny from my early days exploring wine, no doubt seduced by the promise of a premier
cru experience, this designation being proudly declared on the label. I soon learnt my lesson; Montagny
premier cru is one of those most aberrant of misnomers, like Bordeaux Suprieur, nomenclature that clangs
with grandeur but in fact relates to little more than alcoholic strength. My reading taught me that any wine

from this appellation with more than 11.5% to its credit qualified for the title, and the wine I had turned out to
be rather dull despite reaching even that rather lowly-slung hurdle.
A first glance at the appellation regulations as I researched this guide suggested that this apparent wrong
had since been righted, but more detailed consideration revealed that this was not the case. Although these
regulations state that premier cru status for Montagny is site-related, just as it is for Givry, Rully and
Mercurey, in truth these premier cru sites account for the majority of the appellation, and (as is common in all
appellation regulations) they must still attain a minimum alcoholic strength. So in effect almost any wine with
more than 11.5% from the commune can be premier cru, as I discovered with that early bottle, unless - I
suppose - it is unfortunate enough to originate from one of the few unclassified lieux-dits.
All told there are more than 300 hectares of vineyards arranged in an amphitheatre to the west of Buxy (why
the appellation isn't named for this town rather than the much smaller Montagny-ls-Buxy to the west isn't
really clear), and as you might imagine the aforementioned Buxy co-operative, the Cave des Vignerons de
Buxy which is situated on a large roundabout on the outskirts of the town, is a reliable source of decent
drinking bottles - not so much Montagny, but I do recall acquiring some very decent Crmant de Bourgogne
there a long, long time ago.
This brings my brief journey through the vineyards of the Cte Chalonnaise, a region which on the whole I
think offers more pleasure in white than red, to an end. For more whites from Burgundy, again with the
opportunity to find both quality and value combined, we must move onto Mconnais. (28/12/00, last updated
7/1/10)

Mconnais
It is too long since I last visited the vineyards of Mcon. My memories of my time there are fleeting, brief
recollections of moments long past. A glimpse of a road sign for Mcon itself, an impromptu tasting at a longforgotten domaine, rolling hillsides and the occasional towering outcrop of rock. Memories of the wines are
perhaps more easily recalled, for they can be delicious and very good value. That has certainly been my
experience, anyway; this is certainly a region worth exploring in some detail.

History
In my introduction to this guide to Burgundy I alluded to the region's rich heritage of viticulture, stretching
back more than a millennium, contrasting it especially with Bordeaux which is largely a much more recent
creation. One exception to this rather sweeping statement about Bordeaux is of course St Emilion, where
names such as Figeac and Ausone hark back to the poets Figeacus and Ausonius, scholarly Romans with a
taste for viticulture. Here in Mconnais we can see, however, that Bordeaux does not lay sole claim to
Ausonius; during his life he wrote of many more distant regions, drawing particular attention to the wines of
Mcon. Clearly these are ancient vineyards, to match any found in St Emilion or the Cte d'Or.
In parallel with those more famous vines just beyond the Cte Chalonnaise, the vineyards around Mcon
were largely established and consolidated not by Roman invaders or settlers but by the ecclesiastical
institutions that dominated these landscapes during the 11th and 12th centuries. In particular the Cistercian
order based at Cluny were active here as well as on the Cte d'Or. What might be regarded as Mcon's
golden era came many hundreds of years later though, during the 17th century. At this time the wines were
often sold in Paris, a ready market although perhaps not an obvious one, the journey from Mcon to the
capital city being lengthy and arduous. It is said that a local grower named Claude Brosse was the man
responsible for opening this lucrative market, having journeyed from Mcon to Versailles, a trek which
occupied 33 days of his life, taking along with him two barrels of his wine. Legend has it that he gained the
attention of the Louis XIV purely on the basis of his huge stature, a stroke of luck that reputedly afforded him
the opportunity to show his wines, which were naturally received with rapture.
There is a more hard-headed view of course, a view that suggests Paris
was a market broached through necessity rather than good luck. Indeed,
it may well have been forced upon them by vinous nepotism, as exports
to other lucrative markets were blocked by authorities in Dijon and
Chalons, who obviously favoured the wines of the Cte d'Or, and in Lyon,
who blocked the gateway to the Rhne. And so the wines undertook the
journey to Paris, moving largely by canal and by river, travelling across
land when moving from one waterway to the next. Barrels were often
damaged, wine lost or even consumed as payment, this situation
persisting until railways arrived in the mid-19th century.
Today such transport difficulties have long since evaporated, as indeed
have many of the vines; after phylloxera only the most profitable
vineyards were replanted, and huge swathes of vines all over Burgundy,
Mcon included, were lost forever. The vineyards today cover perhaps
one-third of the area documented during the 18th century, and they are
largely white whereas once they were red. Fewer vineyards, ease of
transport and the dominance of saleable Chardonnay over the previously
prevalent Gamay does not, however, mean the vignerons of the modern
Mconnais are free of commercial problems. The wines suffer as they,
like many wines of generic appellations in Burgundy, or Bordeaux, or the
Rhne, dwell in the shadows cast by more prestigious appellations which
generate much more interest, more column inches, more opinion and
thus have many more eager buyers. One or two famous appellations
such as Pouilly-Fuiss or St-Vran might buck the trend, maintaining
some degree of recognition and reputation, as do one or two well-regarded growers, but looking at the broad
picture we are in a Burgundy backwater here, where many growers are polyculturists, just as interested in
tending to their fields of potatoes and asparagus as they are their vines. Marginal profits mean little room for
investment, and there is naturally a tendency to reduce labour costs with mechanisation. On the Cte d'Or
you will not have to look too long before you spot a horse-drawn plough in the vineyard, and workers tending
to the vines by hand. Here in the Mconnais, although there are exceptions, you are more likely to espy
specialised tractors trundling along, ready to plough, prune or harvest as required.

Climate and Terroir

We are once more a little further south here, the climate therefore a little
more temperate, but by no means a sure bet. Frost is always a threat
early on in the season, and there is no less rain here than many other of
France's viticultural regions. The topography is a little like that found to
the west of the Cte d'Or, a series of rolling hills offering numerous
slopes, and naturally the vines tend to be clustered on the more
favourable inclines which have good exposure to the sun. In some areas
the bedrock has lifted and erupted into tall and craggy outcrops of
Jurassic rock; resistant to weathering, each one makes a striking vision,
with the jagged outlines of Solutr perhaps the best recognised.
Underfoot the bedrock and soils may, in some places at least, resemble
those found in the Cte d'Or, though naturally over such a large area he
soils are very varied. The region stretches up to 35 km from north to
south, and 15 km east to west, and it may feature clay, limestone, granite
or sand.

Appellations
Clearly Mcon, whether red or white, is the most obviously associated
appellation, but there are more noteworthy names tied to individual
villages which may offer good value and quality, such as the
aforementioned Pouilly-Fuiss, and equally there are large quantities of
more anonymous wines produced, this region being responsible for a large proportion of Burgundy's annual
output of generic wines, including Bourgogne Aligot, Bourgogne Blanc and Rouge, Crmant de Bourgogne
and similar. It is of course the former, the individual villages with a track record of quality, that will interest us
most. Perhaps surprisingly the Mcon village named Chardonnay, which naturally stakes a claim as the
'birthplace' of the vine of the same name, is not one of them.
The first is Fuiss, the best known village of the Pouilly region almost at the southern-most tip of the
appellation. Here the leading villages may append their name to the region in question, so as well
as Pouilly-Fuiss we also have Pouilly-Loch and Pouilly-Vinzelles. These appellations have all suffered
in the past, as some growers and co-operatives have followed the path of early harvest, high yields and
heavy manipulation, producing wines that were thin, unripe and sulphurous but which were sold on name
alone. Nevertheless, from the right source, these can be very good bottles, and the same can be said
for Vir-Cless.
St-Vran, meanwhile, is absolutely the last outpost of the Mconnais before we
Mconnais
enter Beaujolais country. The appellation is centred around the village of St-Verand,
Premiers Crus
curiously the final 'd' seemingly lost in the translation somewhere. There are also
There are no
good wines to be found here, as there are around Davay and Priss, the former
classified premier crusites
the source of one of the most delicious bottles of white Mcon - from Domaine de
in this region.
Deux Roches - that I have ever had the pleasure to consume. But as with all
Notable Domaines of
Burgundy, we should not focus too much on appellations or towns; it is producer
Mconnais
that matters most, and a bottle of straight Mcon might have just as much promise
as a Pouilly-Fuiss - or indeed as some wines from the villages of the Cte d'Or. In Andr Bonhomme,
fact, as is the case with so many inappropriately disregarded and overlooked
Domaine Corsin, Domaine
des Deux Roches, Domaine
appellations - be it the crus of Beaujolais, the sparkling wines of Limoux or the
Ferret, Guffens-Heynen,
esoteric wines of the Jura - there are producers here turning out fantastic and
Domaine Guillemot-Michel,
distinctive wines that should be sought alongside those of the Cte d'Or, not as
Olivier Merlin, Domaine
half-hearted replacements. Names such as Jean Thvenet (renowned not only for
Talmard, Jean Thvenet,
Marcel Vincent et Fils
his dry Chardonnays, but also a finely sweet botrytised version), Paul Talmard,
Olivier Merlin or Andr Bonhomme spring immediately to mind. More details are
given in the box, above. (28/12/00, last updated 14/1/10)

Beaujolais
Beaujolais can mean different things to different people. To some, it conjures up images of gallon after gallon
of gluggable, fruity wine, sometimes pretty, sometimes floral, sometimes labelled as Beaujolais Nouveau.
Those that know these wines are likely to also be aware of the quality-highs the region also offers with its
ten cru villages, such as Morgon and Fleurie, wines of freshness and light, which translate their terroir and
can develop considerably with age, often allegedly becoming rather more Pinot-like as they do so.
Alternatively, there are some who dismiss the region out of hand, their experience blighted by the use of
questionable yeast cultures and cuves that taste more of bananas than wine, of early releases that taste of
little other than acid and green, or of "vin de merde" to quote Franois Mauss, writing of the disastrous 2001
vintage in Lyon Mag (a description that led to legal action against him, as it happens). These are both
potential faces of the Beaujolais coin; which side you see depends on your tasting history, your personal
experience of the region and its wines, and perhaps on just how open-minded you are prepared to be.
My first personal experience of Beaujolais was as a student, when I picked up a few bottles of a
recommended Beaujolais Nouveau (I am afraid I forget the details, including producer and vintage) and then
after drinking the first tucked the rest away in my cellar, drinking one every month or so. Each bottle was
better than that which had preceded it, until I finshed the last one the following Easter, five or six months
after the nouveau release (which is always the third Thursday in November). This experience of very shortterm cellaring was my first realisation that many Beaujolais myths - such as the maxim of drink youngest
available, a frequently touted rule especially where nouveau is concerned - are false.
A more direct experience with the wines came when I visited the region a few years later, and travelling on a
budget I erected my tent in a small campsite just outside Fleurie, one of the region's ten cru villages, not at
all far from the famed windmill after which the neighbouring cru appellation of Moulin Vent is named (since
the picture on the left was taken, in 1997, the building has been restored, including new sails). The campsite
was rather lacking in facilities, and sadly its proprietor was similarly lacking in good humour, as most of our
interactions seemed to centre around some complaint he might have concerning me, my tent or my car.
Fortunately he was not typical of the little town's inhabitants, as the hostess at the tiniest restaurant in town I am afraid I forget the name again - was a delight, and I enjoyed a number of good meals and fine bottles
there. Some were so delicious, in fact, that I felt moved to track down the domaine in question to see if I
could buy any more. After a long afternoon of hunting, armed with a few clues provided by the restaranteur, I
located the domaine, only to be waved away in a peremptory fashion, the words reaching my ears so terse
and seemingly insulted at my appearance (and no, it wasn't lunchtime) that I immediately considered the
possibility that the proprietors of the domaine and the campsite were related. I left empty-handed, and so
ended, for a while at least, my affair with Beaujolais.
Since that day I have since expanded my knowledge of this region of Burgundy and have increasingly learnt
to ignore those aforementioned tradiitional Beaujoalis maxims. Beaujolais does not have to taste of
bubblegum and bananas, and can in fact yield delicious wines, rich in believable rather than confected fruit
character, or sometimes with a deeper, more savoury bent. The wines can age, not just a few months as I
describe above but for years, and many wines from the cru villages will drink well at 5-10 years, and some
will go for much longer than that. Today I am fortunate to have had my eyes opened to the good side of the
Beaujolais coin, but sadly for many, their eyes are still closed to the pleasures the region offers. Beaujolais is
perhaps Burgundy's Muscadet; it has hidden depths, and only those who explore will be likely to discover
them.

History
The region of Beaujolais is named for its historical capital, Beaujeu, although today nearby Villefranche-surSane has greater economic significance. For many centuries viticulture was of little importance here, the
Gamay and other vines playing a minor role amongst fields of wheat and rye, and the occasional flock of
sheep. The determined localvignerons once dealt with all the difficulties I have already expounded in my
guide toMconnais, namely the lack of a ready market and difficulties in transporting the finished wines. Prior
to the 17th century they would be moved by road, an arduous journey, but with the development of the canal
system the wines would be shipped to Paris on the Canal de Briare and then into the Loire, a slower but
nevertheless cheaper and less risky route.
Beaujolais is Gamay country, or to be more specific Gamay Noir, to distinguish this variety from the
Gamay teinturiers - grapes with red flesh as well as red skins - such as Gamay de Bouze. Gamay Noir
covers 98% of the region, with what remains being Chardonnay - particularly favoured where there is
limestone - and also some Pinot Noir. Gamay is the natural offspring of Pinot Noir and the little known
Gouais, and has been cultivated in the region for at least seven centuries. Some evidence for this history

comes from Philippe the Bold, one of the powerful Dukes of Burgundy, who as I have discussed in my
section on History and Variety spoke out against Gamay as early as 1395, and indeed acted to curtail its
spread by outlawing its cultivation. Despite this it remained a popular choice with local vignerons as it
ripened a full two weeks earlier than Pinot Noir, but the actions of Philippe and others explain to some extent
why the variety is concentrated outside of the Cte d'Or, where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay rule.

Carbonic Maceration
Although few wine guides deserve a section dedicated to the regional peculiarities of vinification, this is not
true of Beaujolais. Summed up in the most simplest fashion, most of the world's red wines are first pressed
and then the resulting must - a mixture of grape juice and grape solids, the latter including pulp, pips, skins
and maybe stalks - are transferred to a fermentation vessel of some sort. Fermenting Gamay in this way can
yield a very unremarkable wine (or in some cases a delicious one), whereas the process of carbonic
maceration can produce dramatically different and perhaps - although not in the eyes of all - more attractive
results.
The technique takes whole, undamaged and unpressed bunches of grapes which are deposited directly into
the fermentation tank. As more fruit is piled in those grapes at the bottom are crushed by those being added
on top, leading to three distinct layers. These are; at the bottom, the juice of crushed berries, then in the
middle intact grapes and grape solids floating in juice, and lastly on the top intact bunches of grapes sitting in
the carbon dioxide gas which is produced by the fermentation below. The middle grapes take on the alcohol
by osmosis, whereas at the bottom the fermentation continues unabated. But it is the top layer of grapes that
really matter in most Beaujolais cuves; here anaerobic processes ongoing within the fruit not only contribute
alcohol to the mix, but also tend to reduce the concentration of malic acids, enhancing the soft mouthfeel of
the wine. Eventually the fruit may be pressed to extract the juice and sugar from those grapes that remain
intact, and so to allow the fermentation to continue, but the effect of that top layer can still be felt in the final
wine.
Some producers, particularly those aiming for a more serious cuve intended for cellaring rather than
drinking young, may dispense with this practice, pressing and submerging the fruit in the fermenting wine
from the offset, but for the typical early drinker this is the technique by which it will have been produced.

Terroir
The vineyards lie sandwiched between those of Mcon to the north
and the Northern Rhne appellations to the south, and indeed from an
administrative point of view Beaujolais is considered more part of the
Rhne Valley than Burgundy, although viticulturally and historically it is
clearly more associated with the former than the latter. The region can
be conveniently bisected according to terroir, with the Nizerand, which
flows west-east across the region into the Sane, providing a
convenient marker of the division. To the south, the Bas Beaujolaisis
characterised by sandstone, limestone, sand and clay, the topography
is flatter than further north, and the soils richer; the wines here have
the genericBeaujolais appellation. North of the Nizerand it is a
different story; this is a land of rolling hills affording the vines a more
favourable aspect and drainage, and the soils here are schistous or
granitic in places, with some limestone. This is the Haut Beaujolais,
much of which has the Beaujolais Villagesappellation, although there
are also ten crus here, on the hilly regions to the north where the
schist and granite is most apparent. The map above shows these
ten cru appellations, and although my attempt at cartography perhaps
suggests this is a broad and sweeping region do not be fooled. The
distance between some of the cruvillages can be measured in
fractions of a kilometre, as I noticed whenever I escaped my unfriendly
campsite during my visit to the region. From Odenas to St-AmourBellevue is less than 30 km, and although I visited the region by car it
would also be ideal for even the most casual of cyclist.

The Appellations and Crus

Much of what is bottled here is Beaujolais andBeaujolais-Villages, the
Beaujolais
distinguishing feature here being vineyard of origin as described above. The
The Ten Crus
occasionally sighted Beaujolais Suprieur is no different to Beaujolais, other than a
St Amour, Julinas,
minimum alcohol of 10% for the former rather than 9% for the latter. Beaujolais
Moulin--Vent,
Nouveau simply implies early release, on the third Thursday of November following Chnas,
Fleurie, Chiroubles,
the harvest, and both Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages may append Blanc to
Morgon, Rgni, Brouilly,
their names for their white wines. There is also a tiny amount of ros. At the top of
Cte de Brouilly.
the Beaujolais pyramid, however, are the ten crus, much more restricted areas of
Notable Domaines of
vineyard in the Haut Beaujolais, where quality can be very high indeed. Some have
Beaujolais
a reputation for elegance and a feminine style, such as St
Jean-Paul Brun, PierreAmour, Fleurie and Chiroubles, whereas others are better associated with the
Marie Chermette, Michel
more meaty and in many cases ageworthy wines of the region, such
Chignard, Alain Coudert,
as Morgon and Moulin--Vent. I think to some extent these generalisations hold
Jean Descombes
true, but it is of course as dependent on the viticulteur and vintage as much as
(Dubouef), Jean-Marc
Despres, Louis Claude
anything else. It is too easy for these vineyard and regional characteristics to be
Desvignes, Bernard
drowned out in the cellar, whether by the use of cultured yeast, the whole berry
Diochon, Jean Foillard,
fermentation technique known as carbonic maceration as described above, or
Chteau des Jacques
atypical use of oak. For that reason it is better, in my opinion, to follow producer or
(Jadot), Paul Janin, Marcel
Lapierre, Jean-Claude
domaine rather than cru. A full list of the cru villages and notable domaines are
Lapalu, Yves Mtras, Dom.
given in the box above.
des Souchons & 1752,
Michel Tte, Chteau Thivin

Conclusion
This snapshot of Beaujolais does little to convey the region's complexity, but I hope it gives a taster. I suspect
to some, who view wine as a symbol of status, where points, prices and the size of your 'wine collection' are
all that really seems to matter, this instalment of my wine guide will be of no interest, but I suspect they will
also have stopped reading many paragraphs before this (or perhaps when we got started on theCte
Chalonnaise). But to those who view flavour and pleasure as more important, and who can judge these
wines for themselves without needing to channel the opinions of others, this is an important wine region. Yes,
there are bad wines here. There are scandals, illegally blended wine, secret chaptalisation, funny practices
and sometimes even funny flavours. But there are also dedicated viticulteurs producing attractive, bright and
flavoursome wines which seem to me to have within them nebulous and ill-defined characteristics that make
wine interesting, such as authenticity, typicity and even history. And, of course, sheer drinkability. Over the
years the wines of Beaujolais have given me much pleasure, and I admit that today I simply don't drink
enough of them.
And with that admission I bring this guide to Burgundy to a close. I hope that these sixteen instalments,
providing a beginner's guide to all things Burgundy, from Chablis to the Cte d'Or, from Bouzeron to Brouilly,
prove useful. Burgundy is a fabulous region, both historically and viticulturally, and although I know it less
well than some other regions, such as Bordeaux or the Loire, its beauty has certainly not escaped my eye nor indeed my palate. (28/12/00, last updated 21/1/10)

La Bourgogne

et ses cinq rgions viticoles

CHABLIS &
GRAND AUXERROIS

CTE DE NUITS

CTE DE BEAUNE

CTE CHALONNAISE

MCONNAIS

Appellations Rgionales
Appellations Villages
et Premiers Crus
Appellations Grands Crus

www.vins-bourgogne.fr

Edition 2011

LES NIVEAUX D'APPELLATIONS

Chablis Grand Cru

Chablis Premier Cru
Chablis
Petit Chablis
Saint-Bris
Irancy
Bourgogne Aligot
Bourgogne (Blanc et Rouge)
Bourgogne Chitry
Bourgogne Cte Saint-Jacques
Bourgogne Cte dAuxerre
Bourgogne Coulanges-la-Vineuse
Bourgogne pineuil
Bourgogne Tonnerre
Bourgogne Vzelay
Crmant de Bourgogne

www.vins-bourgogne.fr

ET CTES DU COUCHOIS

Appellations Villages
(Premiers Crus)
Appellations Villages
Bourgogne
Cte Chalonnaise
Bourgogne (Blanc et Rouge)
Bourgogne Aligot
Bourgogne
Ctes du Couchois

www.vins-bourgogne.fr

ET HAUTES CTES DE BEAUNE

Beaune

Grands Crus
Appellations Villages
(Premiers Crus)
Appellations Villages
Appellations Rgionales
Bourgogne
Hautes Ctes de Beaune

www.vins-bourgogne.fr

ET HAUTES CTES DE NUITS

vers vignoble du CHATILLONNAIS

Dijon

vers NANCY

1
A3

N 74

CHENVE
CA
NA
L

DE

Ligne S
NCF

MARSANNAY

COUCHEY

FIXIN
BROCHON

N U I T S

GEVREYCHAMBERTIN

MOREY-ST-DENIS

CHAMBOLLEMUSIGNY

REULLEVERGY

GILLYLS-CTEAUX

VOUGEOT
LTANGVERGY

CURTIL- Hameau de
VERGY CORBOIN

COLLONGESLS-BVY

FLAGEYCHZEAUX

Hameau de
CONCUR

MESSANGES

VOSNEROMANE

SEGROIS

CHEVANNES

VILLARSFONTAINE

HAUTES

euzi

Le M

Nuits-St-Georges

MEUILLEY

CTES
MAREYLS-FUSSEY

CHAUX

C
TE

ARCENANT

D E

BVY

DE NUITS PREMEAUXPRISSEY

COMBLANCHIEN
VILLERS-LA-FAYE

MAGNY-LS-VILLERS

Appellations Villages

CORGOLOIN

A3

Appellations Villages
(Premiers Crus)

Grands Crus

Bourgogne
Hautes Ctes de Nuits

74

Appellations Rgionales

BE
AU
NE

vers BEAUNE / LYON

BO

UR
GO

GN
E

Ligne SNCF

A6

TG V

LAIVES

e
a n
La S

VIGN
AISE
OBLE DE LA
CTE CHALONN
vers BEAUNE

SENNECEYLE-GRAND

NANTON

ST-YTHAIRE

CURTILSOUS-BURNAND

JUGY

BRESSESUR-GROSNE

SAVIGNYSUR-GROSNE

MALAY
SIGNYLE-CHATEL

BURNAND

MONTCEAUXRAGNY

ST-GENGOUXLE-NATIONAL

ETRIGNY

VERS

BOYER

CHAMPAGNYSOUS-UXELLES

Tournus

MANCEY

BISSY-SOUSUXELLES
CHAPAIZE LA CHAPELLESOUS-BRANCION

LACROST

ROYER

BONNAY CORTEVAIX

PRTY

OZENAY

AMEUGNY

MARTAILLYLS-BRANCION

CHISSEYLS-MCON

SALORNAYSUR-GUYE

PLOTTES

BRAY

FARGESGREVILLY
LS-MCON
CHARDONNAY

CRUZILLE

UCHIZY

BISSYLA-MCONNAISE

MASSY

CORTAMBERT
BLANOT
ST-GENGOUX- LUGNY
DE-SCISS

LA VINEUSE

MONTBELLET
BURGY

LOURNAND

VIR

DONZY-LE-NATIONAL

PRONNE
CHTEAU

CLUNY

FLEURVILLE

AZ
ST-ALBAIN

ST-MAURICEDE-SATONNAY

JALOGNY

CLESS
LA SALLE
IG

BERZLE-CHATEL

SENOZAN

LAIZ
CHARBONNIRES

ST-MARTIN-BELLE-ROCHE

VERZ

BERZ
LA VILLE

SENNEC-LS-MCON

SOLOGNY
HURIGNY
MILLY-LAMARTINE
BUSSIRES
PIERRECLOS

LA ROCHE-VINEUSE
CHEVAGNYLS-CHEVRIRES
PRISS

VERGISSON
SERRIRES
SOLUTR-POUILLY

Mcon

DAVAYE
CHARNAYPOUILLY LS-MCON

FUISS
CHASSELAS
LEYNES

LOCH
VINZELLES

CHAINTR

Pouilly-Fuiss
Pouilly-Vinzelles

ST-VRAND
ST-AMOUR
BELLEVUE

CHNES
CRCHESSUR-SANE

Pouilly-Loch
Saint-Vran
Mcon
Mcon Villages (uniquement en blanc)
Mcon suivi du nom de la commune

ROMANCHE-THORINS

ST-SYMPHORIEN-DANCELLES

La Sane

Vir-Cless

vers LYON
Vignoble du Beaujolais

LA CHAPELLEDE-GUINCHAY

LE VILLARS