Category: Bourgogne

Burgundy’s wine legacy, deeply rooted in history since Roman times and later cultivated by monks within their abbeys, enjoys a storied existence under the patronage of the Dukes of Burgundy. This historical support elevated the wines to an esteemed status early on, leading to the establishment of the appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) system as early as 1936.
 
Spanning from Auxerre to Mâcon across 230 kilometers, the Burgundian viticultural region encompasses 30,000 hectares, accounting for 4% of France’s protected vineyard areas. The climate is primarily semi-continental—characterized by harsh winters and frequent spring frosts that can severely impact the vines during their critical growth phase, contrasted by warm summers and dry autumns that are favorable for viticulture. The vast region also experiences a blend of climatic influences: continental or semi-continental from the east, oceanic from the west, and Mediterranean from the south, creating a diverse array of local microclimates.
 
The Burgundy landscape is remarkably fragmented into small plots, contributing to the perceived complexity of the region. For example, the La Romanée appellation covers just 0.8 hectares. With an average vineyard size around 6.5 hectares, the region has developed a unique system of “climats,” which classifies land parcels based on specific terroir characteristics like soil, topography, and human influence.
 
Burgundy is organized into five sub-regions: from north to south, they are Chablis and the Yonne, followed by Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise, and the Mâconnais.
 
The synergy between soil and grape variety in Burgundy is profound, offering wines with unique identities rather than generic varietal labels. Instead of merely tasting Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, one experiences distinct appellations such as Chablis, Meursault, or Pouilly-Fuissé for whites, and Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée, or Volnay for reds. The region predominantly cultivates Pinot Noir (40%) and Chardonnay (51%) on its clay-limestone soils, with additional plantings of Gamay in the Mâconnais, Aligoté across the vineyards, César in Irancy, and Sauvignon in Saint-Bris.
 
Globally, Burgundy wines are highly esteemed, with half of its production exported, marking the region’s wines as some of the most coveted and priciest in the world.

Despite its intricate nature, the Burgundy vineyard hierarchy is well-structured into four levels of appellations: regional (Bourgogne), communal (such as Vosne-Romanée in Côte de Nuits), premier crus (like Meursault Perrières in Côte de Beaune), and grand crus (including Corton-Charlemagne also in Côte de Beaune). This structured classification system underscores Burgundy’s rich tradition of terroir-driven wine production, cherished by connoisseurs worldwide.