Burgundy

Key Datas: 

• Location:South of Paris, between Dijon and Lyon, the Burgundy wine region stretches on 360 Kilometers (225 miles)
• Size of the vineyards: 25,000 hectares (60,000 acres), 99 wine appellations !
• Vineyards: 5,200 wine growers, 85% of the vineyards are smaller than 10 hectares (25 acres)
• Soil: Limestone, Clayey-limestone and marl
• Weather: Continental with cold winter and warm summer
• Red Grapes in Burgundy: Pinot Noir
• White Grapes in Burgundy: Chardonnay
• Production: 180 million bottles, 65% dry white wine - 35% red wine, 3% of French wine production - 6% of quality French wine production
• Type of Wine: Full-body red wine, medium-body red wine, dry white wine

The Burgundy region begins a hundred kilometers south from Paris and spreads itself down to Lyon. It stretches on 360 kilometers (225 miles).

Burgundy is a region with various soils, divided in numerous districts: Chablis, Côte d'Or (divided in Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune), Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais and Beaujolais.

Burgundy wines are of a velvety and subtle red or of a sensual and characteristic white.

A few of the most exciting wines in the world come from Burgundy.

The region produces two of the most popular wines in France: Beaujolais and Chablis.

The main grapes in Burgundy are Pinot Noir for red wine and Chardonnay for white wine.

Appellations in Burgundy

In 1415 an edict of King Charles VI stated that "Wines which are called Bourgogne are wines produced above the "Pont de Sens" (Bridge of Sens, a city just north of Chablis). He divided wine into two categories : High-Bourgogne and Low-Bourgogne.

Nowadays, the laws of August 1st, 1905 and May 6th, 1919 rule the appellations in Burgundy. Territories composed of small crops called "climats" compose the appellations. That way we get the appellations Beaune, Chablis, Nuits, Meursault, Pouilly-Fuissé ...

Every where in Burgundy the varieties used are strictly ruled.

Premier Cru

About 600 vineyards merit the appellation "Premier Cru". They have been officially designed from the old habits which accepted them as best wines. The name of the village, followed by the name of the vineyard, in the same lettering, appears on the label of a "Premier Cru".

   
Grand Cru

• Only 33 vineyards have the privilege of being agreed as "Grand Cru". They used to be called "Tête de Cuvée". Only the name of the vineyard figures on the label of Bourgogne "Grand Cru". They are the best among the best :
• Bâtard-Montrachet
• Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet
• Bonnes-Mares
• Chablis Grand Cru
• Chambertin
• Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
• Chapelle-Chambertin
• Charlemagne
• Charmes-Chambertin
• Chevalier-Montrachet
• Clos de la Roche
• Clos de Tart
• Clos de Vougeot
• Clos des Lambrays
• Clos Saint Denis
• Corton
• Corton-Charlemagne
• Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet
• Échezeaux
• Grands Échezeaux
• Griotte-Chambertin
• La Grande Rue
• La Romanée
• La Tâche
• Latricières-Chambertin
• Mazis-Chambertin
• Mazoyères-Chambertin
• Montrachet
• Musigny
• Richebourg
• Romanée-Conti
• Romanée-Saint-Vivant
• Ruchottes-Chambertin