Collection: Burgundy

Bourgogne is the wine region in eastern France where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay have their classic home. Our selection comes first and foremost from Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune and ranges from regional wines such as Bourgogne Côte d'Or and Aligoté through village wines to Premier Cru and Grand Cru.

What are the wine areas of Bourgogne?

The region stretches about 230 kilometres from Chablis in the north to Mâcon in the south and is divided into five areas: Chablis and Grand Auxerrois, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise and Couchois, and Mâconnais. The most famous wines come from two narrow slopes that in several places are only a couple of hundred metres wide. Côte de Nuits, from Dijon to Corgoloin, is especially known for red wine, and with Corton as the only exception all of the region's red Grand Cru vineyards lie here, including Chambertin, Clos de Vougeot and Échezeaux. Côte de Beaune, from Ladoix-Serrigny to Maranges, makes both red and white. Around Beaune, Pinot Noir dominates in Volnay and Pommard among others, and from Meursault and southwards Chardonnay takes over, with names such as Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet.

Are Bourgogne and Pinot Noir the same thing?

No. Bourgogne is the region, and Pinot Noir is the grape behind its red wines. Red Bourgogne is traditionally made from Pinot Noir alone, which is why the grape rarely appears on the label. Here it is the place that is in focus. The region actually makes mostly white wine. According to the trade organisation BIVB, around 61 percent of production is white wine, first and foremost from Chardonnay, 26 percent red and rosé wine and the rest Crémant de Bourgogne. There is also Aligoté, a white grape from Bourgogne. If you would rather choose by grape, you can go on to Pinot Noir or Chardonnay.

What do Premier Cru and Grand Cru mean?

Bourgogne has 84 appellations, and the more precisely the origin is stated, the higher the wine is classified. The regional appellations, such as Bourgogne Côte d'Or, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune and Bourgogne Aligoté, can come from a larger area. Village wines bear the name of the commune, for example Volnay or Gevrey-Chambertin. A Premier Cru comes from a named plot, a climat, in the village, and on the label the village is followed by the name of the plot, such as Volnay Premier Cru Clos des Chênes. Grand Cru covers the 33 highest-classified plots, and here only the name of the plot appears on the label, such as Échezeaux, Bonnes-Mares or Clos de Vougeot. The more than 1,000 climats in Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune were added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2015.

Why is Bourgogne so expensive?

The most sought-after wines exist only in small quantities. Grand Cru makes up around one percent of the region's production, while more than half is regional appellations. Each climat is traditionally vinified separately and sold under its own name, and an average estate in Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune has about seven hectares. Bourgogne need not be expensive, though. The regional wines provide a good entry point, and lesser-known villages such as Santenay and Saint-Aubin are worth exploring. In our selection a Santenay Premier Cru often costs less than a village wine from Gevrey-Chambertin or Vosne-Romanée.

What characterises wine from Bourgogne?

First and foremost the connection between wine and place. BIVB describes Pinot Noir as a grape that captures even small differences in soil and location, and there can be a difference between two plots lying side by side. Two wines from the same producer and vintage can therefore taste different simply because they come from separate climats. Red Bourgogne typically has red fruit and fresh acidity, while the white ranges from fresh and taut with citrus and apple to fuller wines marked by oak. If you want to know more about the region, you can read our guide to Bourgogne.