Collection: Burgundy

When we say Bourgogne here, we mean more precisely Côte Chalonnaise, the area west of Chalon-sur-Saône, around 350 kilometres southeast of Paris. It is not a continuous belt of vineyards, but three geographically separate zones, squeezed in between Côte de Beaune to the north and the Mâconnais to the south. With its roughly 665 hectares it is a manageable corner of France, and it is precisely from here that the majority of our Bourgogne wines come.

The two mainstay grapes are Pinot Noir for the reds and Chardonnay for the whites, exactly as you know it further up in the region. Alongside them, smaller quantities of Pinot Gris, Pinot Liébault, Pinot Blanc, Aligoté, Melon de Bourgogne and Gamay are grown. The area holds five appellations, each with its own rules, and Mercurey alone accounts for around two thirds of total production. If you fancy sparkling wine from the area, you will also find Crémant de Bourgogne here.

The vineyards lie at 230 to 320 metres of altitude, and the climate is a touch drier than on the Côte d'Or. The slopes are often well protected against frost and hail, which gives a certain stability from vintage to vintage. The subsoil is chalky, while the topsoil is a mix of clay and sand, in some places enriched with iron deposits. In Mercurey, chalky ooliths meet an iron-rich marl, and it is these kinds of nuances in the soil that shape the wines.

Winemaking follows the same craft as on the Côte de Beaune, without any special tricks. In other words, it is an area where terroir and the grapes' own character are allowed to speak. Côte Chalonnaise is worth exploring if you are fond of classic Bourgogne style and would like to venture further into the region's lesser-known corners. If you want to see it in a larger context, you can explore more wines from France.