Côte de Nuits makes up the northern part of Côte d'Or in Bourgogne and lies south of Chablis. This is where Pinot Noir truly comes into its own, and the area enjoys a well-deserved status as home to some of Bourgogne's most sought-after red wines. In fact, Côte de Nuits holds around 12% of all grands crus in Bourgogne measured by area, which says something about the density of classified plots you find here.
Production is clearly dominated by red wine, which accounts for roughly 95%, while the remaining 5% or so is white wine made from Chardonnay. Pinot Noir is thus the carrying grape, but the white wines are a small, charming exception worth noticing if you want to experience another side of the area.
Côte de Nuits is not a single appellation, but a geographical collection of villages, each with its own character. Among the well-known village appellations you find Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-Saint-Georges. The names are worth knowing, because they often reflect clear differences in style and expression from plot to plot, even within the same small area.
If you want to understand Côte de Nuits better, it helps to see the area in its context. It is the northern half of Côte d'Or, and together with the neighbouring stretch to the south it forms the backbone of Bourgogne's red wine production. Pinot Noir from here is known for its elegance and its ability to express the nuances of the soil from village to village.
If you would like to dig deeper into the region, you can explore our collection from Bourgogne and see more from Frankrig as a whole. Côte de Nuits is a good place to start if you want to get to know Pinot Noir on its home turf.