Burgundy Basics
Burgundy is home to the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grape varieties, which have been cultivated for wine-making since at least Roman times. In the middle ages, the Cistercian monks developed and owned the vineyards in Burgundy, and they founded Clos de Vougeot just north of Beaune. Over time, they acquired most of the surrounding land suitable for growing grapes.
The region stretches from Chablis in the north to Beaujolais in the south, with the Côte d’Or at its heart. This limestone escarpment lies just north and south of Beaune and produces some of the world’s most highly rated wines, with some considering it to be the best.
The northern part of the Côte d’Or is called the Côte de Nuits and produces exclusively red wine made from Pinot Noir grapes. In contrast, the southern part of the Côte d’Or, called the Côte de Beaune, produces either red or white wine (each village specializes in one or the other). The whites are almost exclusively made from Chardonnay grapes, and the reds are always made from Pinot Noir.
Each wine village is surrounded by dozens of vineyards, each with its own unique terroir. These individual vineyards, known as climats, can produce subtly different tasting wines. A climat surrounded by walls is often referred to as a clos. With over 1,200 climats in Burgundy, collectively inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites in 2015, there is no shortage of unique wine experiences to be had.
Since the early 20th century, the Appellations d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) have governed the rules for wine production and designation in the region. The best wines are termed Grand Cru, followed by second-best Premier Cru, third-best Village, and then Vin de Pays, which is simply labeled Vin de Bourgogne. However, this classification system is not a reliable guide to quality, as it solely depends on the climat from which the grapes are harvested. Factors like vintage, winemaker’s skill, and wine preservation are not taken into account. Thus, it is possible to find excellent Vin de Pays or Village wines and overpriced indifferent Grand Crus.
What to Buy
Demand for Burgundy around the world has exploded over the last ten years, whilst the AOC tightly controls the volume that can be produced from each climat. As a result these wines are expensive – some would say overpriced. However, here are few tips that may help you find good performance (great tasting wine) for the price:
- Get to know the winemakers. The Hachette Guide des Vins is a good starting place
- Don’t overlook the less well known villages like Monthlie and Maranges. They have some excellent wines – and their own well-regarded makers
- If you have an opportunity to try the wine first then trust your taste. If you like it and it is a good price then buy it!
- Remember that age and price tell you very little, on their own, about the quality of wine. On the other hand middle quality wine from a good vintage is likely to outperform a top wine from a poor vintage
- The Village and Vin de Bourgogne wines from good makers can be excellent. Trust your own taste
- If you like the bone-dry wines from Chablis they can offer great performance for the price, as can Pouilly-Fuissé from the Maconnais
- Beaujolais can also deliver great price performance but this is a different type of wine and you have to know which one to look for
- Don’t forget about the Chalonnaise (between Cote de Beaune and Maconnais) it has some excellent wine and wine makers
Vintages
A simple vintage chart does not tell you very much. The following notes on the Burgundy red vintages is from the wonderful JancisRobinson.com
| 2019 | Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the party |
| 2018 | A usefully wet winter preceded a very hot summer. This heatwave vintage at last produced relatively generous volumes. The fruit ripened to such a reliable extent that distinctions between climat and even quality levels seemed a little blurred in some cases, so this is a vintage where village and even regional wines are worth exploring. Juicy, generally fruity, flattering wines with a question mark over their potential for ageing. |
| 2017 | Like Alsace, most of Burgundy celebrated a bounteous harvest in 2017, in contrast to much of frost-stricken France (and unlucky Chablis). A relatively early harvest has resulted in fruity reds with moderate acidity and soft tannins. Some optimists made tentative comparisons to 2002 or 1999. Regardless of quality, the growers were certainly happy with the yields. |
| 2016 | Hail, frost and mildew all made 2016 an extremely difficult year for makers of red burgundy. Yields were universally low, and the fruit had less concentration than in 2015. Beyond that, generalisations are impossible due to the complicated meteorological patterns throughout the year, creating very varied conditions in each sub-region. |
| 2015 | Low yields and warm weather allowed for ample ripeness, small berries and an early harvest. Quality is looking extremely fine, with some people whispering comparisons with the outstanding 2005 vintage. Acid levels in individual wines may be crucial. |
| 2014 | An unusually mild winter (this was the year of the Asian fruit fly) preceded an unusually early start to the season. Flowering took place in settled conditions and all seemed set fair for a year of good quantity at last, and an early harvest. Except that the summer was miserably cool and wet (and a dramatic hailstorm 28th June wreaked havoc on the Côte de Beaune for the third year running) so that growers needed every ray of sunshine in a fine September to recoup their losses. Wines are relatively light. |
| 2013 | A frigid spring delayed flowering and led to uneven ripening. Producers battled with hail (particularly in the Côte de Beaune) and summer downpours, but, despite the naysaying, a drier September allowed a small crop of balanced fruit with good potential. |
| 2012 | Blighted by rot, as a damp summer across Europe made conditions hard for vignerons, with mildew a particular problem. The weather was erratic and bizarre, with heatwaves, hail, a cold spring, thunderstorms and all manner of meteorological mischief. The net results are very low volumes of variable quality – but overall vignerons are surprised and delighted by what resulted. One hallmark of 2012 looks to be soft tannins. |
| 2011 | Disappointing quality with widespread rot and uneven weather conditions throughout the year. The results can be surprisingly good in parts, but 2010 is a much safer bet. |
| 2010 | A return to the high acid norm after 2009, and some very good quality – especially in the Côte de Nuits – but volumes up to a third lower than average. |
| 2009 | Finally, the Burgundians enjoyed a comparatively dry growing season with consistent warmth and no early season hail damage. Low acidity and ripe tannins should make these reds drinkable early. |
| 2008 | An accursed vintage in Burgundy, with coulure, mildew and hail all conspiring to damage yields and quality. Late September sunshine went some way to rescue the crop, however, although high acidity remains the hallmark of this vintage. |
| 2007 | A dank summer led to rotten Pinot Noir grapes and the need for extremely strict selection. The vintage is unlikely to notch up record scores. |
| 2006 | Poor summer with vine health problems produced wines which at their best are very pure and expressive and at their worst just a bit too austere for comfort. |
| 2005 | As in Bordeaux, a quite exceptionally good vintage, although many wines may go through a prolonged stage of chewy adolescence. |
| 2004 | Large vintage of far from flashy but pretty serviceable and certainly good value wines. Relatively light and crisp, for early drinking though the best may surprise in the long run. |
| 2003 | A small proportion of monumental wines from old vines were produced this heatwave year, but generally the frail Pinot Noir grape suffered raisining and made some very unusual wines indeed, some of which provide good, luscious drinking at about five years old but dry tannins are expected to make their presence increasingly felt. |
| 2002 | Good vintage. Summer was not especially hot, though it was reasonably dry. Sugar levels were boosted in September but some grapes were adversely affected by scattered rains then. Sugar levels were quite respectable in the end and most wines showed their charms at an early stage. |
| 2001 | Wet summer with some heat spikes. As for red bordeaux from this vintage, a gentle hand was needed in the winery to retain delicacy and not emphasize the already notable tannins. Quite varied quality. Wines from low-yielding grapes will provide exciting long-term drinking but others are gawky. August hail in Volnay. |
Wine to Drink
- It is worth visiting the Tourist Office in Beaune to see the wine region orientation presentation (La Maison des Climats du Vignoble de Bourgogne) – a really good start for people visiting Burgundy for the first time
- Visit the Patriarche Pere et Fils wine caves that extend underneath most of Beaune. The visit is unaccompanied and followed by a tasting (included in the reasonable price)
- Fix up a wine tour through the Beaune Tourist office … walking, by car or by bike
- If you’d like to do a wine tasting we would recommend phoning in advance – unless you know they are open and welcoming guests. The tourist office can make a booking for you. Several Domaines will make a charge unless you are buying 6 bottles or more. In the centre of Pommard the wonderfully friendly Michel Rebourgeon Domaine is often open for tasting (if they are not busy making wine!). And prices are reasonable for the quality
- Visit Clos de Vougeot – where it all started and home of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin. Don’t miss the film about Clos Vougeot
- The Saint-Vincent Tournante is held on the last weekend in January. Since 1938 each wine village in the region takes it in turn to host this thanksgiving festival. It was last held in Pommard in 1981
- Many villages open their couveries one weekend to welcome visitors. We love the Printemps in Mothelie which is Easter weekend each year. Details in the Beaune Tourist office