The romantic region of Burgundy starts with Chablis in the north and finishes with Beaujolais in the south.
Wines from Chablis are made from 100% Chardonnay. From the heart of Burgundy, white wines are also made from Chardonnay, whilst red wines are made from Pinot Noir. In the south, the grape variety of Beaujolais is Gamay.It is the red wines from the Côte d’Or, the heart of Burgundy, which we are interested in for this article. It is here that some of the finest wines in the world are made. Those that many winemakers aspire to and hold in high esteem. They are the holy grail.
The Côte d’Or is divided into two: the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune. The Côte de Nuits is quite literally home to the world’s most expensive vineyards and wines. Virtually all are Pinot Noir because of the soil being heavier and more clay based. The Côte de Beaune, in the lower part of Burgundy central, is dominated by Chardonnay and is the home to the most expensive Chardonnays in the world from the village of Puligny Montrachet.
The Côte de Nuits is comprised of several villages that all have their own specific characteristics.
Gevrey-Chambertin is a village where the vineyards are located on gentle slopes with layers of pebbles on the top. The wines from Gevrey show red berry characters when young and game characters in the richer wines. As they develop they tend to have more licorice characters.
Morey-St-Denis is not as well-known as the other villages in the Côte de Nuits. Located between Gevrey and Chambolle, the vineyards in Morey-St-Denis have a good free draining gradient and a base of limestone.
Chambolle-Musigny produces wines that are some of the most delicate in Burgundy, displaying fragrant fruit and finesse. The light soil and varying gradients of the village create this delicacy and the complexity of these wines.
Vougeot is home to one Grand Cru, Clos de Vougeot, which covers more than four-fifths of the area under vines here. Clos de Vougeot wines are rich and generous yet not overpowering.
Vosne-Romanée is home to the most expensive wines in Burgundy. The village of Vosne-Romanée is home to the Grand Crus Romanée-Conti, La Romanée, La Tâche, Romanée-St-Vivant, Richebourg and La Grande Rue, and also home to some of the best domains, including Domaine de la Romanée Conti.
There are various levels of quality in Burgundy. At the top is Grand Cru. Next is Premier Cru, followed by wine from a specific village and then Burgundy generic appellations. In total there are more than 400 Premier Cru vineyards in Burgundy. There are 32 Grand Cru vineyards in total – eight white Grands Crus, 24 red Grands Crus. Of these, 24 are from the Côte de Nuits and eight from the Côte de Beaune.
This month at Glengarry we are celebrating everything Pinot Noir, including the great wines from Burgundy. Check out the range of Pinot Noir instore and online, with superb deals to match. We are also hosting a walk around tasting at our Victoria Park store where you’ll be able to taste over 50 different Pinot Noir.
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