{"id":8216,"date":"2019-07-11T17:18:46","date_gmt":"2019-07-11T21:18:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.winetraveler.com\/?post_type=wine_region&p=8216"},"modified":"2022-07-01T18:50:06","modified_gmt":"2022-07-01T22:50:06","slug":"burgundy","status":"publish","type":"wine_region","link":"https:\/\/www.winetraveler.com\/wine-region\/burgundy\/","title":{"rendered":"Burgundy"},"content":{"rendered":"

The story of Burgundy begins with the Cistercian monks in the eleventh century, who cultivated vines for hundreds of years in the region. They painstakingly studied and recorded the differences in the wines made from each plot. Eventually, they found which vineyards produced the greatest wines, and established the importance of terroir (ter\u02c8w\u00e4r<\/em>), a term that is inescapable when talking about Burgundy.<\/p>\n

Terroir has no direct, one-word English translation, but the simplest definition is \u201ca sense of place.\u201d Terroir is the totality of every minute variation and influence on the vine \u2013 soil type, orientation to the sun, what part of the slope it\u2019s situated on, average temperature, etc.<\/p>\n

Monastic control over the vines, however, saw its demise with the French Revolution in 1789. As years went on, the Napoleonic Code of 1804 was passed and further stipulated that all vineyards be inherited equally among all children, resulting in many landowners owning only a few rows of vines today. This led to the rise of n\u00e9gociants \u2013 people who buy grapes from multiple growers and make a wine sold under their own label. That being said, the Cistercians\u2019 work and winemaking philosophies still hold true.<\/p>\n

Burgundy<\/a> focuses mainly on two grapes \u2013 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir \u2013 making it, paradoxically, one of the simplest, yet most complex regions in the world to study. How can the wines of a single Burgundian winemaker differ so much when they\u2019re produced from the same grapes by the same person? The answer lies in the aforementioned term, terroir. Because Burgundian winemakers are using only one white and one red grape for all their wines, the sense of place comes through in each wine and displays the terroir of the vines. This idea and the Cistercians\u2019 meticulous classification of vineyards eventually led to the modern-day classification system of Burgundy.<\/p>\n

Classification Levels of Burgundy<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There are four classification levels in Burgundy (in ascending prestige): Bourgogne Blanc\/Bourgogne Rouge, Village Wine, Premier Cru,<\/strong> and Grand Cru<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Bourgogne Blanc\/Bourgogne Rouge<\/strong>, generally speaking, are simpler wines that can be made from Chardonnay or Pinot Noir grown anywhere in the region.<\/p>\n

Village Wine<\/strong> is one step up, and all the grapes used in making the wine must come from the stated village on the label. There\u2019s a total of 44 villages in Burgundy, famous examples include Gevrey-Chambertin, Volnay, Puligny-Montrachet, and Meursault.<\/p>\n

The next two classifications, Premier Cru (First Growth)<\/strong> and Grand Cru (Great Growth)<\/strong>, are designated vineyards that have historically been found to be superior. There are 629 Premier Cru vineyards<\/strong><\/em> and only 33 Grand Cru vineyards<\/strong><\/em>. All of the grapes used in Premier Cru or Grand Cru wines must come from the stated vineyard.<\/p>\n

The Sub-Regions<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Geographically, Burgundy is separated into four sub-regions (listed northernmost to southernmost): Chablis<\/strong>, the C\u00f4te d\u2019Or<\/strong> (which is further split into the C\u00f4te des Nuits<\/strong> and C\u00f4te de Beaune<\/strong>), the C\u00f4te Chalonnaise<\/strong>, and the M\u00e2connais<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The most important of which is the C\u00f4te d\u2019Or which holds 32 of the 33 Grand Cru Vineyards (24 of which are in the C\u00f4te des Nuits, the other eight in the C\u00f4te de Beaune). The remaining lone Grand Cru belongs to Chablis. The C\u00f4te Chalonnaise and M\u00e2connais are both sources of some increasingly good values, and a good place to start one\u2019s journey in Burgundian wine. Legally, there is a fifth sub-region, Beaujolais, though it is generally considered separately as it is governed by different restrictions and focuses mainly on the red grape Gamay.<\/p>\n

Other elements that contribute to making Burgundian wine distinctive are its northerly latitude, its soil, and winemaking decisions. Burgundy is located in eastern-central France on the 47th<\/sup> parallel, giving it a very cool climate. Its cool average temperatures help the grapes retain their acidity, which is pivotal for an age-worthy and balanced wine. The best vineyards are planted on a particular limestone soil called Kimmeridgian limestone that is scattered with sea fossils from the Kimmeridgian period. The limestone has good drainage and gives the wines their characteristic minerality.<\/p>\n

Lastly, Burgundian winemakers generally don\u2019t use new oak for simple, inexpensive wines, but often do for Premier Cru and Grand Cru grapes that are concentrated enough to withstand oak flavors.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the grapes Aligot\u00e9 and Gamay are also grown here, but Aligot\u00e9 is grown only in minor amounts and sold as Bourgogne Aligot\u00e9 (an increasingly good value). Gamay is grown only in the sub-region of Beaujolais.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also worth noting that some Burgundian winemakers make Champagne Method sparkling wines sold as Cr\u00e9mant de Bourgogne, which are an affordable alternative for lovers of Champagne.<\/p>\n

Burgundy Sub-Regions:<\/strong><\/h3>\n