Making the trek from the Cote de Nuits to Cote de Beaune should not be without a stop in the city of Beaune.  Founded by Julius Caesar as a Roman camp, the city became the seat of the dukes of Burgundy until the 13th century and still remains the center of the Burgundian wine industry.  A single road winds around the city, acting as its perimeter, enclosing a myriad of delightful restaurants, bistros and wine establishments as well as boutique shops.   Try to make your stay over a Saturday as that’s market day from around 7:30AM to 12:30, a festive and energetic display of nearly everything French in food from sausages to fresh vegetables and fruits, meats, roasting chickens, mustards, and flowers.  There are also the classic vendors selling hardware and household good, clothes, jewelry, and more.  During this time, the city closes off much of the center to traffic and by the time you’re finished, you need to pack it down at one of local cafes or bistros for some lunch and drink.

Cote de Beaune extends about 18 miles south of Beaune to Cheilly-les-Maranges, offering a more gentle and expansive view than the Cote de Nuits.  Both red and white wines are produced in this region.  The reds display elegance, softness and finesse yet still possessing an underlying structure but it’s the white Burgundies for which this region is renown,  names such as Batard Montrachet, Corton Charlemagne,  Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet commanding recognition (and pricing).

While the Chardonnay grape grows from Chablis to the Beaujolais region, the southern Maconnais producing more than the rest of Burgundy offering some the best quality for value wines, we’ll focus more specifically upon the Cote de Beaune region.  The villages that stretch from Meursault to Puligny to Chassagne produce some the finest and most pricy Chardonnay in the world.  Montrachet, single Grand Cru vineyard shared by the villages of Puligny and Chassagne, is often the most expensive Chardonnay in the world, a stellar vintage such as the 2005 yielding whites that can go for several hundred to one thousand dollars per bottle.  While the Cote de Nuits has a long history of producing outstanding reds, it’s only since WWII that Chardonnay has displayed its fame in the Chassagne Montrachet vineyard.

The geologic history of the Cote de Beaune is younger than its northern sibling, its bedrock containing a higher proportion of limestone interwoven with some clay, a soil that’s very hospitable to the Chardonnay grape.  As a general thesis, vineyards at the top any slope will be thinner and stonier whereas those as the bottom will be heavier, containing more clay.  Thinner soil vineyards with a large proportion of small stones tend to heat up faster and do not retain water as well, resulting in earlier maturation and harvesting, again a great environment for Chardonnay.

The Cote de Beaune has eight Grand Cru appellations.  They are Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, Batard-Montrachet, Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet, Criots-Batard-Montrachet, Le Corton, and Corton-Charlemagne. (As a note, the Cote de Nuits does have one white Grand Cru, Musigny.  The next level, the Premier Cru, offers wines from any of the many villages and vineyards and may be single vineyard or a blend.  These wines may be labeled by either the village name followed by Premier Cru or the village and the vineyard followed by Premier Cru ( i.e., Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru).  The next level is simply the village appellation which may or may not list a specific vineyard.  These labels do not carry the name Premier Cru.  At the entry level are the regional appellations which contain grapes from any portion of Burgundy.

As a general statement, allowing of course for nuances, grapes tend to be hand harvested, destemmed and whole cluster pressed in stainless steel.  The must may be allowed to settle for up to 36 hours.  Alcoholic fermentation proceeds, usually in oak containers using indigenous yeast, most winemakers feeling that this assists in expressing the terroir to the region.  Once complete, the juice may undergo partial or full malolactic fermentation, further softening the wine.  From there, the wine is aged on the lees for 12-20 months in general, the Grand and Premier Cru in aged oak barrels whereas some of the village and generics may be aged in stainless steel.  Bottling takes place without fining and may require a light filtration. 

If you’re searching for Grand Crus names, have your credit card ready.  The combination of meager yields, often less than 100 cases, exceptional quality and high demand translates into high pricing that easily reaches several hundred dollars per bottle.  Names to look for are Jadot, Leflaive, Bourchard Pere & Fils, Amiot, Girardin, Marc  Colin, Sauzet, Marc Morey, Drouhin amongst others.  Some of more outstanding vintages are 2002 and 2005.  Most of these collectibles have a long life ahead of them, the best perhaps twenty years.

Not to be ignored, are the outstanding whites from Meursault and at a fraction of the price of the Grand Crus, often less than $100.  At their best, they are beautifully dry with nuances of butter and nuts.  Look for Roulot, Pierre-Yves Colin- Morey, Latour, Lucien le Moine, Bourchard Pere & Fils and Jadot.

As mentioned earlier, the Cote de Beaune also displays outstanding reds, the most prominent of which from Pommard and Volnay.  But don’t discount the Beaune Premier Cru and village wine.  The best are medium bodied with lovely red fruit while the village wines are fresh, lively wines with beautiful red cherry and raspberry notes.    Producers of Beaune wines include Bouchard Pere & Fils, Tollot-Beaut, Arnoux Pere & Fils, Drouhin, Jadot, Latour, Bernard Morey, and Prieur.  These wines can run from $30 to over $100.  Pommard is just southwest of Beaune, the vines growing in a calcareous clay deposited from an ancient marine environment, and displays deep and voluptuous reds with spice.  Parent, de Courcel,  Bouchard Pere & Fils, Girardin, Jadot, and le Moine are just a few of the well recognized names.  These wines tend to run between $40 and $100.

Volnay lies about half way between Beaune and Meursault and south of Pommard, the Pommard marls interfingering with clay limestone to yield excellent soils.  Volnay makes both village and Premier Crus reds, the best of which are silky smooth and display outstanding finesse.  The best display beautiful aromas of cherry and raspberry along with floral notes and wonderful structure.  These wines are medium bodied (in contrast, say, to a Gevry Chambertin).  Look forMarquis d’Angerville, Bouchard Pere & Fils, Jean-Marc Bouley, Faiveley, Latour, le Moine, Pierre Morey, Potel, and Joseph Voilot.  These wines, on average run between $50 and $120.

Tags: Beaune, Cote de Beaune