Cote de Beaune
The Côte de Beaune is a prestigious wine region in Burgundy, France, renowned for its exceptional white wines made from Chardonnay and red wines from Pinot Noir. It includes famous appellations like Meursault, Pommard, and Puligny-Montrachet, producing some of the world’s finest wines.
The best wines from Cote de Beaune
The Côte de Beaune is a prestigious wine region in Burgundy, France, renowned for its exceptional white wines made from Chardonnay and red wines from Pinot Noir. It includes famous appellations like Meursault, Pommard, and Puligny-Montrachet, producing some of the world’s finest wines.
Although almost twice as much Pinot Noir thrives in the Côte de Beaune as Chardonnay, the Côte d'Or region in Burgundy is best known for white wines. And famous. The reason for this is the legendary Grands Crus such as Montrachet.
Where exactly is the Côte de Beaune?
When it comes to the Côte de Beaune, misunderstandings can quickly arise. This is because above the town of Beaune, which is something of a wine centre in Burgundy, there are four vineyards that together form the regional appellation Côte de Beaune. The vineyard area here is only 35 hectares. However, when we speak of Côte de Beaune, most people do not mean this small appellation, but the sub-region of Côte d'Or, which can be found there in the south with its vineyard area of 5,000 hectares. And to which the Côte de Beaune appellation also belongs. Phew. Fortunately, no one said that Burgundy is easy to understand. It's subtleties like this that sometimes make the French wine region quite complicated.
From Ladoix-Serrigny, the Côte de Beaune, which forms the southern counterpart to the Côte de Nuits in the Côte d'Or, runs for about 30 kilometres south. The vineyards are generally south-facing and located at an altitude of between 220 and 380 metres. The higher altitudes then have their own sub-region with the House Côte de Beaune. We said it: it's complicated!
Grapes in wines from Côte de Beaune
The Côte de Beaune is associated above all with one grape variety: Chardonnay, thanks to Meursault and the Grands Crus like Montrachet. In fact, Chardonnay only accounts for 38 per cent of the vineyard area – Pinot Noir, on the other hand, accounts for a whopping 61 per cent. The remaining percentage point is shared by Pinot Liébault and Pinot Gris. However, these two grape varieties only play a role in the regional and municipal wines of the Côte de Beaune.
The Premiers and Grands Crus of the region are reserved for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay alone. Corton is actually the only one of the eight Grands Crus whose wines are made from Pinot Noir. The others are entirely dedicated to Chardonnay.
Climate and soils in the Côte de Beaune
Like in the Côte de Nuits, the climate is cool and continental. However, since the Côte de Beaune is further south, it is a bit warmer here. Accordingly, late frosts are less common here, but they still occur. However, hail and rain are a much bigger problem. There have been many a small vintage because hail destroyed a large proportion of the grapes in various places shortly before the harvest. And rain also regularly complicates the work of the winemakers. Especially in summer, when vine diseases such as downy or powdery mildew can spread rapidly due to the humidity. Winegrowers often need a great deal of knowledge and have to act quickly to maintain the quality of their wines at a high level.
In the higher vineyards of the Hautes-Côte de Beaune, limestone with a high iron content dominates the soils, while further down it is flint-rich clay. These different soils then also have a significant influence on the taste of the wines. Let's take a closer look.
Wine producers
What does a wine from the Côte de Beaune taste like?
Because it is a bit warmer in the Côte de Beaune than in the Côte de Nuits, the wines from here are generally a bit fuller and more concentrated than the growths from the north of the Côte d'Or. While the Pinot Noirs from the regional and municipal appellations impress with lots of fruit and more body, the red wines from the Premiers Crus usually impress with a beautiful complexity and an impressive structure. At the same time, however, they also impress with delicacy and a beautiful finesse.
The difference between the northern and southern Chardonnays is even more pronounced. While a northern Chablis impresses with its lively acidity, a Meursault tends to be more opulent, with notes of hazelnut and butter and a delicately sweet fruitiness. However, Meursaults grown on limestone rather than marl can also have a razor-sharp acidity. Puligny-Montrachet, often referred to as the crown of the white Burgundies, is located just south of Meursault. Puligny wines are regularly said to be a bit more delicate and elegant than their other Montrachet neighbours. If Puligny is the ballerina among the white wines of the Côte de Beaune, then Chassagne is the gymnast. The wines of Puligny-Montrachet are powerful, with delicate fruit and impressive expressiveness. But whether Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet or Chassagne-Montrachet, all these wines are unforgettable.
What food goes with Côte de Beaune wines?
In the Côte de Beaune, too, you can find the right wine for every conceivable dish. Do you like barbecuing? Then we recommend a Pinot Noir from communal appellations. These wines are usually fruity and fragrant and go just as well with grilled vegetables as they do with grilled lamb or beef. Yes, they even go very well with grilled poultry and salmon! If you prefer something more traditional, you can of course also choose a Meursault with poultry and salmon. This also goes very well with a risotto or pasta with a rich sauce.
Finally, a request: if you open a wine that should bear the name Montrachet in any form, then please enjoy it as a soloist. Rich dishes with poultry or veal can accompany these wines excellently, but these icons can best shine as a solitaire. We recommend that you focus exclusively on the vinophile legend itself. It will thank you with an unforgettable taste experience. The wines of the Côte de Beaune are surprisingly diverse. Don't miss out on a flavourful journey through this fascinating Burgundy region with Best of Wines.
