Burgundy Wines - Bourgogne Wines
Richness of the "climates"
Geography and terroir
The vineyard of Burgundy extends on 4 departments: Yonne, Cote d'Or, Saone-et-Loire and Rhone.
5 areas of production are distinguished:
- Chablis
- Cote de nuits and Hautes-Cotes de Nuits
- Cote de Beaune and Hautes Cotes de Beaune
- Cote Chalonnaise
- Maconnais
Grape Varieties
- Chardonnay
- Pinot noir
- Gamay
- Aligote
Appellations
AOC Bourgogne is the generic name, but there are several categories of names.
"Regional" names, AOC collected on delimited zones specific to their production (Bourgogne white, red, clairet and Rose, Aligote, Passe-tout-grains and Cremant de Bourgogne).
One indicates sometimes "under-areas" like (Small) Chablis, Cotes de Nuits (Villages), Cotes de Beaune (Villages), Chalonnais, Maconnais... or the village of production, such as Pommard which refers to a type of vine or a method of development.
Communal names: a great number of communes give their name to the wine collected on delimited parts of their territory. In the villages, the vineyard is divided into localities or pieces indicated by the name of "climates" (soils).
Names First Believed: some soils or "climates" recognized for their quality are classified in first vintages.
Names Great wines: they come from exceptional "climates" and great fame.
Red wines
Brouilly: full, velvety wine with a vegetable, fruity, floral scent very developed.
Pommard: full, velvety and tender wine, with an animal, mineral, floral scent very developed.
White wines
Chablis: dry wine, with well developed and persistent flavours.
Pouilly-Fuisse: dry, fleshy and light wine, rather sharp. To be served fresh (10°C) with scallops.
French version