Côte Chalonnaise
Overview
Compared to the rest of Burgundy, the Côte Chalonnaise is simple to understand. Of its five wine appellations, two are purely white and three are red or white. Important varieties include Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Chalonnaise wines are high in both quality and value, and although there are no grands crus here, there are quite a few premiers crus. However, the term premier cru doesnt carry the same weight in the Côte Chalonnaise as it does in the Côte d'Or. Though high in quality,the wines rarely achieve the same kind of elegance and opulence as the Côte d’Or wines. Recently, however, the Côte Chalonnaise has built a reputation for quality wines, both red and white.
Since its wines have so much in common with the incomparable Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise has long been seen as an inferior cousin of its much-praised neighbor. That has changed in the last decade, however, as the Côte Chalonnaise has built a reputation for quality wines, both red and white.
Of the regions in the Côte Chalonnaise, Mercurey is the best known. Mercurey accounts for two-thirds of the entire production of the Côte Chalonnaise, of which about 90% is dedicated to red wines that are medium bodied, firm, with earthy tannins and excellent color.
The northernmost of the Chalonnaise regions is Rully, where the wine styles are closest to those of the southern Côte de Beaune. Rully produces some excellent quality light, fruity red wines as well as rich whites with lots of finesse. One interesting fact is that one of the premiers crus of Rully bears the name Clos St.-Jaques, which is also a world-famous premier cru in Gevrey-Chambertin.
Adjacent to Rully is Bouzeron, a tiny appellation that only uses the white grape, Aligoté in its AOC wines. Aligoté is typically a cheap, vigorous grape that lacks character, but in Bouzeron, it takes on a full fruity, spicy character similar to Pinot Gris in style.
