Côte de Beaune
Overview
The Côte de Beaune has some delicious red wines, and the Pinot Noir here is quite different from those of the Côte de Nuits. The red wines of the Côte de Nuits are known for their robust, silky, full flavors, and the reds of the Côte de Beaune are soft, delicate, fruit-driven, and generally a bit lighter in body.
But the Côte de Beaune is really known for its complex, long-lived Chardonnay. Seven of the eight grand cru Chardonnay vineyards are found in the Côte de Beaune, and the rich white wines produced here are considered by many to be the best in the world.
Near the northern end of the Côte de Beaune is an excellent appellation called Aloxe-Corton. Although most of the wines that carry the Aloxe-Corton AOC and Aloxe-Corton Premier Cru AOC are deeply colored, firm red wines, the best wines made within the commune are grand cru Chardonnay wines. There is one exception, however, in the vineyard of Corton, which is the only red grand cru in the Côte de Beaune. The best of the white wine vineyards are Corton-Charlemagne and Charlemagne. Wines from these two vineyards are regarded as the richest, most luxurious white Burgundies with a rich, buttery, vanilla character. Corton-Charlemagne is also shared with the communes of Pernand-Vergelesses and Ladoix-Serrigny.
Near Aloxe-Corton to the southwest is Savigny-les-Beaune, which produces mostly soft, fruity red wines. There are several very good premiers crus here, and there are some great values. The wines of Pommard, however are quite well-known and commercialized, and are often sold at higher prices. The best of this commune are the premiers crus of Les Rugiens and Les Epenots. These wines are voluptuous and more tannic than wines from nearby regions.
Southwest of Pommard is the southernmost red-only appellation in the Côte dOr - Volnay. There are some truly great wines from Volnay that are characterized by floral, perfumed aromas. The village of Volnay sits atop a hill overlooking its vineyards, and while there are no grands crus, its 26 premiers crus are top quality. The communes of St-Romain, Auxey-Duresses, and Monthelie are situated in the hills to the southwest of Volnay and produce lighter bodied, good to medium quality whites and reds.
Further down the slope to the east is another famous appellation called Meursault. Although it is not the greatest of Burgundys white wines, it certainly is the best known. Meursault is renowned for its Chardonnay characterized by its full body and flavors of hazelnuts and buttery spice.
Le Montrachet is a grand cru vineyard that is shared by nearby Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet and is one of Burgundys best. Montrachet has intense and luxurious nutty, creamy, toasty aromas and is considered by many to be the worlds best white wine. At the southern end of the Côte de Beaune are two appellations that make fresh, clean, perfumed Pinot Noir - Santenay and Maranges. Maranges was granted AOC status in 1989. Before that, it was actually three separate appellations.
Geography
The Côte de Beanue is a contiguous area of vines just south of the Côte de Nuits, and extending south almost to the northern edge of the Côte Chalonnaise.
Temperature
Slightly more temperate and wet than the Côte de Nuits, the Côte de Beaune faces less of a threat from hail. The biggest problems here are heavy rain and wet winds.
Topography
The vines in the Côte de Beaune are planted on a series of east-facing hillsides. Some face northeast and some fast southeast, but the elevation remains around 1,000 feet. The slopes here are less steep than those in the Côte de Nuits.
Terroir
A clinty clay and calcareous topsoil generally overlies a limestone subsoil with high iron content. Chassagne and Puligny in particular are known for their light marl topsoil. The Chardonnay here is known for its rich, buttery, vanilla character, while the Pinot Noir is soft, delicate, fruit-driven, and generally a bit lighter in body than its cousin in the nearby Côte de Nuits.
