Côte de Nuits
Overview
The Cote d'Or, which means golden slope, is a narrow strip of limestone soil divided into two sections - north of the city of Beaune is the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune lies to the south. The Côte de Nuits is home to some of the worlds most famous red wine producing vineyards with a couple of great white wines as well. Of the 23 grand cru vineyards in Burgundy, 22 are in the Côte de Nuits. Simply put, the Côte de Nuits is the worlds premier red wine district.
At the northern end of the Côte de Nuits just south of Dijon are the vineyards of Marsannay-la-Côte. This appellation is unique in that its AOC includes red, white, and rosé wines. Marsannay is actually the most recent Burgundian region to achieve AOC status (1987). It is most famous for its rosé wines and has more recently been receiving acclaim for its reds.
To the south of Marsannay is the commune of Fixin. The wines of Fixin are robust, firm, and often tannic with good color and even better value. There are several premier cru vineyards in Fixin, but no grands crus. Wines from this region can also be labeled as Côte de Nuits-Villages.
Bordering Fixin to the south is one of Burgundys most famous regions, Gevrey-Chambertin. Like Fixin, the wines of Gevrey-Chambertin are on the robust end of the Pinot Noir spectrum, but they have a silky elegance that their neighbor typically lacks. Gevrey-Chambertin has nine grands crus. Its most famous grand cru, Chambertin, is the reason the commune has its current name. Often, when a vineyard reaches a certain degree of fame, the commune appends the vineyard name to its own. In this case, the commune of Gevrey took on the Chambertin name to promote the wines of its less famous vineyards.
Perhaps the least known of all of the Côte de Nuits appellations is Morey-St-Denis despite the fact that it has four grands crus and part of a fifth (Bonnes Mares). Just south of Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St-Denis contains some of the highest vineyards in the area. The wines of Morey-St-Denis are feminine, rich, elegant, and complex. Many consider Clos de la Roche to be Morey-St-Denis best grand cru. Its soil is rich in marl, giving the wines greater depth with powerful flavor and silky texture. The Morey-St-Denis name comes from Clos St-Denis, however, because the village of Morey attached the St-Denis name when it was considered the best growth.
Morey-St-Denis shares the Bonnes Mares vineyard with Chambolle-Musigny. In addition to Bonnes Mares, Chambolle-Musigny has a very famous grand cru called Le Musigny. Le Musigny is comparable to the most famous of the vineyards in the Côte de Nuits, and its wines traditionally have a velvety, elegant texture. The wines of the tiny commune of Flagey-Echezeaux are lighter and more delicate than their neighbors to the north. Grands Echezeaux is the best and most consistent vineyard site. The other grand cru, Echezeaux, sometimes produces wines that are perhaps too light for their grand cru status.
To the west and south of Flagey-Echezeaux is a commune called Vosne-Romanée where the worlds most famous Burgundy vineyard is located. Romanée-Conti is widely regarded as the best Pinot Noir found anywhere and is owned solely by the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. This wine commands the highest price in Burgundy. Vosne-Romanée is also home to five other grands crus including Richebourg and La Tâche, which is also owned by Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.
At the southern end of the Côte de Nuits is a larger commune called Nuits-Saint-Georges. Although there are no grands crus in Nuits-St-Georges, there are numerous premiers crus that produce delicious, full bodied reds and some great whites as well.
Geography
The Côte de Nuits is a contiguous area of vines that extends south from the city of Dijon to the northern edge of the Côte de Beaune.
Temperature
The Climate here is mostly Continental, with little influence from the Atlantic. Winters are long and cold, spring is humid and summer is hot with plenty of sun. The threat of hail is always present and rains around harvest can dilute the grapes and cause rot.
Topography
The Côte de Nuits is a small series of hillsides that runs along the famed RN 74 road. The line of hills curves, so that some slopes face northeast and some face southeast, but the elevation is fairly constant at around 750 to 1150 feet.
Terroir
The topsoil here generally overlies a limestone base, but itself varies with altitude. On higher slopes, the topsoil is a chalky scree mixed with marl and sometimes red clay, but lower down the soil is more alluvial and richer. Nearly all the wine produced here is red, and is known for its robust, silky, full flavors.
