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Burgundy holds a special place in the world of wine. Celebrated for its elegant and refined wines made from Pinot Noir or Chardonnay, the region is indeed renowned for producing some of the best wines in the world. Furthermore, it boasts a classification that the entire wine world envies for its great precision.
In Burgundy, the concept of Cru defines in a very precise way a plot of vines (also called "Climat"), whose soils and exposure are unique. Thus, unlike in Bordeaux, it is not the estates that are highlighted here, but the land itself. Moreover, with the exception of certain monopolies, several owners share these plots, whether they are classified as Premier or Grand Cru.
From a historical perspective, it should also be noted that although the official process of classifying the Climats only truly began at the end of the 18th century, many vineyard plots had already been identified for several centuries due to the region's millennia-old winemaking history.
Let us now look at the general classification of the region's wines.
Burgundy wines are divided according to 3 levels of appellation :
The 7 regional AOCs (52% of production), cover the entire Burgundy winegrowing area (e.g. : Bourgogne AOC, Crémant de Bourgogne, Coteaux Bourguignons etc.). They form the base of the pyramid.
The 44 Village AOCs (37% of production) make up the intermediate category of this hierarchy. Within it, we notably find the 662 Climats classified as Premier Cru (10% of production), spread throughout the region, from Chablis to Mâconnais, including Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise.
For example, we can mention the major appellations Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Meursault, Gevrey-Chambertin, Beaune, Pouilly-Fuissé or even Chambolle-Musigny within which renowned Premier Crus exist, such as the Folatières Climats (Domaine Alain Chavy), Clos Saint-Jean (Au Pied du Mont Chauve), Charmes (Domaine Michelot and Jacques Prieur), Les Champeaux (Domaine Philippe Naddef), Clos du Roi (Decelle & Fils) or even Pouilly (Domaine Cheveau).
Other appellations, sometimes less renowned but just as high-quality, also have remarkable Premiers Crus such as the Marsannay AOC, Rully (Jaeger-Defaix estate) or even Mercurey (François Raquillet estate).
The 33 Grand Cru AOCs (1% of regional production) represent the absolute elite of the region, thus distinguishing the finest terroirs and enabling the production of the best (and often the most expensive) wines of the region. These 33 plots are found exclusively within the Chablis region as well as the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune.
Now that you have a better understanding of the wine organization in Burgundy, all you have to do is make your choice from among these magnificent selections! To do so, feel free to ask for advice directly from La Cave Éclairée !
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