Collection: Purchase Burgundy wines

The magic of the Great Wines of Burgundy

ThereBurgundyis simply one of the most famous wine regions in the world. Producing some of the rarest wines sought after by connoisseurs, such as the famous Grand Cru Romanée-Conti, the region is renowned for itsmillennial wine history, hisemblematic grape varieties, hisprestigious designations, hisexceptional terroirsas well as, of course, its very high quality wines. Let's take a quick look at all of these great features.

Burgundy grape varieties

The dominant grape varieties in Burgundy arePinot Noirfor thered winesas well as theChardonnayfor thewhite wines. Pinot Noir giveselegant red wines,complex, low in tannin and often described as having remarkable finesse and aromatic intensity. Chardonnay, on the other hand, produces delicious white wines that can evolve onfresh aromatics andmineralas is the case atChablis, but may also have more thanroundness, offatand ofgluttonywhen vinified in barrels as is often the case with appellations such asMeursaultOrPouilly-Fuisse.

However, other minority varieties exist within the region. In particular, we can mentionAligote, whose master appellation is Bouzeron, theGamay, often grown on the granite soils of the Mâconnais and can be used in the composition of Crémants de Bourgogne as well as red wines from the AOC Coteaux Bourguignons, or even Pinot Gris (locally calledPinot Beurot), a rare variety in the region but being used, for example, by theThevenot Le-Brun estate.

Burgundy appellations

The Burgundy region has many appellations divided into several sub-regions:Chablis and Yonne, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais. The most prestigious of them are located in the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune. One can cite, for example, the very famousChambolle-Musigny(Decelle & Sons estate),Nuits-Saint-Georges,Gevrey Chambertin,Pommard,Puligny Montrachet(Domaine Alain Chavy) orChassagne-Montrachet(domain At the foot of Mont Chauve).

Nevertheless, the Côte Chalonnaise as well as the Mâconnais are also full of nuggets, often at more affordable prices like the superb appellationsMercurey(domain François Raquillet),Givry(Domaine du Cellier aux Moines),Rully(Jaeger-Defaix estate), Montagny,Saint-Veran(Bodillard Vineyards), Viré-Clessé or Pouilly-Fumé (Horse domain).

Premier Cru and Grand Cru

Burgundy is also internationally renowned for its unique wine classification system, which very precisely delimits parcels (called “climats”) with unique terroirs.

Thus, within the Burgundy vineyard, only33 plots (1% of production)are classified asGrand CruAnd662 in Premier Cru(10% of production), enhancing the best soils and exposures, making it possible to produce some of the very best wines in the region.

We can for example mention the Grands CrusCorton-Charlemagne,Corton Bressandes(Domaine Jacques Prieur),Clos de VougeotorMazis-Chambertin(Domaine Philippe Naddef). SidePremier Cru, some names likeThe charms(domain Michelot),The Naugues,Closing of the ChapterorChampeauxgenerally produce excellent wines.

In conclusion, Burgundy is aexceptional wine regionand its wines are among the finest and most elegant in the world. Its unique terroirs by their soils, microclimates and exposures make Pinot Noir and Chardonnay shine and highlight prestigious appellations today valued around the world.

You too can discover this incredible region with its incredible diversity! And if you have any questions, don't hesitate to callThe Illuminated Cellar!