Burgundy Flashcards
What are the 5 areas of Burgundy?
Chablis, Côte d’Or, Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais, Beaujolais
What is the size of Burgundy excluding Chablis?
A relatively narrow strip of land running approximately in a north- south direction between Dijon in the north and Mâcon, around 130 km (80 miles) to the south
How long is the Cote d’Or?
The Côte d’Or is divided into the Côte de Nuits, which runs south from Dijon to just south of Nuits-Saint-Georges and the Côte de Beaune, which runs south from there to Santenay.
What is the quality level of wine in Burgundy?
The wines are produced at a range of quality levels but are mainly good to outstanding and sell for a range of prices from mid-priced to super-premium. Limited supply and surging worldwide demand mean that average prices are high
Main Grape in the Yonne Department (includes Chablis)
80% Chardonnay
Main Grape in the cote d’Or
over 60 per cent Pinot Noir.
Chablis
Chablis is the name of a town and an appellation that lies in the valley of the River Serein
in the northern-most part of Burgundy.
Chablis Location
110 kilometres (70 miles) northwest of Dijon, it has a slightly cooler climate than the Côte d’Or.
Describe generally the taste profile of wine coming from Chablis
All the wines are dry, most are medium bodied, medium alcohol, with zesty high acidity, green apple and lemon fruit flavours.
The general trend is for no or minimal oak flavour, though fermentation and ageing in oak can be used by some producers for premiers and grands crus
Chablis quality & price
There is a range of quality from good to outstanding wines that can be cellared and aged. The prices range from mid-price to premium, with a few super-premium
Generally do not reach the heights of the most expensive wines from the Côte d’Or
Chablis popularity
In the early nineteenth century
it enjoyed a boom due to its relative proximity to Paris.
Plantings in Chablis shrank under the challenges of phylloxera and powdery mildew in the nineteenth century and above all the building of the Paris-Lyons-Marseille railway in the middle of the nineteenth century
After the coming of the railway Chablis could not compete with cheaper wines from the south of France. Rural depopulation after World War I and the devastating frost of 1945 reduced Chablis to a low point of just 500 ha. In more recent decades, demand has led to the land under vine growing back to 5,500ha.3
Chablis Climate
The climate in Chablis is continental with cold winters and warm summers
Because of the cool northern location there is uncertainty about ripening and considerable vintage variation
The early ripening characteristic of Chardonnay is an advantage.
Chablis Rainfall
Average annual rainfall is 670mm but this is spread throughout the year making for a moist climate (high threat of fungal diseases) and difficulties in the period leading to harvest (threat of rot).
Chablis Climate Risks
The region is vulnerable to spring frosts and hail storms during the growing season, both of which have had a severe impact on the region’s yields in recent vintages
Chablis Soil Characteristics
The appellation has limestone and clay soils, some of which has a considerable amount of fossilized seashells and is known as Kimmeridgian soil
Chablis Options for managing spring frosts
- smudge pots: smoky, causes air pollution, requires staff in the vineyard
- sprinklers (‘aspersion’): this is now the most popular option, though the installation and
maintenance costs mean that it is only a realistic option for vineyards with a good return
on investment (premiers crus, grand cru) or for well-funded companies - pruning choices: later pruning promotes later bud-burst, reducing the chance of damage
to the new buds from early spring frosts.
Chablis Vineyard Management: Rootstocks
41B (vinifera x berlandieri) rootstock is widely used in Chablis as it is highly tolerant of limestone soils with a high pH. 420A (riparia x berlandieri) is popular for its low vigour and tolerance to high pH soils
Chablis Vineyard Management: Pruning system
The double Guyot replacement cane training system is typical: if one cane fails, the other may survive frost.
Taille Chablis, a multi- armed cordon system, is typical of Champagne, not Chablis.
Chablis Vineyard Management: Yields & picking
Yields are higher than in the Côte d’Or, though recent years have seen severely reduced yields due to frost and hail damage.
Unlike in the Côte d’Or, much of Chablis today is machine picked, although the grand cru vineyards are mostly too steep for mechanisation and are generally picked by hand
Chablis Location and soil types of the Appellations: Petit Chablis
These are typically higher, cooler vineyards, predominantly with Portlandian soils (hard limestone with less clay).
Chablis Location and soil types of the Appellations: Chablis
This is a large area of Kimmeridgian soil and mixed aspects.
The vineyards of both Petit Chablis and Chablis are predominantly on flat land or on gentle slopes. The aspects vary with many north- facing sites.
This leads to light bodied wines, notable for their high acidity, with light (Petit Chablis) to medium (Chablis) intensity, and green apple and lemon fruit.
Chablis & Petit Chablis Taste Profile
light bodied wines, notable for their high acidity, with light (Petit Chablis) to medium (Chablis) intensity, and green apple and lemon fruit.
Chablis Location and soil types of the Appellations: Chablis Premier Cru
40 named vineyards have premier cru status and are predominantly on south-and south-east-facing facing slopes of Kimmeridgian soil.
Some larger premier cru vineyards have specified named plots (lieux-dits) within them. Wines made from these can be labelled under their specific site (like Chablis Premier Cru Troêsmes) or under the larger climat they fall within (like Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy)
climat vs lieu-dit
A climat is a named vineyard fixed in AOC legislation, a lieu-dit is a named piece of land in the centralised land register.
Chablis Location and soil types of the Appellations: Chablis Grand Cru
There is a single grand cru with seven named vineyards.
It is immediately next to the village itself, faces southwest, on the right bank of the River Serein, and is on Kimmeridgian soil.
The south- facing slopes promote ripening and the wines have a greater weight and concentration than either premier cru of village level Chablis.
The mixture of crumbly marl with good drainage and high clay content for water retention contributes to higher quality.
The grand cru vineyards also benefit from shelter from winds coming from the north due to a belt of trees between it and the adjacent Petit Chablis vineyards. As a result, the wines have greater concentration, body and capacity to age.
Chablis Grand Cru represents
just 1 per cent of the region’s total production.
Chablis 7 grand cru climats
Blanchot, Bougros, Les Clos, Grenouilles, Preuses, Valmur, and Vaudésir.
Chablis Premier & Grand Cru Slopes
Premier cru and grand cru Chablis are predominantly on south-facing slopes and often sited mid-slope.
The slope means that vineyards are
better drained and better protected from frost, and the southerly aspect means better light interception and therefore riper fruit.
Chablis Winemaking: Chaptilization
The option for chaptalisation up to the legal limit is used regularly in all but the warmest years.
Chablis Winemaking: Fermentation
Fermentation is typically in stainless steel vessels with storage in stainless steel or concrete for a few months for most wines. Malolactic conversion is common to soften the acidity and the wines may also spend some months on the lees to enhance texture
Chablis Winemaking: Oak
Oak aromas, flavours, and textures are not typically desirable nor commonly found in most generic Chablis, which is celebrated for its crisp, bright citrus and green apple fruit flavours and high acidity.
However, some wines, especially the grands crus and more occasionally the premiers crus, may be fermented and aged in barrels. There is a range of styles from use of old oak (used by, for example, Dauvissat or Raveneau), some new oak (used by, for example, William Fèvre), and the use of stainless steel or concrete for grand cru wines as well (used by, for example, Jean-Marc Brocard).
This issue has been controversial as some think that Chablis should not smell or taste of oak, unlike many Chardonnays from around the world.
Chablis Law & Regulations
Only Chardonnay is allowed within the appellation. Maximum yields are restricted to 60 hL/ha for Petit Chablis AOC and Chablis AOC, 58 hL/ha for Chablis Premier Cru AOC and 54 hL/ha for Chablis Grand Cru AOC.
Chablis Wine Business
As in the rest of Burgundy, the traditional distinction between négociants (merchants) and domaines (estates) is breaking down as négociants have bought land and some domaines supplement their own production with additional négociant business.
Chablis wine business: La Chablisienne
One third of all wine is vinified by the co-operative La Chablisienne, which operates at all levels of the appellation hierarchy. As elsewhere, more growers are making and marketing their own wines.
Chablis Wine Businness: Associations
- Le Syndicat de Défense de l’Appellation de Chablis
- L’Union des Grands Crus de Chablis
Le Syndicat de Défense de l’Appellation de Chablis
William Fèvre founded Le Syndicat de Défense de l’Appellation de Chablis in 1993 with the aims of combating fraud and addressing environmental issues.
L’Union des Grands Crus de Chablis
L’Union des Grands Crus de Chablis is a voluntary association to promote the quality of Chablis Grand Cru and therefore limited to those who own grand cru sites.
It has a quality charter: members must practice sustainable viticulture and harvest by hand.
Chablis Wine Business: Drivers of price
- The name of the domaine and the level of the appellation, can be very important drivers of price.
- Petit Chablis and Chablis AOC tend to be mid-priced, sometimes premium.
- Premier cru and grand cru wines usually premium or super premium in price.
- Wines from certain highly regarded producers such as Francois Raveneau and Vincent Dauvissat sell at extremely high prices.
In general prices for Chablis are lower than corresponding wines in the quality hierarchy in the Côte d’Or.
Chablis wine business: Export
Two-thirds of Chablis by volume is exported, with the UK being by far the biggest destination, followed by USA, Japan, Sweden, and Canada.6
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Climate
The climate in these parts of Burgundy is moderate continental, Dijon, at the northern end of the Côte d’Or, being around 500 km (300 miles) from the Mediterranean, with cold winters and warm summers. The relatively short summers make early ripening Chardonnay and Pinot Noir suitable varieties.
Côte d’or: Rainfall
In the Côte d’Or the Morvan hills to the west provide protection from rainfall. The average annual rainfall is around 700 millimetres. Early autumn is typically dry, though rain can be a threat at harvest.
Mâconnais Climate
The climate of the Mâconnais is typically slightly drier and warmer than the Côte d’Or.
Influences that affect the quality of individual sites
aspect, altitude, degree of slope and soils.
Recent Climate Trends in regards to ripening pinot noir
Even though the climate is warmer than it was in previous decades, ripening Pinot Noir is still a precarious business, and a cool vintage can result in under-ripe tannins in the finished wines.
Therefore, promoting the ripeness of skins and seeds is a priority for growers in the region.
Due to its northerly location, vineyard site and the particular weather of each vintage are incredibly important for both yield and quality. The variability of the weather from year to year leads to marked vintage variation.
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais Climate Risks
- Spring Frost
- Rainfall
- Hail
- Drought
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais Frost
Frost can be a challenge this far north. Spring frosts, if severe, are a significant problem and may substantially reduce yields if they occur after budburst. The risk is particularly acute as both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are early budding.
This issue is further exacerbated by recent warmer than usual winters that encourage earlier growth, making the vines more vulnerable to frost.
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Frost Management
- smudge pots: smoky, causes air pollution, requires staff in the vineyard
- sprinklers (‘aspersion’): this is now the most popular option, though the installation and
maintenance costs mean that it is only a realistic option for vineyards with a good return
on investment (premiers crus, grand cru) or for well-funded companies - pruning choices: later pruning promotes later bud-burst, reducing the chance of damage
to the new buds from early spring frosts.
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Hail
Hail can be a problem throughout the growing season.
In April–May the damage to the early growth of the vine can lead to reduced yields, or even in extreme cases a total loss of the crop.
Hail later in the season will lead to fruit damage, particularly to exposed grapes
Unless extra care is taken to eliminate damaged berries there is a risk of grey rot tainting the wine. The use of sorting tables has played a critical role in alleviating such problems.
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Hail Management
Hail netting was not permitted in the past as it was thought to cause too much shading and appear an inauthentic part of the landscape.
However, the limited use of anti-hail netting has been permitted from June 2018.
Beyond nets, the most common preventative action is to seed thunderclouds with silver iodide to induce precipitation some distance from the vineyards under threat.
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Hail Damage
Hail tends to be highly localized, but for those impacted the problems that arise from hail damage can be substantial both in winemaking and commercial terms.
Villages in the Côte de Beaune, most notably Volnay and Pommard, were particularly badly affected by hail between 2012 and 2015.
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Rain issues
Rain can be a problem if it falls at the wrong time. Early in the growing cycle it can disrupt flowering and fruit set, lowering yields and leading to uneven ripening.
Extended periods of rain during the growing season increase the threat of fungal diseases.
Too much rain just before harvest can lead to dilution because of uptake of water by the grapevine and increase the chance of rot.
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Drought-Stress
Drought-stress has also presented a problem in some recent vintages, where hot, dry summers have caused berries to shrivel and sometimes caused vines to shut down completely, causing a halt in ripening.
Since irrigation is not permitted, water-stress is a concern for growers in a hot, dry vintage. Vineyards with high clay content cope better with water-stress due to their water-retaining properties.
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Topography - what effects style & quality
The aspect and elevation of the various vineyards in Burgundy are among the most critical factors determining the style and quality of the wines
Cote d’Or Topography
The Côte d’Or lies on a range of hills oriented north-south at elevations ranging from around 200 metres above sea level to around 400 metres.
Side valleys are oriented in a more east–west direction at various points along the main slope. This means that although the main ridge of the Côte d’Or is basically east- facing, there are in fact a range of aspects across its vineyards many of which are more south- east or even southerly in aspect.
Cote D’Or best sites
The best sites are mostly found on the mid-slope. They benefit from well-draining shallow soils, good sunlight interception, and comparative frost protection and better ripening potential due to their central position.
Cote D’Or top of slope vs bottom slope soils
Vineyards at the very top of the slope can have very poor, thin soil and are exposed to cooling winds, whilst vineyards at the bottom of the slope have deeper soils and are vulnerable to frost.
The coolest sites may be planted with Aligoté or used for the production of Crémant de Bourgogne.
Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais Aspect
Aspects are more varied in the Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais. Some of the best south- east facing slopes of the Côte Chalonnaise are found in Bouzeron and Rully.
In the Mâconnais, there are a range of sites with the best sites of Pouilly-Fuissé typically on slopes with south-facing aspect.
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Soils
In general, the vineyard soils are composed of mixtures of various types of limestones and clay, though the proportions vary.
The Côte de Nuits: Soils
More dominated by limestone in the mixture. The majority of the most highly regarded Pinot Noir wines is grown here
The Côte de Beaune: Soils
Has more clay and the soils are deeper. The majority of the most highly regarded Chardonnay wines come from this area.
Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Soils
Mixed with a range of limestones and clay. The depth of soil above the bedrock varies significantly, due in part to the movement of soils down the slopes by erosion
Burgundy Erosion
This is a source of continuing problems, even in gently sloping vineyards such as the walled Clos de Vougeot.
Burgundy soil changes at elevation
There are thinner soils at higher elevations and deeper ones at the bottom of the slopes. At the top of the slope there is too little soil for vines to thrive. At the bottom of the slope, drainage is poorer, and the soil is deeper with more clay, resulting in greater fertility.
In turn this leads to more vigour with an increased danger of shading, a factor that contributes to grapes being less ripe in these areas.
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Grape Varieties
Chardonnay for white wines and Pinot Noir for the reds. Historically there was a substantial proportion of Aligoté and Gamay grown here until the early part of the twentieth century. Some well-regarded Aligoté is grown in the village of Bouzeron in the Côte Chalonnaise.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a versatile variety suited to a range of climates. It buds early and so can be susceptible to spring frosts. It also ripens early making it suitable to grow in a cool region.
It can produce relatively high yields without loss of quality.
It can be grown in a wide range of soils and climates, resulting in a range of styles. However, many top-quality examples are grown on limestone/clay soils, as in Burgundy.
Chardonnay Cons
- grey rot,
- powdery mildew,
- millerandage
- grapevine yellows
Chardonnay Taste Profile
Cooler spots (Chablis):,
* apple, pear, lemon and lime fruit
* wet stone notes,
* light to medium body
* high acidity.
In more moderate climates, (cote d”or):
* ripe citrus, melon and stone fruit,
* medium to medium (+) body,
* with medium (+) to high acidity.
Burgundy Chardonnay Main Challenge in good growing seasons
In good growing seasons in Burgundy, the main challenge in making high quality wine can be vigour management to avoid excessive yield and shading, which would reduce the quality of the fruit.
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is a variety that buds early, and can therefore be susceptible to spring frosts. It also ripens early making it suitable to grow in cool regions. However, unlike Chardonnay yields must be limited to produce quality wines
Pinot Noir Cons
variety that buds early, and can therefore be susceptible to spring frosts.
It is a delicate variety:
* millerandage,
* downy and powdery mildew,
* botrytis bunch rot,
* fan leaf and leaf roll viruses.
In warm climates, it tends to ripen too fast (reducing the intensity of aromas), and the berries can shrivel and suffer from sunburn
Burgundy Pinot Noir Main Challenge in good growing seasons
In Burgundy, the concerns are more typically whether the fruit will ripen sufficiently to achieve the desired ripeness (tannins, colour and flavour).
Clones
Many of the clones used in both red and white Burgundy are drawn from the Dijon clone families developed at the University of Burgundy in Dijon.
These clones are now widely used in many wine regions around the world growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Which clones to choose
As different clones tend to vary in a number of aspects such as yield, disease tolerance, speed of ripening and fruit characteristics, producers must decide whether to plant vineyard plots with a single clone leading to a more uniform fruit profile or plant a mix leading to greater diversity in grape characteristics (whether good or bad) and potentially more resistance to disease.
A number of producers choose to propagate their own vines via mass selection.
Burgundy Pinot Noir Taste Profile
- strawberry, raspberry and red cherry flavours
- medium alcohol and high acidity.
- low to medium tannins (grand cru wines can have medium (+) tannins),
- The wines can develop earth, game and mushroom notes with time in bottle.
- village wines and above having light, oak- derived flavours (smoke, clove),
Burgundy Vineyard Management: Pruning Options
Some vines are pruned using Cordon training systems, including Cordon de Royat. This limits vigour and thus yields, although the high proportion of old wood can harbour disease.
Traditionally vines throughout Burgundy were pruned, trained and trellised using the Guyot system (replacement-cane pruned with VSP).
Burgundy Vineyard Mangement: Recent pruning trends
In recent years, many growers have returned to the Guyot system (replacement-cane pruned with VSP) as well as an even softer method of cane pruning known as Poussard-Guyot.
(This system maintains the same sap route from one year to the next with pruning wounds only on the upper part of the cordon. This reduces the number of pruning wounds and seeks to cut down the incidence of Esca and other trunk diseases.)
This method requires skilled vineyard
workers, but it can be hugely helpful in combatting trunk disease, and also aids canopy management during the growing season.
Burgundy Vineyard Management: Planting Densities
Planting densities are typically around 8,000–10,000 vines per hectare though there are growers who have much higher planting densities.
Denser planting is thought to encourage root competition leading to better quality fruit, i.e. smaller berries with higher flavour intensity.
Burgundy Vineyard Management: Limiting Management
As well as through winter pruning choices, growers can manage and reduce yields by de- budding (usually before flowering) and green harvesting during the latter part of the growing season.
Burgundy Vineyard Management: Debudding
De-budding can promote good balance in the vine, but by reducing the potential yield so early in the season, damage inflicted by hail, frost, or fungal disease can have a drastic effect on yield.
Bud rubbing can lead to substantially reduced yields if the subsequent growing conditions are poor or later hailstorms reduce the crop
Burgundy Vineyard Management: Green Harvesting
Green harvesting allows growers to assess the size, shape and position of bunches before they decide to sacrifice any.
This decision made relatively late in the season allows growers to take into account unpredictable weather events (especially hail) before taking action.
However, it can lead to changes in vine development through compensation via excessive growth in the remaining bunches and a resultant dilution in the grapes.
Burgundy Vineyard Management: Maximum Yields
the maximum yields are moderate for regional appellations and reduce steadily through the pyramid of the quality hierarchy.
- regional appellations rise to a maximum of 69 hL/ha (red) and 75 hL/ha (white)
- village level wines are restricted to 40-45 hL/ha (red) and 45-47 hL/ha (white)
- some grands crus have maximum yields as low as 35 hL/ha (red) and 40 hL/ha (white).
However, there are wide ranges within the quality levels as the rules for individual appellations can reflect local conditions.
Burgundy: Organic & Biodynamic farming
Organic and biodynamic grape growing has become more popular, especially among leading growers.
However, the climate makes this a challenge.
Furthermore, many vineyards are shared in Burgundy and some organic practices require a minimum area to be successfully implemented. This can lead to friction between growers who adopt different approaches to grape growing.
Burgundy: Fungus/Pest/Disease Management
Grape moths are now typically controlled by the use of pheromone capsules.
Common fungal diseases (powdery and downy mildew, botrytis in the form of grey rot) have to be managed through canopy management and spraying.
Since a recent outbreak of grapevine yellows,the authorities have become very vigilant in monitoring and attempting to restrict the spread of the problem.
Esca (and the other trunk diseases) are also significant problems today.
Burgundy: Timing of Harvest
The timing of the harvest in Burgundy is critical given the marginal climate, where storms can lead to dilution and to fruit damage.
Judgements have to be made: harvesting early will preserve acidity but the fruit may not be fully ripe, harvesting late can lead to a softer wine style but there may be concerns about the weather.
The majority of fruit is still picked by hand and therefore the availability of a workforce to harvest is a major consideration.
Burgundy White WineMaking: Acidification/ De-acidification
Acidification or de-acidification (rarely practised) is permitted within the EU limits.
Burgundy White WineMaking: Chaptilization
When musts have insufficient sugar to reach the minimum alcohol level required or, more likely, the style desired, winemakers will chaptalise the must.
While in the past chaptalisation was a regular occurrence, with recent warmer growing season temperatures and better canopy management it has become less necessary.
The maximum enrichment is +1.5-2%.
Burgundy White WineMaking: Harvesting
Almost all grapes in the Côte d’Or are hand harvested, and certainly so for better quality wines.
They are sorted, typically on sorting tables, to remove diseased, damaged or underripe fruit, which is especially important for consistent quality in a cool climate.
Burgundy White WineMaking: Pressing
Grapes are typically whole bunch pressed as the inclusion of stems aids drainage of the must.
The grapes are usually pressed immediately rather than undergoing a period of skin contact as Chardonnay is not a particularly aromatic grape and most producers try to avoid the risk of extracting tannins.
Burgundy White WineMaking: Clarification
The must for high quality wine is usually clarified by sedimentation. The level of solids remaining in the juice vary depending on the winemaker’s view of the desirability of the flavours they impart.
Musts for less expensive wines may be clarified by other, quicker methods.
Burgundy White WineMaking: Hyperoxidation
Some producers practice hyperoxidation with the aim of producing a final wine that is less prone to oxidation.
This may be in response to the criticism that protecting the must from oxygen during production has contributed to the problem of premature oxidation
Burgundy White WineMaking: Fermentation Yeasts
Fermentation by ambient yeasts is common practice, although some winemakers will inoculate with cultured yeast, particularly for high- volume regional wines. Ambient yeast usage is far more prevalent at higher classification levels as winemakers believe it encourages terroir expression and are prepared to monitor the fermentation more closely and intervene as necessary (e.g. warming up a sluggish ferment).
Burgundy White WineMaking: Fermentation Vessels
Fermentation for inexpensive and some mid-priced wines will usually be in stainless steel or concrete vessels. Fermentation temperature for these wines is around 16–18oC (61–64oF), to preserve the primary fruit and avoid the banana flavours of cooler temperature fermentation. Wines are aged in the same or in older barrels.
More expensive wines (including some of the more expensive Bourgogne Blanc wines from high quality producers) are typically fermented and aged in barrel for a creamier and more rounded style. Fermentation temperatures typically can rise to 20oC (68oF) in barrels.
Burgundy White WineMaking: Aging for more expensive wines
These wines are aged for 8–12 months in barrel in contact with the fine lees. If the oak is new, or more likely if a proportion of the barrels is new, then the wine will show oak flavours such as vanilla and clove spice.
Burgundy White WineMaking: New Oak Percentages
- Wines often see little new oak at regional levels
- 20-25 per cent is quite common at village level,
- 30-50 at premier cru level
- 50 per cent and above at grand cru level (though 100 per cent is not unheard of).
Burgundy White WineMaking: Types of Oak
The standard oak cask is the 228 litre Burgundy barrel (known as a pièce) but some producers are using larger (500–600 litre) barrels, where the surface-to-volume ratio is lower which results in a subtler impact both of oak flavours and oxidation.
Burgundy White WineMaking: Malolactic Fermentation
When the wine completes alcoholic fermentation, it will usually undergo malolactic conversion. If the desired style is for a fresher character, a proportion of the wine can have the malolactic conversion blocked. Malolactic conversion can be carried out in neutral vessels or in oak
Burgundy White WineMaking: Battonage
During its maturation wine may be stirred once or several times to agitate the lees (bâtonnage), a process thought to reduce any reductive flavours and add some creamier texture.
Burgundy White WineMaking: Filtration
White wines are more often filtered in Burgundy than red wines as any cloudiness is easily visible to the consumer.
Premature Oxidation History
In the early 2000s, reports began to emerge that the wines (particularly those from
1996 and subsequent vintages) were showing very advanced flavours and colours after a relatively short period of time in bottle. This phenomenon was termed ‘premature oxidation’ or ‘premox’.
Premature Oxidation Causes
Multiple causes of the problem have been suggested including changes in vineyard practices leading to higher yields and different chemical composition of the grapes, warmer vintages or later picking times, the use of over-clean musts resulting from the use of pneumatic presses, overzealous bâtonnage, lower levels of sulphur dioxide at bottling and both the quality of corks and changes in cork treatment before use.
Premature Oxidation Today
The problem remains though it appears from many reports to be at much lower levels than it was for wines produced in the late 1990s. Many producers have modified their practices to try to minimise the risk. This problem is not confined to the white Burgundy category and has been reported in other white wines.
Burgundy Red WineMaking
Due to its delicate character, aromatic nature and relatively light tannins, Pinot Noir has to be vinified carefully.
Important aims are to maintain the primary fruit and not to overwhelm the delicate fruit with too much new oak flavour.
Burgundy Red WineMaking: Sorting
Sorting of the fruit is common for all but the least expensive wines; needed especially when rot or hail has been an issue.
Burgundy Red WineMaking: Whole Bunches & destemmed
The grapes may either be loaded into the fermentation vessel as whole bunches or destemmed beforehand. Pinot Noir is well suited to whole bunch fermentation, and many producers in Burgundy practice this.
Burgundy Red WineMaking: Whole Bunch Fermentation History
It had been the historical norm before the invention of the destemmer, but during the 1980s the influence of one winemaker, Henri Jayer, who favoured destemmed fruit, brought about a major change in attitude in Burgundy, and many quality-minded producers followed where Jayer lead. In recent years, however, the popularity of whole bunch fermentation has re-emerged.
Burgundy Red WineMaking: Whole Bunch Fermentation Affect
Proponents of the use of whole bunches say they aid aeration of the must and can add perfume, freshness, and fine tannins to the wine.
If the stems are unripe, however, green astringent tannins can be extracted. The resulting lower acidity would not be welcome in warm vintages.
Some producers use a proportion of whole bunches, depending on the vineyard and depending on the vintage.
Burgundy Red WineMaking: Cold Soaking
Pinot Noir is low in anthocyanins compared to many other black grape varieties and therefore cold soaking for a few hours to a few days is common to maximise the extraction of colour.
Burgundy Red WineMaking: Yeasts & Vessels
Most producers rely on ambient yeast in the winery to ferment their Pinot Noir. Fermentation usually takes place in small open-top vessels.
This design helps to facilitates the two most commonly used cap management techniques: pumping over (remontage)
and punching down (pigéage).
Burgundy Red WineMaking: Cap Management
It is important for the cap to be regularly broken up during fermentation to:
* introduce oxygen (essential for yeast metabolism)
* avoid reduction and the production of reductive sulfur compounds (Pinot Noir is prone to reduction)
* avoid the production of acetic acid
* to extract colour, tannin and flavour from the skins,
* to regulate temperature of the must which reaches about 86 degrees in a healthy ferment.
Most producers will use a combination of the two methods of pumping over and punching down.
Burgundy Red WineMaking: Post Fermentation Maceration
The length of post-fermentation maceration depends on the ripeness of the fruit and the style of wine to be made, with longer periods (2–3 weeks) for wines of more concentration and structure.
Burgundy Red WineMaking: Pressing
The wines are pressed off either in horizontal pneumatic presses or vertical basket presses. Free run wine and press wine are often kept separately but may be blended back together before bottling.
Burgundy Red WineMaking: Ageing
The wine is typically racked into oak barrels (228 L) for maturation. Ageing periods of 12–20 months are common for premium and super-premium wines, whereas less expensive wines may be aged for less than one year.
Burgundy Red WineMaking: Oak
The proportion of new oak varies widely across the region and producer style, with a higher proportion used in grands and premiers crus than in village or generic-appellation wines.
Attitudes to new oak are too diverse to generalise upon, and the two extremes of no new oak and 100 per cent new oak, as well as everything in between, can be found practiced amongst the region’s finest domaines.
Burgundy Red WineMaking: Malolactic Fermentation
Malolactic conversion is usually spontaneous and takes place in the spring following harvest, as the cellars begin to warm up again after the cold winter.
Burgundy Red WineMaking: Fining/Filtering
Mid-priced wines may be fined and lightly filtered before bottling, but many higher-level wines may not be.
Burgundy: Vineyard Classification
Although the medieval monks began the story of Burgundy’s delineation, much of the current classification was formalised in the 1930s, which categorised all the lieux-dits (named places) into a four-tier hierarchy. The classifications are based on such factors as soil, aspect and microclimate. In brief, they are a classification of terroir.
There is a four-tier hierarchy in the Côte d’Or:
- regional or generic appellations (e.g. Bourgogne AOC, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune AOC). An additional regional appellation, Bourgogne Côte d’Or, was introduced in 2017
- communal or village appellations (e.g. Meursault AOC, Gevrey-Chambertin AOC)
- premier cru (e.g. Pommard Premier Cru Les Rugiens AOC, Vosne Romanée Premier Cru
Aux Malconsorts AOC) - grand cru (e.g. Richebourg Grand Cru AOC, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru AOC. (Note,
for grand cru wines in the Côte d’Or, the labelling term is the name of the grand cru; the related village name does not appear.)
Volume of wine production of four tier hierarchy
In terms of volume of production, the percentages are: one per cent grand cru, 47 per cent village and premier cru, and 52 per cent regional appellations.9
Côte Chalonnaise& Macconais Classifications
In the Côte Chalonnaise, the classification stops at premier cru. The Mâconnais is in the final stages of formalising premier cru status for some of its vineyards.
Burgundy total appellations (not including Beaujolais)
84 appellations:
33 grands crus,
44 village appellations and
7 regional appellations.
Each grand cru of the Côte d’Or is an appellation in its own right (whereas in Chablis the climats are all part of one appellation, Chablis Grand Cru).
However, the region’s 640 premiers crus are additional geographical denominations related to a village, not appellations in their own right. If the wine comes from more than one premier cru vineyard, it is labelled simply as Village + Premier Cru without a vineyard name.
Burgundy Appellations can be followed by an additional geographical denomination examples
- regional appellation plus additional geographical denomination that can be a general area (e.g. Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune AOC) or a village (e.g. Bourgogne Chitry AOC)
- village appellation followed by the name of a premier cru vineyard, e.g. Meursault Perrières AOC
- Mâcon + village name, e.g. Mâcon Verzé AOC
- Grand cru vineyard plus additional geographical denomination referring to a climat, e.g.
Chablis Grand Cru Valmur AOC or Corton-Les Bressandes Grand Cru AOC.
Burgundy Appellation Sizes
Some appellations, even at the grand cru level, are much larger than others.
For example, Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru is slightly over 50 hectares whereas the nearby Musigny Grand Cru is 10 hectares and many other grands crus vineyards are much smaller, with the smallest, La Romanée Grand Cru, being just 0.84 hectares.
Burgundy wine quality in relation to appellation
The classification system itself is not a guarantee of quality. As a result of Napoleonic inheritance laws, the majority of vineyards in the Côte d’Or are owned by more than one domaine and hence the range of quality of the wines from even a small appellation depends as much upon the reputation and skill of the domaine as the reputation of the vineyard.
Clos de Vougeot Case Study for Quality
As a result of its size, the wines of Clos de Vougeot are often said to show marked differences between those made from fruit of the middle or top sections of the vineyard (steeper slope, poorer soils) and those from the lowest section (flatter, richer soils). However, all such wines will only say Clos de Vougeot on their labels.
Cotes de Nuits Village Breakdown
- Marsannay
- Fixin
- Gevrey-Chambertin
- Morey-Saint-Denis
- Chambolle-Musigny
- Vougeot
- Vosne Romanee
- Nuit-Saint-Georges
Cote de Beaune Village Breakdown
- Aloxe-Corton AOC,
- Pernand-Vergelesses AOC
- Ladoix-Serrigny AOC
- Beaune AOC
- Pommard AOC
- Volnay AOC
- Meursault AOC
- Puligny-Montrachet AOC
- Chassagne-Montrachet AOC
- Saint-Aubin AOC
Cote d’Or Classification Overview
In general, in the Côte d’Or, the classification reflects the location of vineyards, including their position on the slope. The flat land beyond the top of the slope of the Côte d’Or comes under generic appellations such as Hautes Côtes de Beaune and Hautes Côtes de Nuits.
Area of land past the Top of Slope Cote d’Or
Here the slightly higher altitude, the lack of protection from prevailing weather, poorer sunlight interception and richer soils encouraging vine vigour mean these wines are less concentrated and structured than those in the Côte d’Or, and can struggle to ripen in cooler years.
Mid-Slope Cote d’Or
Grands crus are found in the mid-slope with premiers crus often surrounding them. Here, full ripeness can be achieved even in the cooler years.The mid-slope has poor but adequate, shallow soils, good drainage, protection from the prevailing weather systems and good sunlight interception, all of which, in capable winemaking hands, contribute to producing wines with concentration, balance and length.
Lowest part of Slope Cote d’Or
The lowest part of the slope is typically village level. Here the soils are richer and less well drained, and fruit does not reach the same level of ripeness, but can still produce wines of very good quality and character.
Flat land at bottom of slope Cote d’Or
The flat land at the bottom of the slope is typically classified as the generic appellation, Bourgogne. The D974 road, from Dijon through and beyond Beaune, generally divides the village level above it from the generic appellation below it.
Gevrey-Chambertin AOC
Red wine only. It is the largest village in the Côte de Nuits. Its grands crus also include Charmes Chambertin AOC and Chambertin Clos de Bèze AOC.
Morey-Saint-Denis AOC
Almost exclusively red wine. Its grands crus include Clos de Tart AOC and Clos de la Roche AOC.
Chambolle-Musigny AOC
Red wines only for the village wine. Its grands crus include Bonnes Mares and Musigny AOC.
Vougeot AOC
This is a tiny village appellation for red and white wines. Its grands cru is called Clos de Vougeot AOC and is much larger than the village appellation.
Vosne-Romanée AOC
Red wine only. Its grands crus include a number of the most famous grands crus, including La Tâche AOC and Romanée-Conti AOC.
Nuits-Saint-Georges AOC
Almost exclusively red wines. There are no grands crus but there are important premiers crus such as Les Saint-Georges and Les Vaucrains.
New Village Trends Cotes de Nuits
As demand and prices have risen and skill in grape growing and winemaking has increased, focus has also turned to the other villages for more accessibly priced wines: e.g. Marsannay (more red or rosé than white) and Fixin (mainly red).
Aloxe-Corton AOC, Pernand-Vergelesses AOC and Ladoix-Serrigny AOC
These three villages cluster round the hill of Corton. Whilst the villages and their premiers crus mostly produce red wines, the hill’s most famous vineyard, Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru AOC is exclusively white. The substantial Corton Grand Cru AOC has many lieux-dits within it. It is mostly planted with Pinot Noir, but can produce Chardonnay.
Villages in Cote de Beaune that have no Grand Cru
Beaune, Pommard, Volnay, Meursault and Saint-Aubin
Beaune AOC
Predominantly red wines but white wines are made too. Leading premiers crus include Le Clos des Mouches and Les Grèves.
Pommard AOC
Red wines only, the most prestigious premiers crus include Les Rugiens and Clos des Épeneaux.
Volnay AOC
Red wines only, sought-after premiers crus include Clos des Chênes and Les Caillerets.
Meursault AOC
Mostly white wines with well-known premiers crus including Perrières and Genevrières.
Puligny-Montrachet AOC and Chassagne-Montrachet AOC
Virtually all Puligny-Montrachet wines are white. Chassagne-Montrachet produces more white wine than red. Between them stretch the most celebrated white grands crus of Burgundy, including Le Montrachet AOC and Bâtard-Montrachet AOC.
Saint-Aubin AOC
Mostly white wines. Leading premiers crus include Sur le Sentier du Clou and En Remilly.
New Village Trends Cote de Beaune
As in the Côtes de Nuits, the next tier of village appellations has also become sought after including St Romain AOC (mainly white), Auxey-Duresses AOC (mainly red), and Santenay AOC (mainly red).
Villages in Côte Chalonnaise
Bouzeron AOC
Rully AOC
Mercurey AOC
Givry AOC
Montagny AOC
Côte Chalonnaise Overview
The region produces more red than white wine. Its regional Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise AOC wines can offer good value and are frequently labelled simply as Bourgogne AOC.
Its village and premier cru wines have risen in quality in recent years and can offer excellent value for money when compared to their Côte d’Or neighbours.
There is a substantial number of sites classified as premier cru, but no grand cru. The premiers crus tend to be on the warmest, south-, south-east and east-facing slopes (good sunlight interception) with well- drained limestone soils, producing riper fruit and wines of higher quality.
the Mâconnais Overview
This region produces mostly white wines. Inexpensive regional wines are often labelled simply as Bourgogne AOC.
The appellations in the Mâcon region are, in approximate order of quality (rising in quality and decreasing in size going from first to last):
* Mâcon AOC
* Mâcon-Villages and Mâcon-plus named village
* Named village appellations
Mâconnais Villages
Mâcon-Villages and Mâcon-plus named village
Named village appellations
Mâcon AOC
predominantly red (or rosé) wines, with a small amount of white
Mâcon-Villages and Mâcon-plus named village
(e.g. Mâcon-Lugny, Mâcon-Solutré) –white wines only
Maconnais Named village appellations
- Pouilly-Fuissé AOC,
- Saint-Véran AOC and
- Viré-Clessé AOC
- Pouilly- Vinzelles AOC,
- Pouilly-Loché AOC
Wines from these appellations, especially Pouilly-Fuissé, may attain a higher quality than Macon-Villages. For example, grapes can ripen more fully in the amphitheatre of Fuissé due to better sunlight interception and good drainage.
In 2020, Premier Cru status was awarded to 22 climats in Pouilly-Fuissé.10
Wine style in Marsannay/Fixin
- The village of Marsannay at the northern end of the Côte de Nuits is cooler than the rest of the Côte d’Or as the slope is gentler and there is less protection from cold winds coming from the south-west.
- This is reflected in the fact that it is the only village on the Côte d’Or that includes the option for a rosé within the appellation and that produces white, rosé and red wines.
- Similarly, the neighbouring village of Fixin typically produces red wines with very fresh red fruit and a light body.
Wine Style Gevrey-Chambertin/Nuits-saint-georges
Protection from the west is at its highest from Gevrey-Chambertin to Nuits-Saint-Georges and slightly higher alcohols and greater ripeness are seen here. Most of the red grands crus are positioned here.
Volnay & Chambolle-Musigny vs Pommard & Gevrey-Chambertin
Typically Volnay and Chambolle-Musigny are fruitier and more fragrant whereas Pommard and Gevrey-Chambertin are fuller bodied.
Puligny-Montrachet vs Meursualt
Puligny-Montrachet is typically more floral and concentrated while Meursault is full bodied and powerful.
Reasons for wine Differences in Appellations
The reasons for these subtle differences are not clear. In all the appellations, winemaking decisions can affect style markedly. For example, whether new oak is used or not or, in white winemaking, to what extent the wine is subject to bâtonnage, and in red wine making, the use of whole bunches.
Burgundy: Wine Business History
Historically much of the trade went through large négociants who would buy grapes, must, or finished wine from other growers. Since the 1980s there has been a move towards more domaine bottling. However, there are still a number of very well-known and well-regarded négociants many of whom date back to the nineteenth century, including Albert Bichot, Joseph Drouhin, Faiveley, Louis Jadot and Bouchard Père et Fils
Burgundy: Wine Business Recent Trends
The 2000s has also seen the rise of domaines who also act as négociants such Dujac. Like others, Dujac bottles wine made from their own vineyards as Domaine Dujac and wine from purchased fruit or bought in wine simply as Dujac Fils et Père.
Burgundy Wine Business: Growers
Businesses that have vineyard holdings and sell their grapes or unfinished wines to négociants. There are several thousand growers and typically their holdings are divided in parcels in different vineyards and villages.
Burgundy Wine Business: Domaines
Businesses that own vineyards and make wine from them, which they sell under their own domaine label
Burgundy Wine Business: Négociants
Typically large businesses that buy grapes and/or wines, finish them and bottle them for sale under their own name
Burgundy Wine Business: Micro- Négociants
smaller businesses that buy grapes from very good to top quality vineyards, make the wines and sell them under their own name, for example, Benjamin Leroux.
Burgundy Wine Business: co-operatives
These businesses are less important in the Côte d’Or but have a more predominant role in Chablis (La Chablisienne), the Mâconnais (e.g. the Cave de Lugny), and, to a lesser extent, in the Côte Chalonnaise.
Burgundy Wine Business: Complexity at Domaine Level
Even at the level of the domaine there is the complexity of multiple producers with very similar names. Detailed knowledge is needed to identify the source of a particular wine. This is at least in part a consequence of the inheritance laws in France where all children have the status of equal inheritors of an estate.
Burgundy Wine Business: Quality Increases
One factor that has led to a significant rise in quality is that there are now many young winemakers who are both better trained technically and who have often travelled and made wine more widely. These factors have led to a more adaptable and open-minded approach to winemaking.
Burgundy Wine Business: Route to Market
The route to market may thus be as simple as from a producer direct to an end consumer via cellar door sales or it could be via a négociant or a co-operative and thence on through the distribution chain until it reaches the end consumer.
Direct to consumer sales are on the increase as are those direct from producers to final retailers.
Burgundy Wine Business: Export
Around 50 per cent of all Burgundy is sold in France, 25 per cent in the other EU states and 25 per cent outside the EU. The largest export markets by value are the USA, UK and Japan.11
Burgundy Wine Business: Drivers of Price
Both the name of the domaine and of the appellation, including the single vineyard names, are very important drivers of price in Burgundy.
Very well regarded domaines can fetch high prices for their village wines, for example, a super-premium price for Domaine Armand Rousseau Gevrey-Chambertin AOC, and can easily out-price premiers crus from the same village by different, lesser-known producers.
Burgundy Wine Business: Village Indicators
Village names also act as indicators of subtle style differences in both red and white wines. Thus, both those who sell the wines and consumers will talk about the elegance and intensely perfumed nature of the red wines from Volnay or the more robust, tannic wines of Pommard. Similarly, premier and grand cru single-vineyard wines are sold on the reputation for a particular stylistic feature. For example, a comparison might be drawn between two of the premiers crus in Meursault, the steely concentration of Perrières and the full body and approachable style of Charmes.
Burgundy Wine Business: Selling en primeur
The wines may be sold en primeur in specialist wine shops and in fine dining and, at generic and village level, more generally in supermarkets and in the hospitality sector.
Burgundy Wine Business: Land Price
Land prices in Burgundy have been increasing over recent years driven in part by the relative scarcity of supply, particularly of the more highly sought-after vineyard names. As in other regions, foreign buyers of wine businesses have added to pressure on land prices.
Burgundy Wine Business: Recent Price Trends
High land prices, along with increasing worldwide demand for a relatively small production and the dramatic differences in volumes produced due to weather hazards has meant that prices have increased substantially since the mid-2000s.
Burgundy Wine Business: Burgundy vs Bordeaux volume
Total production is approximately one quarter of that in Bordeaux.
Similarly, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, the producer of Burgundy’s most sought-after red wines, produces roughly a quarter of the volume of Château Lafite Rothschild’s Grand Vin in Bordeaux.
Increased interest in the most expensive Burgundy has led to steeply increased prices in wines being traded on the secondary market. The Liv-ex Burgundy 150 Index shows that prices rose by 200 per cent between 2003 and 2016
