Burgundy - Côte de Beaune

Question 1

Where does the Côte de Beaune start?

Answer 1

Just south of Corgoloin, with the massive hill of Corton

Question 2

How many hectares is the Grand Cru of Corton?

Answer 2

160

Question 3

What are the smaller Grand Cru appellations within Corton?

Answer 3

Corton-Charlemagne and Charlemagne. Both only produce white wines.

Question 3

What does King Charlemagne have to do with Corton?

Answer 3

In the late 700s, he observed snows melting first on this arc of southern slopes and ordered vines to be planted there. As the king grew older his beard whitened, and his wife, distressed by newly visible wine stains on his beard, persuaded him to switch from red wine to white.

Question 4

What is the only red wine producing Grand Cru in the Cote de Beaune?

Answer 4

Corton

Question 4

What type of wine does the Corton appellation typically make?

Answer 4

Allows both red and white, but almost all wines are red.

Question 5

What is the largest Grand Cru appellation in all of Burgundy?

Answer 5

Corton. Quality varies due to size of vineyard area and is typically the least expensive Grand Cru.

Question 6

Describe Corton-Charlemagne wines

Answer 6

Typically good, but rarely as equal to the Grand Crus of the south. Generally an opulent and broad Chardonnay, yet without the depth and concentration of Montrachet

Question 7

What are the three communes that encircle the southern half of Corton?

Answer 7

Aloxe-Corton, Ladoix-Serrigny, and Pernand-Vergelesses

Question 8

Which négociants are based out of Beaune?

Answer 8

Joseph Drouhin, Bouchard Père et Fils, and Louis Jadot

Question 9

Which commune has the most hectares under vine in the Côte de Beaune?

Answer 9

Beaune

Question 10

Are there any Grand Cru’s in Beaune?

Answer 10

No, but there is a multitude of premier crusites (42) for both red and white wines

Question 11

What percentage of vineyards are Premier Cru in Beaune?

Answer 11

85%

Question 12

What are three of the best Premier Cru vineyards in Beaune?

Answer 12

Les Bressandes, Grèves, and Clos des Mouches

Question 13

Describe Côte de Beaune AOP

Answer 13

A minor appellation, set aside for a few hectares of vines in the hills above Beaune

Question 14

Describe the wines from Pommard

Answer 14

Generally showing a harder-edged, tannic structure. After Corton, the most full-bodied red in the Côte de Beaune

Question 15

Describe the wines from Volnay

Answer 15

Softer fragrance and charm

Question 16

What type of wine do they make in Pommard?

Answer 16

Red - Pinot Noir

Question 17

What type of wine do they make in Volnay?

Answer 17

Red - PInot Noir

Question 18

What are two outstanding Premier Cru sites in Pommard?

Answer 18

Les Rugiens and Les Epenots

Question 19

What are a few top Premier Crus in Volnay?

Answer 19

Les Caillerets, Champans, Clos des Chênes, Taillepieds, and Marquis d’Angerville’s monopole Clos des Ducs

Question 20

What are some top producers in Volnay?

Answer 20

d’Angerville, Hubert de Montille, and Michel Lafarge

Question 21

What are the Côte de Beaune’s greatest white wine villages?

Answer 21

Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet

Question 22

Which village makes the most white wine in the Côte d’Or?

Answer 22

Meursault

Question 23

Describe Meursault wine

Answer 23

Classic Meursault white wine is rich—almost fat—on the palate, with a nutty, buttery, honeyed spectrum of flavors and a softer acidity than exhibited in Puligny-Montrachet

Question 24

What are the Grand Cru’s in Meursault?

Answer 24

There are none

Question 25

What are some Premier Cru vineyards in Meursault?

Answer 25

Perrières, Les Genevrières, and Les Charmes

Question 26

Describe wine labeling in Meursault

Answer 26

There is also a long tradition of labeling village wines in Meursault by lieu-dit.

Named vineyards, like Les Narvaux and Les Chevalières, therefore appear on labels but the wines are still considered village rather than premier cru

Question 27

What are “deuxièmes crus”?

Answer 27

Dubbed by the press, labeling village wines in Meursault by lieu-dit.

Question 28

What are some domaines in Meursault?

Answer 28

Coche-Dury, Guy Roulot, and Comtes Lafon

Question 29

What is the world’s finest, most age-worth example of Chardonnay?

Answer 29

Montrachet - Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet

Question 30

Describe wine style in Montrachet

Answer 30

Montrachet maintains a balance of richness and acidity and achieves more depth than any other white grand cru.

Question 31

Where can Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet be found?

Answer 31

Within Montrachet

Question 32

What are the Grand Cru’s in Montrachet?

Answer 32

Chevalier-Montrachet, located entirely in Puligny-Montrachet

Bâtard-Montrachet, split between both communes

Located below Montrachet, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet on the Puligny side and Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet, the smallest of the white grands crus, on the Chassagne side

Question 33

Describe the wines of Puligny-Montrachet

Answer 33

In general are more taut than their Meursault counterparts; focus and streamlined structure take the place of Meursault’s softer and rounder nature, and the wines are generally treated to less new oak

Question 34

What are some top producers in Puligny-Montrachet?

Answer 34

Domaine Leflaive and Jacques Carillon

Question 35

Describe wines of Chassagne-Montrachet

Answer 35

Broadly speaking, it is closer in style to Meursault than Puligny

Question 36

What are some top producers of Chassagne-Montrachet?

Answer 36

Ramonet and Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey

Question 37

How many Premier Crus does Chassagne-Montrachet have?

Answer 37

55 - more than any other single commune in the Côte d’Or

Question 38

Who has more village appellations: the Côte de Beaune or the Côte de Nuits

Answer 38

the Côte de Beaune

Question 39

What are additional villages in the Côte de Beaune?

Answer 39

Chorey-lès-Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune, Auxey-Duresses, Saint-Romain, Saint-Aubin, Monthélie, Santenay, and Maranges

Question 40

Describe Blagny AOP

Answer 40

Produces red wines under its own appellation, but the white hectares are sold as either Meursault or Puligny-Montrachet depending on vineyard location