Cote d'Or, Cote Chalonnaise, Maconnais

Question 1

Climate

Answer 1

Continental with cold winters and warm summers
Relatively short growing season ideal for early ripening Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Cote d’Or is moderated by the Morvan hills to the west
700 mm rain, early autumn typically dry but rain can be a threat at harvest, flowering and fruit set, mildew
Vintage variation is marked
Maconnais is slightly warmer and drier than Cote d’Or

Question 2

Factors impacting site quality

Answer 2

Aspect, altitude, degree of slope, soil

promoting ripeness is a priority as at these climates ripening pinot noir is not guaranteed

Question 3

Hazards

Answer 3

Frost can be a significant issue and decrease yields
Particularly acute as Chard and Pinot are both early budding
Exasperated by recent warm winters which promote early bud break
Hail: early in the season damages early growth and reduces yields, later damages fruit leading to rot
Anti-hail netting allowed since 2018. Also see thunder clouds with silver iodide to induce precipitation away from the vineyards. Careful sorting necessary
Can significantly reduce yields.
Rain (3 ways)
Drought. shriveled berries, stopped photosynthesis. Irrigation not permitted so water stress an issue. high clay soils do better

Question 4

Topography

Answer 4

Aspect and elevation critical in determining style and quality
Cote d’Or lies on a low range of hills oriented north- south at 200m - 400m
Side valleys run east-west
Leads to many aspects being east, south, or south east
Best sites are on the mid slope (drainage, sunlight, frost)
Top of slope have poor thin soil, and exposed to cool winds
Bottom have deeper soils and exposed to frost
Coolest used for Aligote or Cremant

Question 5

Soils

Answer 5

Various types of limestone and clay with varying proportions
Cote de Nuits is more dominated by limestone where best Pinot’s are grown
Beaune has more clay and deeper soils, highly regarded Chardonnay
Chalonnaise and Maconnais are a mix of limestone and clay
Depth of soil varies significantly partly due to erosion (even in gently sloping)
Thinner at higher elevations, deeper at lower. Top is too thin for vines, bottom is too fertile and vigorous (shading, no ripeness, no concentration)

Question 6

Chardonnay

Answer 6

Very versatile and suited to a range of climates and soils for a range of styles
Buds early susceptible to spring frosts
Ripens early suitable to a cool climate
Can produce relatively high yields without a loss of quality
Prone to grey rot, powdery mildew, millerandage, grapevine yellows
Many top quality are grown on limestone / clay as in Burgundy

Question 7

Chardonnay flavor

Answer 7

Cool: apple, pear, lemon, lime, wet stones, light to med body and high acid
Moderate: ripe citrus, melon, stone fruit, medium to medium plus body, with medium plus to high acid

Question 8

Pinot Noir

Answer 8

Buds early prone to spring frosts
Ripens early suitable to cool climates
Yields must be limited to produce quality wine
Delicate and prone to millerandage, downy, powdery mildew, botrytis bunch rot, and fanleaf and leaf roll viruses
In warm climates it ripens too fast (reducing aroma intensity) and can suffer from sunburn
Sufficient ripening is a key concern in Burgundy

Question 9

Clones

Answer 9

Many are drawn from the Dijon clone families developed at the Univ of Burgundy in Dijon
Widely used around the world for growing Pinot and Chard
Many in Burgundy use Mass Selection (better diversity and less disease prone but more inconsistent)

Question 10

Pinot Noir flavor

Answer 10

Strawberry, raspberry, red cherry. village wines and above have light oak derived flavors (smoke, clove), low to med tannin (Grand cru have med plus), med alcohol, and high acid
Earth, game, mushroom with time in bottle

Question 11

Pruning

Answer 11

Some Cordon like Cordon de Royat which limits yields and vigor though old wood can harbor disease
Traditionally was Guyot and many are now returning to this and to an even softer method known as Poussard-Guyot (maintains the same sap route from one year to the next with pruning wounds only on the upper part of the cordon. Reduces number of pruning wounds to cut down on incidence of trunk diseases like Esca
Requires skilled labor but worth it if it hinders trunk diseases and vigor

Question 12

Vineyard Management (yields)

Answer 12

Planting density of 8,000 - 10,000 (some higher) to drive competition and and reduce yields

Debudding: but risks like drastically reduced yields if there is frost or other damaging things later

Green harvesting allows you to assess the vine before removing fruit and to take into account any weather. Can result in excessive growth in remaining bunches.

Question 13

Yields

Answer 13

Regional appellations: 75 white / 69 red
Village level: 45 - 47 white / 40 - 45 red
Some grand crus: white 40 / red 35
Individual levels may differ

Question 14

Vineyard Management Trends

Answer 14

Organic and biodynamic more popular
But climate makes this challenging
Many vineyards are shared and organic requires a minimum area to be successfully implemented
this can lead to friction between growers who want different practices

Question 15

Pests

Answer 15

Grape moths are controlled via pheremone traps
Powdery, Downy mildew and bunch rot managed via canopy management and spraying
Recent outbreak of grapevine yellows
Esca and other trunk diseases

Question 16

Harvest

Answer 16

Very important decision given the marginal climate and potential for autumn rain

Picking early preserves acidity but fruit may not be ripe
Late can result in a softer wine but weather may be an issue

Majority still picked by hand so labor availability is a consideration. Nearly all in Cote d’Or

Question 17

White winemaking

Answer 17

Chaptalization is practiced but is declining due to recent warmer growing seasons and better canopy management.

Typically grapes are sorted in the winery. Removing diseased, damaged, under ripe fruit is important in this cool climate

Pressed as whole bunches to aid drainage. Pressed immediately as Chard is not aromatic and don’t want tannin

Clarified via sedimentation with solids left depending on winemaker’s desire. Musts for cheaper clarified via quicker methods

Some practice hyperoxidation to produce a more oxygen stable wine

Ambient yeasts are typical except for high volume wines

Inexpensive and mid are in stainless or concrete with mid range to preseve primary fruit but avoid banana.

Expensive and / or high quality are fermented and aged in barrel for a creamier rounder style. Temps can hit 16 - 20C

Usually undergoes malo but a proportion may be blocked for a fresher style

Question 18

White wine maturation

Answer 18

Inexpensive wines are aged in stainless or older barrels

Expensive / high quality are aged in barrels for 8 - 12 mo and in contact with fine lees.

20 - 25% new oak is common for village, 30 - 35% for premier cru, 50% and above at Grand cru (100% not unheard of)

Standard oak barrel is the 228 liter Burgundy barrel (known as piece)

some using larger 500 - 600 liter barrels for a subtler impact of flavor and oxidation

Lees may be stirred (batonage) to reduce reductive aromas and add creamier texture

Question 19

Red Winemaking

Answer 19

Sorting for all but least expensive

Whole bunches or destemmed. PN well suited to whole bunch and recently popularity has risen. Henri Jayer in the 80’s moved the region to destemming

whole bunches aid aeration and add perfume, freshness and fine tannins. but if unripe can add astringency and green notes. some use a proportion of whole bunch

Cold soaking for a few days prior to fermentation is common to extract color as PN is low in anthocyanins

Most rely on ambient yeast. Fermentation in small open top vessels

Two most common cap management is pumping over (remontage) and punch down (pigeage). Must do regularly to introduce oxygen (essential for yeast) avoid reduction and reductive compounds (PN is susceptible), avoid production of acetic acid, extract color, tannin, and flavor, regulate temps

Post fermentation maceration varies with wines of concentration and structure receiving 2 - 3 weeks

Horizontal, pneumatic or vertical basket press with free run and press kept separate until blending

Question 20

Red wine maturation

Answer 20

Typically 228 liter (piece) oak barrels

12 - 20 months for premium and super premium

less than one year for less expensive

Proportion of new oak varies across producers and styles with a higher proporiton used in premier and grand vs regional and village

However, the full spectrum from 0% to 1–% can be found among the best domaines

Malo happens in barrel in spring once the cellars heat up

mid-priced are fined and filtered while higher level may not be

Question 21

Vineyard Classification

Answer 21

Far more detailed than in other parts of France
Began with medieval monks, but formalized in the 1930’s with a categorization of all lieux-dits into a four tier hierarchy
Based on soil, aspect, and microclimate or terroir

Regional or generic appellations: Bourgogne AOC, Bourgogne Haut Cotes de Beaune
Communal or Village: Meursault AOC, Gevrey-Chambertin AOC
Premier Cru: Pommard Premier Cru Les Rugiens AOC, Vosne Romanee Premier Cru Malconsorts AOC
Grand Cru: Richebourg Grand Cru AOC, Batard Montrachet Grand Cru AOC. Note for GC’s in Or the village name does not need to appear

GC is 1%; Village and Prem 47% and regional 52%

In Cote Chalonnaise it stops at Premier and in Maconnais they are formalizing premier cru status

Question 22

Appellations and Geographical Denominations

Answer 22

Across Burgundy (ex Beaujolais) there are 84 appellations including 33 grand crus, 44 village and 7 regional

Each GC in the Or is an AOC where there is only one in Chablis (with 7 Climats)

There are 640 premier crus (not AOC’s)

Additional geographical info:
Region plus geography or village: Bourgogne Haute Cotes de Beaune AOC or Bourgogne Chitry AOC
Village followed by 1er cru: Meursault Perrieres AOC
Macon + village: Macon Verze AOC
Grand cru + climat: Chablis Grand Cru Valmur or Corton-Les Bressandes Grand Cru AOC

Varying sizes: Clos Vougeot GC is 50ha, Musigny GC is 10 and La Romanee GC is 0.84

Not a guarantee of quality. Inheritance laws mean most vineyards are owned by more than one person and hence quality can vary with producer capability

Also larger GC’s likely have better and worse spots i.e. Vougeot having better grapes from the middle slope vs the lower section

Question 23

Cote d’Or general vineyard positioning

Answer 23

Haut Cotes de Beaune and Nuits: Flat land beyond the top of the slope of the Cote d’Or. Higher altitude, lack of weather protection, poorer sunlight interception, and richer soils encouraging vigor lead to less concentrated and structured wines that can struggle to ripen
Grand Crus and Premier: in the mid slopes. Full ripeness even in cooler years. Poor but adequate shallow soils, good drainage, protection from weather and good sunlight interception. With good winemaking can produce wines with concentration, balance, length
Village: typically lower part of the slope. Richer less well drained soils lead to less ripeness, but can be good quality and character
Bourgogne: typically flat land at the bottom of the slope. D974 road generally divides the village level above and generic below

Question 24

Cotes de Nuits

Answer 24

My - Marsannay
Father - Fixin
Gave - Gevery Chambertin
Me - Morey St. Denis
Cambembert - Chambolle Musigny
Very - Vougeot
Very - Vosne Romanee
Nutty - Nuits-Saint-Georges 

Gevry - Red wine only. Charmes Chambertin and Chambertin Clos de Beze
Morey St. Denis - Almost all red; Clos de Tart, Clos de la Roche
Chambolle - Red only; Bonnes Mares, Musigny
Vougeot - red and white; Clos de Vougeot
Vosne-Romanee - red only; La Tache, Romanee-Conti
Nuits-Saint-Georges - almost all red; no grand crus but 1er Les Saint Georges and Les Vaucrains

Question 25

Cotes de Beaune

Answer 25

All - Aloxe Corton
Bohemian - Beaune
Parisians - Pommard
Violate - Volnay
Most - Meursault
Politically - Puligny Montrachet
Correct - Chassagne Montrachet
Statutes - St. Aubin

Aloxe-Corton AOC, Pernand Verglesses AOC, Ladoix Serrigny AOC - three villages around the hill of Corton mostly red; Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru is white. Corton Grand Cru has many lieux dits which are mostly red but can be white
Beaune - mainly red but also white; 1er Le Clos de Mouches and les Greves
Pommard - red only; 1er Les Rugiens, Clos des Epeneaux
Volnay - red only; 1er Clos des Chenes, Les Caillerets
Meursault - white only; 1er Perrieres, Genevrieres
Puligny - only white
Chassagne - almost all white
Between them are Le Montrachet Grand Cru and Batard Montrachet GC
St. Aubin - white only, 1er Sur le Sentier du Clou and En Remilly

Question 26

Cote Chalonnaise General Info

Answer 26

Produces more red than white
Regional Bourgogne Cote Chalonnaise (often labeled Bourgogne AOC) can be good value for money
Village and premier cru have risen in quality significantly and are good value vs Cote d’Or
Several 1er but no GC’s. 1er are on warm south / south east and east slopes with well drained limestone soils

Question 27

Cote Chalonnaise AOC’s

Answer 27

Bouzeron - 100% Aligote and best for this grape
Rully - more white than red; with 1er for both, 25% of the village is 1er
Mercurey - largest of the communal appellations; sig more red; 25% 1er
Givry - mostly red, 40% 1er
Montagny - white only, 2/3 1er

Question 28

Maconnais

Answer 28

Mostly white wine
Regional often labeled Bourgogne AOC
Macon AOC - red or rose with a small amount of white
Macon Villages and Macon plus named Village - white only
Named Village Appellations: Pouilly Fuisse AOC, Saint Veran AOC, Vire Clesse AOC and much smaller Pouilly Vinzelles AOC and Pouilly Louce AOC are the only village appellations
In the final stages of formalizing a 1er status for the best sites in villages like pouilly fuisse

Question 29

Wine Business

Answer 29

Historically dominated by negociants but move to domaine bottling in the 1980’s. Still a number of large negociants: Albert Bichot, Drouhin, Faiveley, Louis Jadot, Bouchard Pere et Fils.
2000’s saw the rise of domaines who act as negociants like Dujac who makes domaine bottled wines as Domaine Dujac and negociant bottlings under Dujac Pere et Fils

Several thousand growers selling grapes or unfinished wines to negociants
Domaines who own vineyards and make wine
Negociants - large businesses that buy grapes or wine; finish them for sale under their own name
micro-negociants - smaller businesses that buy grapes from very good vineyards and finsih and sell under own name
cooperatives - more important in Chablis (la Chablisienne) and Macon (Cave de Lugny)

50% sold in FR, 25% other EU, 25% outside EU (USA, UK JP)

Question 30

Pricing

Answer 30

Name of domaine, appellation, and single vineyard names are important price drivers
Well regarded domaines can command high prices for village wines and be higher than lesser known producers of 1er cru

Village name also connotes subtle differences in style. i.e. perfumed nature of Volnay and rustic nature of Pommard

Land prices are raising due to scarcity. Foreign buyers have added pressure

Wine prices up substantially since the 2000’s due to land prices, worldwide demand, and different vintage volumes (weather hazards)

Total production is 25% of Bordeaux (200MM bottles)

Romanee Conti produces 25% of Lafite Rotschild’s Grand Vin

Live-ex Burgundy 150 index (secondary market trading) shows prices rising by 200% between 2003 and 2016