burgundy and beaujolais 

Burgundy and Beaujolais is a large fertile plain that stretches from the cooler temperatures and the limestone and flinty clay of Chablis through the Côte D’Or down to the warmer Maconnais region with its granite base.

The heart of the region is the Côte D’Or (the golden slope), made up from the Côtes de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune regions. The main river influences are the Yonne to the North and the Saone and Loire further south with the region reaching almost to the Rhone.  

The majority of the wine producers have tiny plots, with the land being some of the most fragmented in France. There is a massive patchwork of estates with the average size being around 4 hectres (roughly 10 acres). Many wines in this area are produced from a single cépage or grape variety to meet the stringent requirements laid down.  The rate of organic and biodynamic production is growing at around 15-20% per year and in Burgundy in 2005 there were 600 hectares in production (80+ producers.)

The wines are generally of good quality with some well known names dominating the appellations, Chablis, Meursault, Gevrey-Chambertin, Nuit-St-Georges, Macon, Morgon to name but a few. 

The red grape varieties tend towards Pinot Noir, Gamay and César and the whites are Chardonnay, Aligoté, and the Pinots, Blanc and Gris.  

Our partners in this area are: 

Domaine Montchovet on the Côte de Beaune 

Domaine Patrick Hudelot on the Hautes Côtes de Nuits

Domaine de la Croix Senaillet in Southern Burgundy.