The Côte de Beaune (Burgundy, France) and its Grand Cru clusters

The Côte de Beaune is the southern portion of the Côte d'Or and runs for 20 km north to south from Ladoix-Serrigny to the hillside of Maranges.

Côte de Beaune

It is wetter and warmer in the Côte de Beaune than it is in the Côte de Nuit. Henri Jayer says that this is a result of a greater marine influence on Côte de Beaune. The relative warmth aids ripening and allows picking of the Côte de Beaune vineyards two days prior to the initiation of Côte de Nuit harvest. That being said, the major climatic influences associated with the greater Côte d'Or are relevant to the Côte de Beaune.

According to legendary Burgundy winemaker Henri Jayer (A Tribute to the Great Wines of Burgundy), the soils from Ladoix to Meursault are from the Late Jurassic, with Oxfordian and Callovian series' predominant (This would actually qualify as Middle-Late as the Callovian actually falls in the Mid-Jurassic period.). The mostly red marl, consisting, according to Jayer, of half-chalk and half-clay, is Pinot-Noir-friendly, producing supple and fruity red wines which are less structured and tannic than Côte de Nuit reds. These wines mature earlier than do the Nuit reds but, in the best years, will age well.

From Meursault to the middle of Chassagne-Montrachet, the middle Jurassic becomes evident . The sediments here were not completely transformed to limestone and were deposited in the area as white marl. Chardonnay thrives on this soil. Hence the Grand Crus of Chassagne- and Puligny-Montrachet. From the middle of Chassagne, the soil again becomes Mid-Late Jurassic, making way for light, supple Pinot Noir wines.

The Hill of Corton heralds the beginning of the Côte de Beaune wine region and, one would think, a sea of white wine.

The top of the hill is covered by dense woodland which gives way to cap rock of Rauracian limestone. Vineyard-capable limestone soils begin at about 345 meters and slope gently to the valley floor through "terroirs of distinction." The upper slopes are rich in marl and Chardonnay flourishes on the western side of the hill while Pinot Noir grows on the western side beginning at 330 meters elevation where Late Jurassic soils kick in. Two great Grand Cru vineyards share the hill: Corton (mostly red) and Corton-Charlemagne (white).

Source: burgundyonline.com

The Corton Grand Cru appellation is associated with the famed communes of Aloxe-Corton, Ladoix-Serrigny, and Pernand-Vergelesses. The vineyard is 97.53 ha in size (4.53 ha of which is planted to Chardonnay) and sits at elevations ranging between 250 and 330 meters. The Chardonnay vines are planted in the climats of Vergennes and Languettes.

While 4.5% of the Corton Grand Cru vineyard is devoted to Chardonnay vines, 6.19% of the Grand Cru production is white wine. There are 26 Lieux-dits in the appellation and the red wines are authorized to name the Lieux-dit on the bottle following the appellation name. White wines are not so allowed.

The Côte de Beaune's second Grand Cru cluster can be found around the towns of Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet, both AOCs since 1937. Puligny-Montrachet soils are either brown limestones or limestones alternating with marls and limey clays; in either case, soil depth is varying. South of Chassagne-Montrachet, the soils have a higher concentration of limestone marl and red gravel, a boon for Pinot Noir. North of the village, the harder marls are substituted by softer, finer limestone and a preponderance of Chardonnay vines. The Grand Crus -- all white wines -- in this cluster are as follows:

• Le Montrachet -- shared between the two communes
• Bâtard-Montrachet -- shared between the two communes 
• Chevalier-Montrachet -- Puligny-Montrachet
• Bienvènues-Bâtard-Montrachet -- Puligny-Montrachet
• Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet -- Chassagne-Montrachet.

In addition to the Grand Crus, the two communes support Village and Premier Cru appellations. Puligny-Montrachet hosts 17 Premier Cru vineyards while Chassagne-Montrachet hosts 55. Noted Premier Cru vineyards in Puligny-Montrachet include: Les Demoiselles, Le Cailleret, Les Pucelles, Les Combettes, and Les Folaitières. Notable PC vineyards in Chassagne-Montrachet are : Caillerets, Ruchottes, Chaumées, and La Boudriotte.

The distribution of vineyard size and production by appellation is shown in the table below.

		Village			Village and Premier Cru			Grand Cru
		Production (hl)			Production (hl)			Production (hl)
Appellation	Size (ha)	Red	White	Size (ha)	Red	White	Size (ha)	Red	White
Aloxe-Corton				118.87	4361	88
Auxey-Duresses				132.87	3319	1787
Bâtard-Montrachet							11.73		486
Beaune				416.23	12,146	2195
Bienvènues-Bâtard-Montrachet							3.58		165
Blagny				4.31		142
Chassagne-Montrachet				307.52	3906	9346
Chevalier-Montrachet							7.47		287
Chorey-lès-Beaune	126.28	4712	425
Corton							97.53	2789	151
Corton-Charlemagne							52.08		1929
Côte-de Beaune	31.76	680	269
Côte-de Beaune Village	4.66	176
Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet							1.57		67
Ladoix				98.13	2478	952
Maranges				160.84	5390	357
Meursault				399.87	458	16,563
Montrachet							8		271
Pernand-Vergelesses				138.45	2644	2373
Pommard				325.65	12,014
Puligny-Montrachet				205.72	26	10,066
Saint-Aubin				154.01	1493	5054
Saint-Romain	92.26	1409	2259
Santenay				321.87	8742	2101
Savigny-les-Beaune				354.73	11,413	1620
Volnay				220.39	7587
Totals	3399.2	6977	2953	3359.46	75977	52644	181.96	2789	3356

To summarize then, in a total vineyard area of 6940.62 ha, Côte de Beaune vignerons produce 85,743 hectoliters of red wine and 58,593 hectoliters of white wine, with a counter-intuitive, almost-60% of the production being red.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme