Burgundy embodies the romantic and rustic side of France’s wine culture. Located in the central east of France, its climate is cool and continental but at times unpredictable. Spring frosts and hailstorms often plague the vineyards, especially to the north in subregions like Chablis. With the weather being a constant challenge, some vintages hardly see any wine produced, adding to the scarcity of an already smaller production region. Wines here are typically single varietal and the three main grapes are Pinot Noir for red wines and Chardonnay and Aligoté for white wines.
There are few of the grand estates found in Bordeaux - the wine produced here is much more obviously an agricultural product made by families who have worked the land for generations. Terroir is king in Burgundy and the soil types vary from limestone and marl to calcareous and clay. The best sites typically have shallow topsoils with a limestone base, and located mid slope. Everything from aspect to draining to mineral content of these soils make a huge difference in the final wine.
This focus on the land and terroir is reflected in Burgundy’s vineyard classification system. Every piece of land is mapped and ranked according to the quality of wine it produces, from the most generic right up to the Premier and Grand Cru level. From Chablis in the very north to the Cote d’Or to the Maconnais in the very south, the diversity of climate and soils are far reaching. That’s not to say producers are not important - far from it. Wine from the same plot of land can be great or poor in different hands. Mastering the wines of Burgundy is a never-ending task, but it’s one well worth pursuing. When Burgundy is good, it’s very good. When it’s great, there’s nothing to touch it anywhere in the world.