The Côte Chalonnaise

by | 19 Nov 2020 | Burgundy Wine News | 0 comments

The white and red wines of the Côte Chalonnaise are quality wines and nevertheless remain affordable.

The Côte Chalonnaise is exceptional

Its landscapes are varied, between hills and plots of vines hide some treasures :

  • the splendid feudal castle of Rully, is an old medieval fortress that dominates the vineyard and has a pretty park where visitors can stroll quietly, built between the eleventh and twelfth century

 

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  • the medieval village of Givry, made up of beautiful churches such as the church of Saint-Pierre or that of Saint-Paul, which were built during the eighteenth century by Emiland Gauthey.

 

The Côte Chalonnaise is a small vineyard of 4,000 hectares, it extends from Chagny to Gengoux-le-National and is composed of five appellations (distributed from north to south, it extends over 25 kilometers in length and 5 to 6 kilometers in width):

  • Bouzeron
  • Rully
  • Mercurey
  • Givry
  • Montagny

Mercurey, Givry and Rully offer white and red wines while Bouzeron (north) and Montagny (south) produce only white wines. The Côte Chalonnaise produces  55% white and 45% red. 

For Rully, Mercurey and Givry, the soils are derived from Jurassic limestones whilein Montagny, the terroirs appear more marly.

Topped by the limestone cornice of the Bajocien, these appellations enjoy a climate conducive to the ripening of grapes, the vineyards of the Côte Chalonnaise are sunnier than those of northern Burgundy and benefit from hot summers, dry autumns and cold winters. 

Vineyard, Winter, Snow, Winter

In Burgundy, the different plots determine a regional, communal, premier cru and grand cru appellation according to their geographical location.

Hierarchy of appellations in Burgundy

In order to better navigate, its 83 appellations have been divided into 4 levels:

 

  • Grands Cru appellations
  • Premiers cru appellations
  • Communal appellations (villages)
  • Regional names (sometimes called "generic" or "sub-regional")

 

The Chalonnaise Coast

 

Since 1985, Paul de Launay and Aubert de Villaine (associate manager of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and winegrower in Bouzeron) have led a long fight for the Burgundy Côte Chalonnaise appellation to be recognized by the National Institute of Quality and Health (INAO) and it was in 1990 that the decree was created.

 

The Grands Crus of Burgundy are at the top of the hierarchy since they have the best exposures and the most favorable microclimates . They are big names known internationally.

Unfortunately no grand cru in Côte Chalonnaise but it claims 140 climates classified as premier cru!

 

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The first growths of Burgundy are below the grands crus but they remain great wines as well. Each bottle is followed by the name of the plot and respects strict specifications (spacing between vines, pruning,…).

 

Below is the list of villages of the Côte Chalonnaise offering premier cru appellations:

 

The climates classified as premier cru for the municipality of Rully :

  • Agneux
  • Chapter
  • Grésigny
  • The Bressande
  • The Pit
  • The Maid
  • The Fox
  • The Meix Cadot
  • The Meix Caillet
  • The Cloux Fields
  • The Cloux
  • The Margotés
  • The Montpalais
  • The Stones
  • The Préaux
  • Marissou
  • Molesme
  • Pat
  • Rabourcé
  • Raclot
  • Vauvry

 

The climates classified as premier cru for the commune of Chagny :

  • Clos du Chaigne (to Jean de France)
  • Clos Saint-Jacques

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The climates classified as premier cru for the commune of Mercurey :

  • Clos des Barraults
  • Clos des Grands Voyens
  • Clos des Myglands
  • Clos Marcilly
  • Clos Tonnerre
  • Clos Voyens
  • In Sazenay
  • Grand Clos Fortoul
  • Griffères
  • The Bondue
  • The Cailloute
  • La Levrière
  • The Mission
  • The Clos du Roy
  • Le Clos l'Evêque
  • The Byots
  • The Martin Fields
  • The Combins
  • The Crêts
  • The Croichots
  • The Naugues
  • The Puillets
  • The Salmonts
  • The Vasées
  • The Velley

 

The climates classified as premier cru for the town of Saint-Martin-sous-Montaigu :

  • Clos de Paradis
  • The Chassière
  • The Stoves
  • The Montaigus
  • The Alleys

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The climates classified as premier cru for the commune of Givry :

  • A Vigne Rouge
  • Cellar at the Monks
  • Clos Charlé
  • Clos de la Baraude
  • Clos du Cras Long
  • Clos du Vernoy
  • Clos Jus
  • Clos Marceaux
  • Clos Marole
  • Clos Saint-Paul
  • Clos Saint-Pierre
  • Clos Salomon
  • Crauzot
  • In Choue
  • In Cras Long
  • La Baraude
  • The Grande Berge
  • The Plant
  • Paradise
  • The Petit Prétan
  • The Vigron
  • The Bois Chevaux
  • The Bois Gautiers
  • The Great Vineyards
  • The Great Pretans
  • Little Marole
  • Servoisin

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The climates classified as premier cru for the commune of Montagny :

  • Toizeau Field
  • Creux de Beaux
  • Fields
  • The Shoulder
  • The Cloux
  • The Beautiful Fields
  • The Bordes
  • The Bouchots
  • The Burnins
  • The Charmelottes
  • The Combes
  • Les Garchères
  • The Gouresses
  • The Gardens
  • The Las
  • The Macles
  • The Maroques
  • The Paquiers
  • The Perrières
  • The Platières
  • The Resses
  • The Treuffères
  • The Vineyards Behind
  • Montcuchot
  • Montorge
  • Saint-Morille
  • Saint-Ytages
  • Under the Feilles
  • Vine of the Sun
  • Couland Vineyards
  • Saint-Pierre Vineyards
  • Vineyards on the Cloux

 

The climates classified as premier cru for the town of Buxy :

  • Cornevent
  • The Condemine of the Old Castle
  • The Big Room4
  • The Clos Chaudron
  • The Clouzot
  • The Old Castle
  • The Bassets
  • The Bonneveaux
  • The Coudrettes
  • The Pidances
  • The Vineyards of the Près
  • The Long Vineyards
  • Mont Laurent

 

The climates classified as premier cru for the municipality of Saint-Vallerin :

  • La Moulière
  • The Coères
  • The Crabouletttes

 

The climates classified as premier cru for the municipality of Jully-lès-Buxy:

  • Chazelle
  • The Chaniots
  • The Coères

 

The term "climate" refers to plots of land in Burgundy. This word takes into account the know-how of the winegrowers, the geological characteristics, the particular exposures where each plot is precisely delimited.

 

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The Côte Chalonnaise vineyard covers 4,475 hectares in communal and regional appellations.

 

The communal appellations of Burgundy correspond to the name of the village where the plot is located.

The AOC Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise concerns the following 44 municipalities (its air extends over 3,665 hectares): Commune of Chagny :

  • Aluze
  • Bouzeron
  • Chagny
  • Chamilly
  • Chassey
  • Dennevy
  • Fountains
  • Remigny (southern part)
  • Rully
  • Gilles
  • Saint-Léger

  Commune of Givry :

  • Barizey
  • Dracy
  • Givry
  • Jambles
  • Mellecey
  • Mercurey (including Bourgneuf-Val-d'Or)
  • Rosey
  • Saint-Denis
  • Saint-Désert
  • Saint-Jean
  • Saint-Mard
  • Saint-Martin

  Commune of Buxy :

  • Bissey
  • Bissy
  • Buxy
  • Cersot
  • Chenôves
  • Culles
  • Fley
  • Jully
  • Montagny
  • Moroges
  • Saint-Boil
  • Saint-Martin
  • Saint-Maurice
  • Saint-Vallerin
  • Santilly
  • Sassangy
  • Willows
  • Sercy

  Commune of Mont-Saint-Vincent :

  • Genouilly
  • Saint-Clément
  • Vaux-en-Pré

 

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  Regional appellations All of the following regional appellations are produced in Côte Chalonnaise :

  • Burgundy Côte Chalonnaise (in red, the wine offers notes of red fruits, finesse and in white floral notes, dried fruits and in the mouth a beautiful tenderness)
  • Burgundy Aligoté
  • Burgundy Passe-Tout-Grains
  • Sparkling Burgundy
  • Burgundy Hillsides
  • Crémants de Bourgogne (Rully is the main production commune)
  • Bourgogne Clairet Côte Chalonnaise or Burgundy rosé Côte Chalonnaise (for rosés)

   

The Côte Chalonnaise offers unique wines: aligoté in Bouzeron, white in Montagny, crémant in Rully, red in Mercurey …

 

Bouzeron

 

 

Bouzeron is located at the gates of Chagny, next to Rully. Its soils are composed of Barthonian limestone, Oxfordian brown marls and a little clay. It is a continental climate, with beautiful east-southeast exposures and about 270 meters above sea level.

Since the 1970s Aubert de Villaine (co-manager of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti) has been trying to give a beautiful image of the aligoté.

It is in 1979, that the village obtains the right to attach the mention "aligoté de Bouzeron" and in 1997 the aligoté becomes a communal appellation "bouzeron" as the only grape variety the aligoté (a very old grape variety), the appellation represents an area of about 51 hectares.

The Bouzeron is pale yellow in color, on the nose it reveals an aromatic bouquet of white flowers (acacia,…), white fruits (apple,…), green fruits (lemon,…), dried fruits (hazelnut,…), rocks (iodine, flint,…). On the palate the wine is tender, silky and structured. It is appreciated with gougères, Burgundy snails, marbled ham, seafood or goat cheese.

 

=> Bouzeron is recognized as an AOC village only for its production of aligoté. Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs located at the bottom of the slope, in the town, are sold as Burgundy or Burgundy-Côte-Chalonnaise.

In general, the reds of the Côte Chalonnaise (Rully, Mercurey, Givry) come from Pinot Noir planted on limestone or calcium soils that are less clayey.

Rully

It was in 1939 that the AOC Rully was created, it is located south of Chagny, in the extension of the Côte de Beaune.

Renowned for its white wines (light, fruity) and crémant !

White wines represent an area of 223 hectares and red wines 133 hectares. The grape varieties grown are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Its white wines are produced on soils covered with scree, white marl and limestone-dominated clays. The vines are exposed to the east and southeast; all these characteristics are conducive to Chardonnay.

The white Rully is straight, elegant, with a beautiful minerality and a potential for aging up to 3 years. This wine is accompanied by a pan-fried fish or in sauce.

The red Rully is light, elegant, fruity and has a potential to keep up to 5 years. It can be combined with roasted poultry, and for lovers of offal it is a delight (liver, sweetbreads and kidneys cooked in sauce or pan).

 

=> At the end of the nineteenth century, the Crémant de Rully began to be very appreciated by the villagers. At the time, there was talk of the capital of sparkling wine in Burgundy.

We owe this reputation to François Basile Hubert, a Champagne cooper, who imported with him the method of making crémants. In those years, foaming was a complicated manipulation and many bottles exploded… The Champagne cooper took four years to perfect his manufacturing method and it was in 1837 that he opened his own wine house, called Hubert Père et Fils.

It was in 1850, that sparkling wine experienced a real boom under the name of "Ay grand mousseux de Rully", little by little sales developed for export. In 1975, the AOC Crémant de Bourgogne was created.

Currently, 10% of crémant de Bourgogne still occurs in Rully and it is also one of the traditional production centers of Crémant de Bourgogne.

 

Mercurey

It is the most important wine village of the Côte Chalonnaise, it is also the largest AOC in Burgundy after Chablis. The village produces mainly red wine (an area equal to 539 hectares) but also a little white wine (an area equal to 111 hectares).

The Mercurey AOC is one of the oldest in France (created in 1936). The appellation is planted on clay-silicieux soils on limestone and some ferruginous marls. The Pinot Noir grape variety prefers sun exposures while Chardonnay resists better at altitude, they make them exceptional wines.

The Mercureys rouges are robust, tannic, winey, spicy, peppery or fruity wines, everyone will find what they are looking for! Wines for ageing soften over time, develop other aromas, they can be forgotten for up to 10 years.

They can be enjoyed with a roast pork, a steak, a piece of lamb or a Cîteaux cheese.

The white Mercureys reveal citrus notes (lemon,…), in the mouth, they are warm, opulent. These expressive wines allow many pairings with crustaceans, oysters, sweetbreads and pressed cheeses.

 

Givry

From the fourteenth century the monks of Cluny then Cîteaux have managed over the years to highlight the wine of Givry, today it is an exceptional wine of great reputation.

Its vines are located in the center of a field of faults, its soils are composed of calcareous browns or calcium (Jurassic) and its first growths rest on a limestone substrate of the upper Oxfordian.

The first growths are real red wines for ageing, over time the wine reveals aromas of red fruits (strawberry,…), black fruits (blackberry,…), flowers (violet,…), sweet spices (licorice,…), salty spices (cloves,…). They are eaten on tender meats, poultry, soft-legged cheeses (Camembert, Brie de Meaux,…).

The white Givry represents only a fifth of the vineyard, a well-balanced white wine, a beautiful roundness, aromas of white and yellow fruits (the apple,…), very pleasant on the palate. It perfectly accompanies white meats, fish cooked in white butter, even uncooked pressed cheeses (saint nectaire, cantal,…).

=> Givry's wines were highly appreciated by King Henry IV, red was his favorite a marvel!

 

Montagny

Montagny is the southernmost appellation of the Côte Chalonnaise, its vineyard of 300 hectares is located in 4 communes:

  • Buxy
  • Saint-Vallerin
  • Jully
  • Montagny

 

The AOC Montagny offers only white wine, the grape variety used is Chardonnay. The terroirs are varied, some rest on marls of the lias and the clay triassic, surmounted by hard limestone with entroques of the Bajocien, others on sandstone limestone. The best vines are exposed east/south-east.

The Montagny appellation offers a delicate white wine, a bouquet with floral aromas, yellow and white fruits (peach,…), dried fruits (hazelnut,…), undergrowth (fern,…). On the palate the wine is straight, racy, an incredible finesse and for the oldest we feel minerality (we can forget it up to six years in the cellar).

These wines will be appreciated with oysters, crayfish, snails in Burgundy, on a veal in sauce, a fish with white butter, a Bresse poultry, cheeses (goat, saint-nectaire,…).

Wishing you a beautiful tasting! 😀

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