Region · Bourgogne, France
Burgundy
boor-GOAN-yuh
Two grapes, a thousand places
A narrow strip of eastern France where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are mapped vineyard by vineyard. Burgundy is less a style than a philosophy of place.
- cherry
- earth
- hazelnut
- stone
- spice
The Côte d'Or is divided into Côte de Nuits (mostly red, from Gevrey to Nuits) and Côte de Beaune (great whites and elegant reds). Chablis sits northwest, cooler, on Kimmeridgian limestone. Mâconnais and Côte Chalonnaise are the value south.
The hierarchy — regional, village, Premier Cru, Grand Cru — is a map of historical reputation, not a guarantee. A thoughtful village wine from a good grower beats a lazy Grand Cru. Grower (domaine) bottlings and négociant wines both matter; names on the label matter more than the appellation alone.
Burgundy is expensive because the plots are small and the world is watching. If you are learning, start with Bourgogne Rouge/Blanc, Marsannay, Rully, and Saint-Véran before you chase Romanée-Conti in your dreams.
Vintage
Reds unless the note says otherwise. 2014 whites were the story. Village wine and Grand Cru from the same year can disagree.
| Year | Call | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Hold | Small, promising, in barrel. Early talk of 2020/22 fruit with more line. |
| 2024 | Careful | Wet and tiny. Buy the grower, not the vintage. |
| 2023 | Drink | Generous and earlier. Village reds can be opened. |
| 2022 | Hold | Warm, ripe, small. Wait on premiers and above. |
| 2021 | Careful | Frost, rain, uneven reds. Tiny and dear. Be picky. |
| 2020 | Drink | Early harvest, charm. Many village bottles already sing. |
| 2019 | Hold | Density plus freshness. A keeper if you have it. |
| 2018 | Drink | Hot, opulent, some high alcohol. Open them. |
| 2017 | Drink | Generous and early. Drinking now. |
| 2016 | Hold | Frost, then greatness. Structured. Still climbing. |
| 2015 | Drink | Sunny Pinot, open and giving. |
| 2014 | Drink | Reds are lean; the whites were the vintage. Many at peak. |
| 2013 | Careful | Hail and scramble. Drink remaining village. |
| 2012 | Drink | Small crop, concentrated. Ready. |
| 2011 | Drink | Light and pretty. Do not cellar further. |
At the table
Service
Reds 54–57 °F (12–14 °C); whites 50–54 °F (10–12 °C). Old bottles: stand, open, and pour without aggressive decanting.
