Deep Dive Into Burgundy Wine Classifications
Burgundy — Miss diva of the wine world! Nestled in the heart of France, this region is like the Broadway of vineyards, where every sip is a standing ovation. Known for its persnickety grape variety, Pinot Noir, and the uppity Chardonnay, Burgundy boasts a terroir that's practically royalty, giving birth to some of the most coveted and ridiculously expensive wines on the planet (seriously - the most expensive wine in the world sold at Sothebys was a SINGLE BOTTLE of 1945 Domaine de la Romanée Conti Romanée Conti Grand Cru for $558,000). It’s the place where people literally worship the ground they walk on, and winemakers have a secret handshake to ensure only the finest vintages make the cut. Here, we’ll dive into the overall classification systems you’ll find in Burgundy (we’ll do a deep dive into the specific regions in a later post).
Some History
Wine in Burgundy dates back to 50BC - I won’t bore you by talking about BC times, so let’s skip the fall of the Roman Empire, the rule of the Roman Catholic Church and fast forward... Eventually, Burgundy was full of Cisterian monks (who took a vow of poverty and believed hard work brought them closer to God), who cultivated the rocky, sloping land and eventually created the first enclosed vineyard in 1336, Clos Vougeot (clos meaning closed, describing the short stone walls which surrounded the vineyard to protect it from animals and set boundaries). Skip ahead another few hundred years — following the French Revolution, these vineyards on church property were auctioned off to private owners. Eventually, Code Napoléon was in effect, which governed inheritances and required land to be equally divided among children. As a result it’s not uncommon for Burgundian Domaines to have many owners, with only a few rows of vines owned by each individual… those individuals being part of a long lineage.
One thing to know about French wine - holy cow, do they LOVE classification systems - you can read about the overall French Wine Classification System here. For this, we’ll just be covering the AOC’s (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée - the standards set for wines in France) in Burgundy.
French Wine Classification
Burgundy’s Classification
Burgundy has over 100 appellations, divided into 4 levels of quality.
REGIONAL
Grapes that grow anywhere in Burgundy make regional wines. The labels will specify “Bourgogne Blanc” or “Bourgogne Rouge” and will typically be Pinot Noir or Chardonnay grown anywhere in the region. These wines represent 54.4% of overall production.
i.e. Benjamin Leroux Bourgogne Blanc
VILLAGE
These wines are produced with grapes that are grown in a specific village or commune. Some recognizable names include Beaune, Givry, Nuits-St-Georges, and Pouilly-Fuissé. These names will be present on the label, instead of “Bourgogne”. 34% of overall production are village wines.
i.e. Domaine du Roc des Boutires Pouilly-Fuissé
PREMIER CRU
Premier Cru wines are from specific climats, or plots, within a village. Often they’re steps away from a Grand Cru site. Today, there are 640 Premier Cru climats. If you’re looking for one of these at the wine shop, the labels must include words “Appellation 1er cru contrôlée” in some form or another. These wines represent 10% of overall production. Since Burgundy is renowned for their terroir-driven winemaking approach, you can imagine how the soil and specific plot of land really comes into play. These wines are the best value add, and while age-able, do not age as well as Grand Crus.
i.e. Domaine Yvon Clerget, Volnay 1er Cru ‘Clos du Verseuil’ Monopole
GRAND CRU
“Grand Cru” on a wine label indicates that the wine is made from one of Burgundy’s top climats. ONLY Pinot Noir or Chardonnay is grown within these boundaries. In total there are 33 Grand Crus in the Côte d’Or (60/40 split between Pinot Noir and Chardonnay production respectively). These incredible wines comprise 1% of the overall Burgundy production of wine and are powerful, complex and perfect for a cellar.
i.e. Domaine des Perdrix, Echezeau Grand Cru 2019
Chablis Classification System
Chablis is the northernmost part of the Burgundy wine region, and the sole grape permitted is Chardonnay. It’s close to Champagne and similar in terroir, so wines are relatively light, have high acidity, bright minerality, and have little to no oak influence (most Chardonnays in the U.S., specifically California, are buttery and dense, while Chablis has a much leaner and refreshing taste). Chablis is the one exception to Burgundy’s classification system, if that wasn’t complicated enough. In 1938, they created their own system, specifically for their style of Chardonnay. A general way to think of this system is to imagine 4 cocentric circles, the smallest one centered around Chablis single Grand Cru. Each circle moving outward, growing further and further, with the largest on the outskirts of Chablis.
Petit Chablis:
These grapes can be grown anywhere in the area, on either side of the Serein river. Wines can be made from a number of vineyards and are typically younger grapes, yielding bright, citrus notes and high acidity.
Chablis:
These grapes are grown near the village of Chablis on the surrounding limestone slopes. These are the most widely-available of the 4 classifications and most commonly seen at wine stores. They’re known for high acidity and high minerality. The villages are Beines, Béru, Chablis, Fyé, Milly, Poinchy, La Chapelle-Vaupelteigne, Chemilly-sur-Serein, Chichée, Collan, Courgis, Fleys, Fontenay-Près-Chablis, Lignorelles, Ligny-le-Châtel, Maligny, Poilly-sur-Serein, Préhy, Villy and Viviers.
i.e. Julien Brocard, La Boissonneuse Chablis, 2021
Premier Cru Chablis:
Wines with this label can come from one of the 40 different climats throughout Chablis and account for 15% of annual production in Chablis. To take it a step further, while not an “official” designation, you can further divide this category between Left Bank and Right Bank Premier Crus.
Left Bank:
West of the river, these vineyards typically face southeast and get a good amount of sunlight, yielding lighter, more restrained wines with floral and green apple notes. Some popular Premier Crus include Vaillons (the largest Premier Cru), and Montmains.
i.e. Domaine Long Depaquit, Chablis Premier Cru ‘Les Vaillons’
Right Bank:
East of the river, (also includes the single Grand Cru), these vineyards face south / southwest, so get much warmer afternoon sun creating wines that are more opulent and fruit-driven and powerful. Montée de Tonnerre is a Premier Cru known to be one of the best, bordering the Grand Crus. These wines are nuttier, more honeyed and powerful.
i.e. Billaud-Simon, Chablis 1er Cru ‘Montee de Tonnerre’
Grand Cru Chablis:
There is really only one Grand Cru, however, it’s made of seven climats which you’ll find on a Grand Cru. These include Blanchot, Bougros, Les Clos, Grenouilles, Presuses, Valmur, or Vaudésir. These vineyards are located north of Chablis. Les Clos are the most coveted, as it’s located in the sunniest area. However, each of these vineyards produce exceptional wines, worthy of being cellared.
Beaujolais Quality Levels
Beaujolais is one of the major red-wine producing regions in Burgundy. It sits to the South of Burgundy and has nothing in common (climate, soil, geology and grapes grown are vastly different) except proximity. However, for (French) admin purposes, it is categorically part of Burgundy. Made from 100% Gamay grapes, Beaujolais is typically light and fruity and is meant to be consumed young and can be chilled. In the U.S., Beaujolais is the bset-selling Burgundy due to it’s affordability and drinkability. All grapes in the Beaujolais region are hand picked. The region has three different quality levels:
Beaujolais
This basic Beaujolais accounts for the majority produced. It is typically the cheapest.
Beaujolais-Villages
This classification comes from a certain number of villages - 35 of which produce consistently good wines. Most Beaujolais-Villages contain a blend of grapes from these villages, so the label typically does not designate a specific village name.
Cru
This is named for the village that produce the highest quality of Beaujolais, this is by far the most expensive classification. There are ten crus (villages):
Brouilly
Chénas
Chiroubles
Côte de Brouilly
Fleurie
Juliénas
Morgon
Moulin-à-Vent
Régnié
St-Amour
**Beaujolais Nouveau
Not a classification per se, but a different type of wine. Beaujolais Nouveau is even lighter and fruiter than the standard Beaujolais. It undergoes fermentation and bottling and appears on retailers’ shelves in a matter of weeks. For the winemakers, this is a good indication for them to understand the quality of the vintage and style for the regular Beaujolais in the following Spring. Beaujolais Nouveau is meant to be drank young and within six months of bottling (any bottle significantly older than that is not great!).
Other Regions in Burgundy:
While each don’t have their own classification system like Chablis, it’s worth going over each of the sub-regions. We’ll go a bit more in-depth on Burgundy’s sub-regions in a later post.
CÔTE de NUITS
The region begins south of Dijon and extends to Corgoloin and is home to 24 Grand Cru vineyards. Pinot Noir comprises 80% of the wine produced here, with the remaining 20% from Chardonnay. One of the legendary producers, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC) have vineyards including the renowned Romanée-Conti, La Tâche, and Richebourg. Prices here are easily into the thousands, with several bottles auctioned for hundreds of thousands.
CÔTE de BEAUNE
Named after the medieval village of Beaune, which is full of sun-kissed, limestone-rich soils, Beaune produces a more decadent style of Chardonnay than those of Chablis. This is also home to 7/8 of the Grand Cru vineyards producing white wine and other well-known Premier Crus that include Pommard, Puligny-Montrachet, and Volnay. Paired with Côte de Nuits, the two subregions create the Côte d’Or (Golden Slope), the most significant growing region in France, and a UNESCO World Heritage.
CÔTE CHALONNAIS
This is home to some of the best value wines from Burgundy, with many prominent Village wines, but no Grand Crus. Historically, when ruled by nobility who dictated the land borders, Dukes tended to keep their vineyards closer to Dijon, the provincial capital at the time, leaving subregions Chalonnais and Mâconnais (rural lands) to the peasants.
MÂCONNAIS
This is the largest and southernmost region of Burgundy and has a warmer climate due to it’s proximity to Southern France and influence from the Mediterranean. Because of the warmer climate, harvest here begins at least two weeks before that in Chablis, producing rich Chardonnay (80% of production), with notes of stone fruits and honeysuckle. One of the well-known areas is Pouilly-Fuissé.
