Côte Chalonnaise and Maranges appellations

Côte Chalonnaise and Maranges appellations

Burgundy’s vineyards are extremely diverse: over 100 appellations, 4,000 producers, and more than 60,000 different wines! To find your way around this multitude of proposals, you need to understand that the Burgundy vineyard is divided into 4 levels of appellations, according to geographical origin.

Appellations: how to decipher them?

Regional appellations: these wines are produced throughout the Burgundy vineyards. You’ll easily spot them by their name, which (almost) always includes the word “Bourgogne”: Crémant de Bourgogne, Bourgogne Aligoté, Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise… Regional appellations account for more than half of Burgundy’s production. These are also the appellations with the most affordable prices.

Village appellations: these wines are produced in the wine-growing communes (= villages) that give them their name. There are five Villages appellations in the Côte Chalonnaise: Bouzeron, Rully, Mercurey, Givry and Montagny.

Premiers Crus appellations: wines are produced on precisely delimited plots of land, called “climats”, within a village. One Burgundy wine in ten is produced under this appellation: Mercurey 1er cru, Givry 1er cru…

Grands Crus appellations: wines are produced on the best parcels (or “climats”) in the communes.

Grands Crus

Although the 33 Grands Crus represent only 1.5% of Burgundy’s production, they are the most famous wines in Burgundy… and the most expensive! There are no Grands Crus in the Côte Chalonnaise region, but you’ll find some superb white and red wines offering excellent value for money.

Bouzeron

100% white

The old Aligoté grape produces a typical wine with a strong attachment to its terroir. This village appellation exists only in white. It is produced in the communes of Bouzeron and Chassey-le-Camp. The result is a delicious, delicately powerful wine. Bouzeron is the only appellation dedicated exclusively to Aligoté!

Rully

62% white, 38% red

This appellation produces white and red wines, some of which are classified as Premier Cru. Rully is produced in the communes of Rully and Chagny. The white is fruity, lively and round; the red is supple and complex, but you have to give it time!

Mercurey

82% red, 18% white

This is the largest communal appellation on the Côte Chalonnaise. Production is shared between Mercurey and Saint-Martin-sous-Montaigu. The red is powerful, with a dark garnet color reminiscent of Pommard and Volnay. The white, floral and round, is similar to that of Côte de Beaune.

©Mercurey Vignes June 2016 61|jerome MARCHE

Givry

83% red, 17% white

It was Henri IV’s favorite wine! Vines have been planted around the fortified village since the Middle Ages. The appellation produces mainly red wines from the communes of Givry, Dracy-le-Fort and Jambles. Spicy and quite tannic when young, the red becomes supple and pleasant with age. The white is fine and harmonious, with a balance between sweetness and acidity, and holds well on the palate.

Montagny

100% white

This wine is exclusively white. It was one of the first Burgundy wines to benefit from an AOC. The “aux douces collines” appellation covers the communes of Montagny, Buxy, Jully-lès-Buxy and Saint-Vallerin. A well-balanced, mineral white wine with a delicate bouquet and elegant character!

©Montagny Automne Vignoble Vigne Paysage 2020 Rozenn Krebel 117|ROZENN KREBEL

Les Maranges

Gateway to the Climats du vignoble de Bourgogne UNESCO World Heritage Site

On the border with the Côte Chalonnaise, the Maranges vineyards form the link between Côte-d’Or and Saône-et-Loire. It produces mainly red wines from Pinot Noir, with a few white Chardonnay vines. The Maranges appellation comprises 7 Climats classified as Premier Cru, produced in Cheilly-lès-Maranges, Dezize-lès-Maranges and Sampigny-lès-Maranges. Although the production area is located in the Saône-et-Loire department, the appellation belongs to the Côte de Beaune.
Les Maranges is part of the Climats du vignoble de Bourgogne, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2015.

For tasting

The light, gravelly soils of Cheilly produce a wine of remarkable delicacy. Structure and firmness characterize the wines of Dezize and Sampigny. As for the small production of white wines, they display a flowery temperament.

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