Burgundy wine: a map of the climats, from village to grand cru
125 bottles, from €13.90 to €199.90The section brings together wines from €13.90 to €199.90, with a median of €35.00. They are spread across four areas: the Côte de Beaune, the Côte Chalonnaise and the regional appellations, the Côte de Nuits and the Hautes Côtes de Nuits. Two grape varieties do almost everything: Pinot Noir for the reds, Chardonnay for most of the whites, including a few crémants. Rosé completes the section.
The heart of the selection lies in the Côte d'Or and the Côte Chalonnaise, with a foray into the Mâconnais for whites. The first table explains the hierarchy of appellations, which drives the price far more than the vintage or the estate. The second separates the areas, from the north of the Côte de Nuits to the hills of the Hautes Côtes.
Vignerons des Terres Secrètes - Saint-Véran Croix de Montceau 2023
A south-facing lieu-dit in Prissé, for a brioche-scented, straightforward Saint-Véran with fine persistence.
Vignerons des Terres Secrètes - Saint-Véran Les Préludes 2023
A creamy yet fresh Saint-Véran, born at the foot of the Roche de Solutré, between peach, pear and acacia.
Domaine Gaillard - Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru Les Crays 2023
A Pouilly-Fuissé premier cru born beneath the Roche de Vergisson, generous, spicy and already mineral.
Domaine Gaillard - Pouilly-Fuissé 2023
An airy, floral Pouilly-Fuissé, with notes of caramelised apple and a buttery finish.
Domaine Gaillard - Saint-Véran La Grand Bruyère 2023
A Saint-Véran from old vines, made without sulphur, with generous fruit and honeyed notes.
Domaine Gaillard - Saint-Véran La Côte 2024
A lively, mineral Saint-Véran born on the limestone of Chasselas, between pear, acacia honey and gingerbread.
Domaine Gaillard - Mâcon Charnay-lès-Mâcon 2024
An indulgent and delicate Mâcon, between white-fleshed fruit, jasmine and orange blossom.
Domaine du Four Bassot - Coteaux Bourguignons Pinot Noir 2024
A crunchy, indulgent Coteaux Bourguignons, bursting with red fruit: a true wine for sharing with friends.
Domaine du Four Bassot - Bouzeron 2024
A very fruity Bouzeron with marked citrus character, from the only village appellation dedicated to Aligoté.
Domaine du Four Bassot - Bourgogne Chardonnay 2025
A Bourgogne Chardonnay from the Côte Chalonnaise, lively and fresh, opening on citrus.
Domaine Jeannin-Naltet - Mercurey Vieilles Vignes 2024
An expressive, supple Mercurey, with smooth raspberry and cherry fruit, from old vines.
Domaine Simon Gaudet - Corton Grand Cru Les Grandes Lolières 2020
A dense, precise Corton Grand Cru from sixty-year-old vines, between liquorice, aniseed and mocha.
Domaine Simon Gaudet - Santenay Les Bras 2023
An elegant red Santenay, where violet, raspberry and gingerbread rest on silky tannins.
Domaine Simon Gaudet - Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Au Paradis 2023
A fresh, dynamic red Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, with tangy, crunchy small red berries.
Domaine Simon Gaudet - Bourgogne Pinot Noir Altis 2023
A crunchy, indulgent Bourgogne Pinot Noir from high-trained vines, all raspberry and cherry.
Domaine Simon Gaudet - Beaune 1er Cru Les Champimonts 2022
A crystalline white Beaune premier cru, with yellow fruit, white flowers and a touch of star anise.
Domaine Simon Gaudet - Santenay En Foulot 2023
A precise and deep white Santenay, between fresh citrus, toasty notes and hazelnut.
Domaine Parent - Corton Grand Cru Les Renardes 2023
A powerful, fleshy Corton Grand Cru, with black fruit and wild mushrooms, of great persistence.
Domaine Parent - Pommard 1er Cru Les Épenots 2022
A great Pommard premier cru, dense and fine, where violet meets cherry and raspberry.
Domaine Parent - Pommard 1er Cru Les Chaponnières 2022
A generous Pommard premier cru, with fleshy raspberry and cherry fruit underlined by liquorice.
Domaine Parent - Pommard 1er Cru Les Argillières 2022
A delicate, seductive Pommard premier cru, with notes of spice and stone fruit.
Domaine Parent - Pommard 1er Cru Les Chanlins 2022
A sensual, racy Pommard premier cru, with black fruit lifted by a floral and mineral touch.
Domaine Parent - Pommard Croix Blanche 2022
A lieu-dit Pommard with a ruby colour, where wild cherry and blackcurrant combine power and finesse.
Domaine Parent - Monthélie 1er Cru Les Champs Fulliot 2022
An indulgent, fresh Monthélie premier cru, with vibrant fruit and round tannins.
Domaine Parent - Corton Grand Cru Blanc 2023
An energetic and precise white Corton Grand Cru, between ripe fruit, toasted hazelnut and minerality.
Domaine Jacques Cacheux & Fils - Échézeaux Grand Cru 2022
An Échézeaux grand cru from the Orveaux and Cruots climats, aged in new barrels, deep, silky and mineral.
Domaine Jacques Cacheux & Fils - Nuits-Saint-Georges Au Bas de Combe 2022
A Nuits-Saint-Georges from the border with Vosne-Romanée, floral and fresh, with round, silky tannins.
Domaine Julien Brocard - Les 7 Lieux Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses 2023
A biodynamic Les Preuses grand cru, precise and velvety, between brioche, orange, cinnamon and a saline finish.
Domaine Julien Brocard - Les 7 Lieux Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 2023
A biodynamic Montée de Tonnerre premier cru, dense and structured, with notes of white peach and spice.
Domaine Julien Brocard - Les 7 Lieux Chablis 1er Cru Vaudevey 2022
A biodynamic Vaudevey premier cru, precise and seductive, with a long, refreshing finish.
Domaine Julien Brocard - Les 7 Lieux Chablis La Boissonneuse 2023
A biodynamic Chablis from the Boissonneuse vineyard, sunny, round, fruity and mineral.
Domaine Julien Brocard - Les 7 Lieux Petit Chablis Les Plantes 2023
A biodynamic Petit Chablis full of freshness, between lemon, fresh almond and a peppery finish.
Four tiers of appellation, from regional to grand cru
In Burgundy, the label does not name an estate or a grape variety: it names a boundary of land, and that boundary narrows as the price rises. A regional appellation covers the whole region, a grand cru sometimes covers just a few hectares. It is the only system you need to have in mind before buying, because it explains almost the entire gap between a bottle at €14.90 and a bottle at €195.00.
| Tier | What it delimits | What it changes in the glass | In our cellar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regional appellationBourgogne, Aligoté, Crémant, Hautes-Côtes | The whole region, or a large area of hillsides. The grapes can be blended from several communes. | Direct fruit, short tannins, clean acidity. Drink young, within two to four years. | From €13.90 to €28.90 |
| Village Rully, Mercurey, Ladoix, Volnay, Meursault | The territory of a single commune. The village name replaces that of the region on the label. | A character recognisable from one village to the next, more substance and length. | From €21.00 to €105.00 |
| Premier cru Les Naugues, Les Cras, Le Champlot, Les Ruchots | A classified plot within the village, named on the label after the name of the commune. | More density and tannin, fruit that closes up for a year or two before opening. Five to ten years of ageing potential. | From €29.90 to €188.00 |
| Grand cru Corton, Corton-Vergennes, Clos de Vougeot | A parcel that bears its own name alone, without the village's. They are few in number and all located in the Côte d'Or. | Concentration and length on the palate, but also a closed youth that calls for patience or a decanter. | From €99.90 to €199.90 |
The ranks overlap more than you might think: the cheapest premier cru in the section, the Rully 1er Cru Champs Cloux de Duvernay at €29.90, costs half as much as a village wine such as the Meursault Les Clous du Domaine de la Roche Aiguë at €66.00. So rank alone is not enough to decide; it has to be cross-checked with the village.
Six ways into the vineyard
Four areas account for most of the section, each with its own price level and dominant colour. Two narrower sections complete the map: the Beaune appellation itself and the best-represented estate in our cellar.
Côte de Beaune
The best-stocked area in the section, from Ladoix to the Maranges. It combines 25 Pinot Noir reds and 9 Chardonnay whites, with a median of €45.00.
From €23.00 to €199.90Côte de Nuits
The northern half of the Côte d'Or, almost exclusively red. It is also the most expensive area: half the bottles cost more than €64.00.
From €28.00 to €105.00Côte Chalonnaise
Rully, Mercurey and Givry, south of the Côte d'Or. The same grape varieties as in the Côte de Beaune, at noticeably lower prices, from €26.00 to €48.00.
From €26.00 to €48.00Hautes Côtes de Nuits
The plateaus west of the Côte de Nuits, higher and cooler. This is the entry point to the section, with reds, whites and a rosé from €13.90 to €24.00.
From €13.90 to €24.00Rully, the way in
Eight cuvées between €26.00 and €32.00, the tightest price range in the region. This is where you can taste a Burgundy without spending fifty euros.
8 winesDubois Estate
The most represented producer in our cellar, present in four sectors at once. The range starts with a Bourgogne Côte d'Or vieilles vignes at €22.00 and goes up to a Clos de Vougeot grand cru at €195.00.
12 wines
Five areas and what sets them apart
The appellation rank tells you how tightly the parcel is delimited; the area tells you where it is. Together, they are enough to place any Burgundy label and to judge whether the asking price makes sense. Here is how the section is spread across the map.
| Sector | What sets it apart | Colours | In our cellar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Côte de NuitsMarsannay, Morey-Saint-Denis, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Vosne-Romanée | The northern half of the Côte d'Or. The most sought-after names are concentrated here, and prices follow. | 9 reds, 1 rosé | From €28.00 to €105.00 |
| Côte de BeauneLadoix, Savigny, Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Maranges | The largest sector in our cellar. It is the only one that yields as many whites for ageing as structured reds. | 25 reds, 9 whites | From €23.00 to €199.90, median €45.00 |
| Côte ChalonnaiseRully, Mercurey, Givry | South of the Côte d'Or, on more fragmented hillsides. Same grape varieties, same ranks, less renown. | 10 reds, 7 whites | From €26.00 to €48.00, median €32.00 |
| Hautes Côtes de NuitsMarey-lès-Fussey, Villers-la-Faye | The plateaus west of the Côte, higher and cooler. Later ripening, lighter wines. | Reds, whites and a rosé | From €13.90 to €24.00 |
| Regional appellations Bourgogne, Aligoté, Crémant | No specific village on the label. The grapes come from parcels spread across the region. | 10 whites, 7 reds | Most bottles under €34.00 |
These four sectors cover most of the section. The rest carry a regional appellation or the name of a stand-alone village, ranging from Bourgogne Aligoté at €13.90 to Clos de Vougeot grand cru at €195.00.
What makes Burgundy expensive is not the tier
People say that a premier cru is worth more than a village wine, and a village wine more than a regional one. The prices in our cellar tell a different story. The cheapest premier cru in the section, a Rully from Duvernay, is €29.90. The most expensive village wine, a Vosne-Romanée from Domaine Dubois, is €105.00 – more than three times as much for a lower rank.
What really pushes the price up is how famous the village name is. A Mercurey premier cru Les Naugues is €48.00, a Corton-Vergennes grand cru €99.90, while a Meursault-Charmes premier cru from the Hospice de Beaune reaches €188.00. Three different ranks, three prices that do not follow the expected order. The village's reputation weighs more heavily than the classification of the parcel.
The practical consequence is simple: the best ratio between rank and price is found in the Côte Chalonnaise. Six premiers crus are offered there between €29.90 and €48.00, with the same grape variety, the same hierarchy and the same parcel-by-parcel work as in the Côte d'Or. By way of comparison, you have to spend €79.90 for the cheapest premier cru in the Côte de Nuits. A buyer who wants to understand what classification changes in the glass would do well to start with a Rully or a Mercurey, not a Morey-Saint-Denis.
Worth knowing before you pay
The best rank at the best price: the six premiers crus of the Côte Chalonnaise, from €29.90 to €48.00, against a minimum of €79.90 for a Côte de Nuits premier cru.
The village name decides: a simple village Vosne-Romanée costs €105.00, a Mercurey premier cru €48.00. Rank is only part of the price.
What our cellar does not have: no Chablis, and only one white from the Mâconnais. The section is entirely about the Côte d'Or and the Côte Chalonnaise.
The Wine Wanderer Team
What we are asked most often
Is there any Chablis in this section?
No, none. Our cellar covers the Côte d'Or, the Côte Chalonnaise and the Hautes Côtes, but not the Yonne vineyards where Chablis is found. For a lively, taut white in the same spirit, the Bourgogne Aligoté du Domaine la Renarde at €13.90 or Duvernay's white Rullys at €26.90 come closest.
And wines from the Mâconnais, Mâcon or Pouilly-Fuissé?
The Mâconnais is represented by just one white, a Viré-Clessé from Domaine Virolys, and it is not sold by the single bottle. There is no Mâcon-Villages or Pouilly-Fuissé in the section. The rest of the section is devoted to the Côte d'Or, the Côte Chalonnaise and the Hautes Côtes de Nuits.
Why a range from €13.90 to €199.90 within the same region?
Because the appellation does not cover the same area of land. A regional appellation can blend grapes from all over Burgundy, whereas a grand cru is limited to a single parcel that bears its own name. The tighter the boundary, the smaller the volumes and the higher the price. The section's median is still €35.00, and some of the bottles are under €25.00.
What is a climat in Burgundy?
It is the name of a delimited parcel, handed down over centuries and written on the label after the village name. Les Naugues in Mercurey, Les Cras in Beaune, Le Champlot in Saint-Aubin and Les Ruchots in Morey-Saint-Denis are climats. Two neighbouring climats in the same village can produce very different wines, depending on the slope, the exposure and the depth of the soil.
Is it better to buy a village wine or a premier cru?
It depends on when you plan to open the bottle. A village wine is drunk sooner and shows its fruit straight away; a premier cru often needs a year or two to open up but lasts longer. If you are opening it within the year, a good village wine from a serious estate will do better than a premier cru that is too young.
Which bottle to choose at around €30?
This is the best-served budget in the section, just under the €35.00 median. Two premiers crus are available here, the Rully 1er Cru Champs Cloux red and the Rully 1er Cru Rabourcé white, both at €29.90. At this price you will also find village wines from the Côte de Beaune and the Côte Chalonnaise.
Which sector to start with when discovering the region?
Through the Côte Chalonnaise. Its wines range from €26.00 to €48.00, with a median of €32.00, and it produces as many reds as whites of comparable quality. It is the area that lets you taste all four appellation ranks while staying under €50.00 a bottle.
What is the split between reds and whites?
The section offers mainly reds, then whites and a few rosés. The reds are almost all Pinot Noir, the whites Chardonnay apart from a few Bourgogne Aligotés. The Côte de Nuits is the most lopsided, almost entirely red; the Côte Chalonnaise is the most evenly split between the two colours.
Are all bottles sold individually?
The vast majority of wines can be ordered by the bottle. The others are offered in lots until they are available individually again. Each wine's page shows the format on offer before you add it to your basket.
Which dishes go with a Burgundy?
The reds of the Côte de Beaune and the Côte Chalonnaise, supple and fruity, go well with slow-cooked beef and roast poultry. The Chardonnay whites, mostly barrel-aged, stand up to white fish in sauce. Serve the reds at around 15 degrees and the whites at around 11, never ice-cold.