Côte de Beaune: from village to grand cru
0 bottles, from €23.00 to €199.90The Côte de Beaune occupies the southern half of the Côte-d'Or, from Ladoix to Maranges. It is the area that produces Burgundy's great Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs that are generally suppler than those of the Côte de Nuits. Our labels bear fifteen different appellation names, from the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune at €23.00 to the Corton grand cru at €199.90.
The median price is €46.00, the level of a village such as Volnay or Chassagne-Montrachet. Below that, the selection relies on the Hautes-Côtes and Maranges, with premiers crus at €36.00. The vast majority of wines can be bought by the bottle, the rest are sold in packs.
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Back to homepageEach appellation, its colour, its budget
The fifteen appellation names in our shop fall into six coherent families. Read this table from top to bottom: the price rises as you get closer to the heart of the côte, between Beaune and Chassagne-Montrachet, and the proportion of white increases in the second half.
| Appellation family | What you will find there | Price range | Benchmark bottle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hautes-Côtes de Beaune | The high-altitude vineyards, set back from the côte. Three reds, two whites, to drink within three years. | €23.00 to €28.90 | Domaine Edmond Monnot, Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Blanc 2022, €23.00 |
| Maranges | Southern tip of the Côte, only red here, including three premiers crus at the same price. | €29.90 to €36.00 | Domaine Edmond Monnot, Maranges 1er Cru Clos Roussots 2023, €36.00 |
| Savigny, Chorey, Ladoix, Auxey-Duresses | The ring of villages around Beaune. Five supple reds, two taut whites. | €33.00 to €55.00 | Domaine Cachat-Ocquidant, Chorey-lès-Beaune Rouge 2024, €35.00 |
| Beaune, Volnay, Pommard, Monthélie | The red heart of the côte: Volnay for finesse, Pommard for structure. Only one white, the Beaune Mosnières. | €42.00 to €74.00 | Domaine Vaudoisey, Volnay Rouge 2022, €46.00 |
| Saint-Aubin, Chassagne-Montrachet, Meursault | Chardonnay territory, four whites out of six. The two Chassagnes here are reds, cheaper than the whites from the same village. | €44.00 to €188.00 | Sylvain Langoureau, Saint-Aubin Blanc 2022, €44.00 |
| Aloxe-Corton and Corton | The northernmost hill, red only, with the only two grands crus on the page. | €59.90 to €199.90 | Domaine Cachat-Ocquidant, Aloxe-Corton 2023, €59.90 |
The price ranges are calculated only on the bottles in stock today. The fifth row stretches up to €188.00 because of a single bottle, the Hospices de Beaune's Meursault-Charmes 2013: without it, it stops at €66.00.
Six ways into the selection
By village, by estate or by colour: here are the six doors that lead most quickly to a specific bottle. The last two go beyond the Côte de Beaune, to compare it with its immediate neighbours.
The area's reds
Pinot Noir from the southern half of the Côte d'Or, suppler and more open when young than that of the Côte de Nuits.
Domaine de la Roche Aiguë
The best-represented producer here, with eight cuvées spanning the whole hierarchy. They range from the Hautes-Côtes at €28.90 to the Beaune 1er Cru Les Cras at €68.00, by way of a Meursault Les Clous.
From €28.90 to €68.00Dubois Estate
Two Savigny-lès-Beaune cuvées, showing the exact gap between a village wine and a premier cru from the same winemaker. The 2021 red is €33.00, Les Narbantons 2022 €55.00.
0 vinsThe area's whites
Nine Chardonnays, from the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune at €23.00 to the 2013 Meursault-Charmes 1er Cru at €188.00. The sweet spot is at €44.00, where Saint-Aubin and Ladoix come in.
Côte de Nuits
The northern half of the Côte-d'Or, almost exclusively red, with firmer Pinots that take longer to open up. Worth a look if Volnay and Chorey seem too soft to you.
0 vinsCôte Chalonnaise
The southern extension of Maranges, with the same grape varieties at lower prices. It is the right fallback when your budget drops below €30.00.
0 vins
What we open depending on the dish
Côte de Beaune Pinot Noir has little tannin and plenty of acidity: it goes with juicy meat rather than very powerful sauces. Barrel-aged Chardonnay, on the other hand, needs a creamy dish or rich flesh so as not to seem heavy on its own.
| The dish | The style to choose | Budget | Our pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roast poultry, blanquetteWhite meat | A barrel-aged village Chardonnay, broad enough to stand up to a cream sauce. | €44.00 | Domaine Cachat-Ocquidant, Ladoix Blanc 2024 |
| Sole, scallopsWhite fish | A straighter white with discreet oak, so as not to overwhelm delicate flesh. | €28.90 | Domaine de la Roche Aiguë, Hautes-Côtes de Beaune La Lave Blanc 2022 |
| Braised beef, daubeBeef | The most structured red of the côte, with enough substance for slow cooking. | €57.00 | Domaine Vaudoisey, Pommard Rouge 2023 |
| Leg of lamb, rack of lambLamb | A red premier cru with a few years in bottle, which brings length without overpowering the meat. | €68.00 | Domaine de la Roche Aiguë, Beaune 1er Cru Les Cras 2022 |
| Brie, ÉpoissesSoft cheese | A light, fruity red, low in tannin, that does not fight with a washed rind. | €28.00 | Domaine Jean-François Bouthenet, Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Au Paradis Rouge 2022 |
Serve the reds between 15 and 16 °C, never at room temperature, and the whites between 11 and 12 °C. A red premier cru benefits from an hour in a decanter; a Hautes-Côtes does not need it.
Pay for the plot rather than the village name
The Côte de Beaune sells on its whites. Meursault, Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny: these are the names behind its worldwide reputation, and also what makes the area expensive. In our range, the reality is different: red largely dominates the labels, and the median price of €46.00 corresponds to a red village wine, not a prestige white.
Our position comes down to one comparison. At €36.00, Domaine Edmond Monnot offers its Maranges premiers crus, Clos de la Boutière, La Fussière and Clos Roussots. Meanwhile, you need €46.00 for a village Volnay and €49.90 for a village-level red Chassagne-Montrachet. Premier cru status in a little-publicised village costs less than the mere name of a star village. For anyone who wants an identified plot and a winemaker who has worked it for a long time, this is where the best value lies.
Where we do not advise saving money is on white. Under €30.00, the page sticks to the Hautes-Côtes, honest but short on the palate. The first white that really shows what Chardonnay does here is Sylvain Langoureau's Saint-Aubin 2022, at €44.00. Below that level, you are better off buying a village red than a cut-price white.
Three pointers before choosing
Almost the entire range can be bought by the bottle. A red Chassagne-Montrachet and a Volnay 1er Cru Robardelle are the exceptions and are sold in packs.
Two estates account for a large part of the page. Domaine de la Roche Aiguë and Domaine Cachat-Ocquidant each line up several cuvées, which lets you compare several appellations from the same winemaker.
The 2013 vintages from the Hospices de Beaune, at €188.00 and €199.90, are the oldest on the page. Everything else ranges from 2017 to 2024.
The Wine Wanderer Team
What we are asked most often
What exactly is the Côte de Beaune?
It is the southern half of the Côte-d'Or, the long strip of slopes running from Ladoix in the north to Maranges in the south. It takes its name from the town of Beaune, its commercial and historic centre. Our selection covers fifteen appellation names there, plus the Hautes-Côtes, the hinterland just above.
How does it differ from the Côte de Nuits?
The Côte de Nuits, to the north, is almost exclusively red and gives firmer, more tannic Pinot Noirs that need more time. The Côte de Beaune produces Burgundy's greatest whites and reds with a suppler texture, enjoyable earlier. If you are unsure, start with the Côte de Beaune: its wines can be drunk younger.
Is this page mainly about whites?
Red dominates here, and this often comes as a surprise. The region's reputation rests on rare, expensive whites, whereas most of what is available remains Pinot Noir.
Which grape varieties are found here?
Two, and only two in this selection: Pinot Noir for all the reds, Chardonnay for all the whites. That is the rule in the Côte-d'Or, where each appellation stipulates its grape variety. So you will not find any blends on this page.
What is a Hautes-Côtes de Beaune at €23.00 worth?
The Hautes-Côtes are the vineyards at altitude, set back from the main côte, where the grapes ripen a little more slowly. This gives lighter, livelier wines, to drink within two or three years rather than keep. At this price, it is the most direct way to taste the Burgundian style without a big budget.
Premier cru or village: is the difference worth paying?
A premier cru comes from a delimited, named plot, considered better exposed than the rest of the village. The difference shows mainly in the length on the palate and ageing potential, less in immediate pleasure. At Domaine Dubois, the gap is measurable: €33.00 for the red Savigny-lès-Beaune, €55.00 for Les Narbantons.
How long can these wines be kept?
Allow two to three years for the Hautes-Côtes, five to eight years for a village such as Chorey, Ladoix or Auxey-Duresses. The red premiers crus of Beaune, Volnay or Savigny keep for about ten years, the Corton grands crus longer. Store the bottles lying down, at a stable temperature, away from light.
At what temperature should it be served?
Pinot Noir reds are served cool, between 15 and 16 °C, never at the temperature of a heated room, which flattens their fruit. The whites are drunk between 11 and 12 °C, a little less cold for a Meursault than for a Hautes-Côtes. A quarter of an hour in the fridge is often enough to correct a red that is too warm.
Which dishes with a red from the Côte de Beaune?
Light reds, such as the Hautes-Côtes or a Chorey-lès-Beaune, go with charcuterie, poultry and soft cheeses. More structured reds, Pommard or Corton, call for red meat or a slow-cooked dish. The pairing table above gives a specific wine for five common situations.
What can you find above €100 on this page?
Only two bottles, both from the Hospices de Beaune in the 2013 vintage: the Meursault-Charmes 1er Cru Albert Grivault at €188.00 and the Corton Grand Cru Cuvée Docteur Peste at €199.90. Just below comes Domaine Cachat-Ocquidant's Corton-Vergennes Grand Cru Clos des Vergennes 2023, at €99.90. All three are sold individually.