The classification
of Burgundy wines
The basis of Burgundy wines' uniqueness
In Burgundy, terroir is the foundation of the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) designation.
In Burgundy, the concept of terroir is broad, encompassing both natural and human factors. It was the winegrowers, sometimes aided by monks, who discovered, identified, and then promoted the terroirs. It took centuries of hard work for this concept, which dates back to the early Middle Ages, to stand the test of time and be officially recognized and described in the middle of the last century with the creation of the I.N.A.O. and appellations of origin.
Today, after more than 1,000 years, the terroir continues to assert itself in Burgundy as a modern concept that is copied around the world because it represents and conveys the values of origin, authenticity, tradition, and typicity that are so dear to consumers.
The foundation of the terroir: the soil
The terroir's foundation consists primarily of the subsoil and soil from which the vines draw their nutrients and create the secret alchemy of colors, aromas, and flavors.
Remarkable geological diversity
In Burgundy, the geological origin and physical and chemical composition of the soils are highly diverse and vary between vineyards, but also within the same vineyard, village, or even locality. This explains why the Burgundy vineyards are a huge mosaic made up of thousands of small plots (known locally as climats), many of which are very small (La Romanée is the smallest appellation in the world, covering just 0.8 hectares).
Despite this diversity of soils, Burgundy has a certain geological and pedological unity from north to south: sedimentary soils composed of clay, marl, and limestone, deposited 150 million years ago during the Jurassic period on an even older substrate (250 million years old) composed of granite, lava, gneiss, and various schists. The weathering of marine sedimentary rocks is therefore responsible for the clay-limestone soils on which Burgundy's grape varieties have found their ideal terroir.
Burgundy has 100 appellations
more than 477 in France, which are divided into four levels of appellations:
Regional appellations : there are 23 of these, harvested throughout the Burgundy wine-growing region (e.g. Bourgogne Aligoté)
The appellations Villages: there are 44 of these, and the wine is produced in the wine-growing communes (villages) that give them their names (e.g., Chablis, Pommard).
The Premier Cru appellations: wines are produced on precisely defined plots called “climats” within a village. Burgundy has 684 climats. On the bottles, the name of the commune is followed by the name of the plot where the wine comes from (e.g., Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Vaucrains).
The Grands Crus appellations : these wines are produced on the best plots (climats) in the communes. There are 33 Grands Crus. They express and concentrate all the richness of their unique terroirs. Here, the name of the commune disappears in favor of a single terroir name, which is sometimes very limited (e.g., Corton, Montrachet).
These appellations are grouped together in the Burgundy wine region, which has a production area of 27,636 hectares (3% of France's total vineyard area):
- 61% are white wines
- 31% are red (or rosé) wines
- 8% are sparkling wines
Other natural factors of the Terroir
While the nature of the soil is the key element of the terroir, many other natural factors influence the quality, character, and expression of a wine: the exposure of the plot, its altitude, the depth and drainage of the soil, the climatic conditions of the year, and the microclimate.
The role of humans in production
While the nature of the soil is the key element of the terroir, many other natural factors influence the quality, character, and expression of a wine: the exposure of the plot, its altitude, the depth and drainage of the soil, the climatic conditions of the year, and the microclimate.
Understanding AOCs
An exceptional wealth of AOCs in Burgundy
Burgundy is renowned for its prestigious appellations d'origine contrôlée (AOC), and boasts an exceptional diversity of natural production conditions, resulting in a wide variety of AOCs today.
But what exactly is an AOC?
It is a sign of quality, guaranteeing the characteristics of the product, which are: the terroir of origin, which served as the basis for the classification of appellations, the production method, the history of the product, and the expertise of the producer.
Each AOC is subject to meticulous control at all stages of production and marketing.
The expression of grape varieties according to soil type
Pinot Noir thrives in fairly chalky, well-drained marl soils, where, depending on the proportion of chalk and the location of the plot, it produces either a light, elegant red wine or a powerful, full-bodied wine. Chardonnay prefers fairly clayey marl-limestone soils, where it develops all its elegance and finesse of aroma. It is the proportion of clay in the soil that determines the more or less aromatic and full-bodied style of the great dry white wines of Burgundy.
