How are you supposed to make sense of Burgundy wines? Understanding Burgundy wine labels can seem impossible. Sometimes it is even difficult to know whether you have selected a bottle of red wine or white wine without an expert knowledge of the region and its producers. But it is worth finding out a little about the region’s wines because Burgundy, or Bourgogne as it is known in France, is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in Europe and has a reputation for producing some of the world’s best wines. So let’s tackle this relatively small but daunting area with its complex labelling and numerous wine producers often with the same family name. Here is Burgundy in a nutshell, all you need to know to start you off tasting Burgundy wines.
The focus in the wine world at the beginning of each year is on Burgundy with the release of the latest vintage – in January 2025 this was the 2023 vintage release. It therefore seems like a good time to provide a very quick guide to Burgundy and its wines. By the way, reports and findings from tastings so far is that 2023 is an excellent vintage for both reds and whites. And because of smaller volumes, especially for reds in 2024, it may be worth stocking up 2023s.
There are only really two grape varieties that you need to remember:
(1) Burgundy white wine means 100% Chardonnay and Burgundy red wine means 100% Pinot Noir
Chardonnay accounts for 49% of all wine grapes produced in the region and Pinot Noir 39%. The white grape, Aligoté, and the black grape, Gamay, are also grown together with a handful of Sauvignon Blanc and lesser-known varieties. Gamay adds colour, texture and flavour to rosé Crémant de Bourgogne, the region’s Champagne-style sparkling wine and can be seen occasionally in still rosé wine.
Most of the wines produced are single varietals, i.e. just Chardonnay and just Pinot Noir, though in the usual French style this is not clear from the labels, unlike many New World wine labels which focus on the grape variety. The reason for this focus on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is that they are so well-suited to the terroir.
I have already mentioned that Burgundy labels can appear to be quite complicated and this gives a clue to the key fact about Burgundy wines – and that is that
(2) Terroir is key
Understanding this fundamental point can help you start to make sense of the hierarchy of the Burgundy vineyards which can in turn help you decipher Burgundy wine labels. You can find out more in my terroir blogpost.
Millions of years ago the region now known as Burgundy was a lagoon rich in marine life; the sediment from the algae and shellfish created limestone-rich rock and marl which contribute to the depth, elegance and minerality of Burgundy wines. In fact Burgundy has a wide variety of soils and sub-soils which explain why neighbouring vineyards can be so different but don’t forget that terroir is not just about the soils. In summary Burgundy has a rich variety of soil, topography and meso-climates in its vineyards and therefore vineyards that are literally a stone’s throw away from each other can produce incredibly different wines from the same grape variety. For example, the different aspects of the vineyard sites (north-facing vs south-facing etc.) contribute to differences in the wine. And because Chardonnay and Pinot Noir express so well their terroir, these differences can be quite marked.
It is the differences in terroir that led to the classification of Burgundy vineyards and consequently their wines.
(3) Burgundy vineyards are small and can have many owners
According to the Napoleonic Code a deceased’s estate had to be split equally between all children and therefore what were once large wine estates have become smaller and smaller over the years – and the reason why you see so many wineries with similar family names.
‘Climat’ is the word used historically and exclusively in Burgundy to describe the different areas of terroir, effectively the vineyard plots like La Comme in Santenay Premier Cru La Comme. According to Vins de Bourgogne these names have “been recognised by its name for centuries, often since the Middle Ages. Each Climat has specific geological, hydrometric and exposure characteristics. The production of each Climat is vinified separately, from a single grape variety, and the wine thus produced takes the name of the Climat from which it comes.” Therefore the wine expresses the particular climat – but remember that these days there can be a number of owners to each climat and therefore wine from the same climat but produced by different domains might be slightly different..
‘Clos’ is another word you might come across to describe a vineyard in Burgundy as in the infamous Clos Vougeot and this means a walled vineyard, the walls constructed originally yo keep out animals..
You may also have seen the expression ‘lieu-dit’ which is increasingly used interchangeably with ‘climat’ mainly on Burgundy village wines but this is not quite correct as there are ‘lieux-dits’ all over France and a ‘climat’ might contain several ‘lieux-dits’ or just part of one.
Usually the vineyards have been named after a topographical feature e.g. Chablis Premier Cru Mont de Milieu is so named (translation ‘hill in the middle’) because the hill upon which the vineyard sits used to mark a boundary between the Chablis district which at the time was part of the Champagne region and the Fleys district which fell under the Duchy of Burgundy. Chablis Premier Cru Montmains refers to a medium-sized mountain that is lower than two surrounding peaks. The Montmains climat enjoys early morning sun but is quite cold meaning that they usually harvest later than other climtas and the wines are quite aromatically intense, lean initially but long-lasting.
In 1855 (coincidentally or not, the same year that Bordeaux classified its wines albeit they based their classifications on producers not on terroirs), Burgundy set about differentiating its vineyards. The specific vineyards formed the basis for the different Burgundy wine classifications and they continue in pretty much the same format today.
(4) Burgundy wine classifications are based on the vineyards
There are currently 84 Burgundy appellations or AOCs which are classified as Grand Cru, Premier Cru Villages, Villages or Regional appellations. Even if it were possible to remember all 84, it is not that simple because of the fact that the vineyard or climat name is often also used on the label. In addition there are 40 additional geographical denominations – 13 in the Bourgogne AOC and 27 in the Macon AOC – which identify a more specific area within its AOC but they are not AOCs in their own right. For example Bourgogne AOC is a regional appellation and Bourgogne Cote d’Or is one of the additional geographical denominations.
The diagram on the right shows the hierarchy of wines in Burgundy with the number of appellations in and the percentage of total production for each category. To help make sense of Burgundy wine labels, I have included an indication of how the wine will be labelled together with an example of each.
Grand Cru and Premier Cru wines tend to be produced from vines on the slopes which get better sunlight and have better-draining soils.
Village wines are considered to have less complexity than Premier Cru wines but you can find some really fantastic wines especially from specific vineyards which are great value in comparison. For example, Domaine Bachey-Legros Santenay “Clos des Hâtes” Vieilles Vignes 2020.
Given the way that the land in Burgundy is split you can find the ‘same wine’ produced by several different owners e.g. I have previously stocked Domaine Thibert’s Saint Véran Champ Rond but you can find Saint Véran Champ Rond from other Domaines who own part of the Champ Rond vineyard in the Saint Véran appellation in the Mâconnais region of Burgundy. This doesn’t mean that all those Saint Véran Champ Rond wines will taste exactly the same; despite the terroir being similar (identical if you believe in the Burgundy vineyard classifications), the skill of the wine producer will have a huge influence and therefore…
(5) Individual wine producers are important
There are by the way more than 4000 domaines in the region so it can be difficult to find the really good ones like Christophe Thibert of Domaine Thibert pictured here with yours truly in the then new Domaine Thibert cellar.
Note also that as Burgundy wines are mostly pure varietals, vintage differences can be marked and so…
(6) Vintage is equally important
Only Burgundy’s sparkling Crémants de Bourgogne are blends of grapes from different vintages. In all still wines, grapes will come from only one vintage and that will be on the label. The weather can vary quite dramatically in Burgundy and therefore so can the condition of the grapes – and therefore the quality of the wine. Legendary vintages include 1985, 1989, 1990, 1999 and 2005. As you would expect, wines from these vintages, if available, are very expensive. Hopes are high for 2023 but time will tell.
(7) Tradition is important as is innovation
The Burgundy wine industry is steeped in tradition but that does not mean that it does not innovate and adapt. New generations from family-owned domaines not only benefit from experience handed down by their parents and grandparents but increasingly also from studying oenology and from experience gained working in other wine regions.
Currently there is a wide co-operation within the industry towards sustainable development in order to ensure the highest quality standards for the region’s wines and to preserve the terroir, the environment and natural resources for many generations to come.
Burgundy produces over 200 million bottles per year, which is 0.4% of global wine production. In value terms however Burgundy accounts for 4% of global wine production which gives a clue to Burgundy prices.
50% of Burgundy wine produced is exported; the USA is the biggest importer taking 20% of exports with 16% coming into the UK.
61% of wine produced is white, 27% red and 12% sparkling, the Crémant.
There is so much more to know about Burgundy and in a later blog I will cover the five different sub-regions of Burgundy and their wine styles plus food pairing suggestions for Burgundy wines.
© 2014-2025 Wines with Attitude Ltd | VAT Reg. No. 181 2419 22 | Registered in England 08918466 | Fiveways, 57-59 Hatfield Road, Potters Bar, Herts, EN6 1HS