Côte de Beaune is the southern half of Burgundy's Côte d'Or, known for producing both the region's most celebrated whites, like Montrachet and Meursault, and elegant, perfumed reds. Chardonnay dominates the central communes on limestone soils, while Pinot Noir remains important toward the northern and southern ends. The Hospices de Beaune wine auction, held here annually, is a major event in the Burgundy wine calendar.
Grapes grown here
Sub-regions
Meursault
Meursault is a Côte de Beaune village renowned for rich, buttery white wines made from Chardonnay, often showing pronounced oak influence. Unusually for a village of its stature, it has no Grand Cru vineyards, yet its wines compete on equal footing with neighboring Grand Cru villages like Puligny-Montrachet.
Puligny-Montrachet
Puligny-Montrachet is a Côte de Beaune village famous for producing some of the world's greatest dry white wines from Chardonnay, grown on the slopes of the legendary Montrachet vineyard. Its complex, minerally whites overshadow a small amount of red wine also made in the commune.