The stretch that begins the Côte de Beaune is interesting indeed. Keep in mind we are talking about the villages north of the city of Beaune, after the ‘shift’ that the hill makes in orientation.
So here we are facing southeast, instead of due east like did further north.
It is also here that we run into one of the great sights of Burgundy, the Hill of Corton, surrounded by Grand Cru vineyards that make both white and red wines.
Aloxe-Corton
Powerful Pinot Noir driven wines that can be great bargains at the village level, where you are grape’s toss distance from the Grand Crus of the Hill of Corton.
Wine Searcher: Aloxe-Corton
Burgundy Report: Aloxe-Corton (with links to a nice map)
Vins de Bourgogne: Aloxe-Corton information and downloadable PDF with map.
The Hill of Corton
The great Hill of Corton is easily recognizable from the ‘hat’ of forest on top of the hill. There’s a wide variety of names attached to different parcels on the Hill of Corton, so be sure to go through the links below to learn more about Corton, Le Corton, etc.
The best description of the differences in the Grand Crus can be found in Jasper Morris’ book Inside Burgundy. The different exposures of the hill, the changing soil types, and of course the winemaker influences all converge to make a wide variety of wines from the Grand Cru site.
Wine Searcher: Grand Cru Wine of Corton
The most famous of the Grand Crus of the hill: Corton-Charlemagne
My two favorite parcels: Le Clos du Roi, and Les Bressandes (confusingly, there is another Les Bressandes in Beaune AOC). Typical of the Côte d’Or, the finest vineyards are often slightly down from the top of the hill.
Savigny-Les-Beaune
Due to the shape of the AOC and the various “fingers” of vineyards stretching in different directions, Savigny-Les-Beaune is full of variability. There are amazing wines to be had, but also many under-performers. Buyer beware. I like to focus personally on the Premier Crus of the area to ensure higher potential quality.
Wine Searcher: Savigny-Les-Beaune
Burgundy Report: Savigny-Les-Beaune
Vins de Bourgogne: Savigny-Les-Beaune information and downloadable PDF with map.
Chorey-Les-Beaune
Chorey-Lés-Beaune comes with a ‘buyer beware’ warning. These wines can be pleasant and fun to drink, don’t get me wrong, but much of Chorey is on the flat lands and on the other side of the freeway. Even though you’re almost touching the Grand Crus of Corton, the soils here are very different and therefore this is often the most affordable village-level wine from the area. They are typically soft, juicy, and pleasant but without specific character … the Honda Civic of Burgundy!
Wine Searcher: Chorey-Les-Beaune
Burgundy Report: Chorey-Les-Beaune
Vins de Bourgogne: Chorey-Les-Beaune information and downloadable PDF with map.
Beaune
Surrounding the city of Beaune are some great vineyards that make solid and predictably good wines, along with a couple of standout vineyards that really should be of Grand Cru status.
Wine Searcher: Beaune
Burgundy Report: Beaune
Vin de Bourgognes: Beaune information and downloadable PDF with map.
The two best vineyard parcels in Beaune AOC
Wine Searcher: Le Clos des Mouche
Winehog: Bouchard’s “Baby Jesus”
When visiting Beaune
There are two great destinations in Beaune, right next to each-other.
Visit the wine bookstore across the street from the hospital, which has one of the largest collections of high quality wine books and maps in the world