Burgundian Winemaking Techniques

The foundation of every Burgundian winemaking decision is an unwavering commitment to expressing the individual vineyard, or climat, above all else. Burgundy is in some ways the most terroir-oriented region in France, with immense attention paid to where grapes are grown across the region's more than 400 soil types. Unlike Bordeaux, where classifications follow producers, Burgundy's system is geographic: a specific vineyard carries its classification regardless of who made the wine. This focus shapes the entire cellar philosophy. Winemakers in Burgundy take a distinctly hands-off approach compared to counterparts elsewhere in the world, resisting the temptation to impose a house style. The goal is for each cru to speak for itself. This philosophy extends to a strong preference for indigenous yeasts over commercial strains, the rationale being that the natural yeasts present on grape skins and in the winery environment carry their own expression of place, helping to tell a different story with each vintage. The period between 1985 and 1995 is widely regarded as a turning point, when many domaines renewed efforts in both vineyard and cellar, producing deeper and more complex wines that set a new course for the region.

• Burgundy classifications are geographically focused: the vineyard site carries the appellation, regardless of producer.
• The preference for indigenous or wild yeasts is rooted in the belief that they help express the unique microbial fingerprint of each vineyard.
• Minimal intervention in the cellar is the overarching principle: winemakers guide fermentation rather than control it.
• The period from 1985 to 1995 was a turning point, with domaines renewing vineyard and cellar practices to achieve greater complexity.

Cold soak, also called pre-fermentation cold maceration, is one of the most influential techniques to emerge from Burgundy in the modern era. The legendary winemaker Henri Jayer (1922–2006) is widely credited with pioneering the technique, which involves chilling destemmed grapes to approximately 10°C for one to four days before fermentation is allowed to begin. The method aims to extract more complex aromas, color, and less harsh tannins while adding greater aromatic intensity to the wines. Most Burgundian winemakers now use some form of cold soak before allowing fermentation to start. The cold soak enables an aqueous, or water-based, extraction to draw out color and flavor compounds before alcohol is present, since alcohol extracts a different and often harsher set of phenolics. Maintaining temperatures between around 5 and 15°C keeps unwanted spontaneous fermentation at bay during this phase. The technique is particularly valued for Pinot Noir, where color extraction from the thin skins is otherwise challenging, and where aromatic delicacy is the primary stylistic goal. Jayer combined this approach with 100% destemming, believing that stems imparted a green, bitter character that masked the pure fruit flavors he sought to capture.

• Henri Jayer pioneered cold soak in Burgundy, chilling destemmed grapes to around 10°C for 1 to 4 days before fermentation.
• Cold soak enables water-based extraction of color, aroma, and flavor compounds before alcohol forms, avoiding harsh tannin pickup.
• Temperatures are typically held between 5 and 15°C to prevent spontaneous fermentation during the soak period.
• Jayer combined cold soak with total destemming to preserve fruit purity; many modern producers vary the percentage of whole clusters retained.

Traditional Burgundian red wine fermentation takes place in open-top vessels, historically wood but now also concrete, stainless steel, or other materials. Keeping the vat open allows the winemaker to interact directly with the cap of skins that rises during fermentation, and the absence of pressurized, closed-top tanks aligns with the region's low-intervention ethos. The standard method of cap management is pigeage, the French term for punching down, in which a tool is pushed through the cap of skins and seeds to submerge it and promote extraction of color, flavor compounds, and tannin. Most Burgundian producers punch down once to twice daily; over-punching is avoided because it can over-extract harsh tannins and diminish fragrance. More recently, many top producers have incorporated equal or greater amounts of remontage, pumping juice from the bottom of the tank over the top of the cap. Tannins and anthocyanins fix more effectively in the presence of oxygen, which remontage provides. Fermentation temperatures are typically allowed to reach around 30 to 32°C to assist with color and tannin extraction from the delicate, thin-skinned Pinot Noir grape, with intervention only if temperatures exceed 35°C. The choice of whole cluster versus destemmed fruit remains one of the most debated decisions in Burgundian winemaking, influencing structure, aromatics, and the wine's apparent freshness.

• Open-top fermenters, historically wood but also concrete and stainless steel, are the Burgundian standard for Pinot Noir.
• Pigeage (punch down) is performed once or twice daily; excessive punching is avoided to preserve fragrance and avoid harsh tannins.
• Remontage (pump over) is increasingly used alongside or instead of pigeage, as oxygen exposure aids anthocyanin and tannin fixation.
• Fermentation temperatures target around 30 to 32°C for color and tannin extraction from thin-skinned Pinot Noir; winemakers intervene if temperatures exceed 35°C.

Whole cluster (or whole bunch) fermentation is the practice of fermenting grapes without destemming, including the stems in the must. It is one of the oldest winemaking methods in existence, and in Burgundy it was the norm before the introduction of modern destemming machines after World War II. Over the last two decades, whole cluster has been making a strong comeback across the Côte d'Or, championed most visibly by estates such as Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaine Leroy, Domaine Dujac, and Domaine des Lambrays, which have long maintained the practice. More winemakers are adopting at least partial whole cluster use, citing increases in aromatic qualities, often in the form of lifted floral or herbal spice notes, as well as additional structure and tannin from the stems. Stems can also contribute to the apparent freshness and energy of a wine. The key variable is stem ripeness, or lignification: unripe, green stems can add herbaceous flavors, while fully lignified, browny stems contribute cleaner tannin and spice. The debate is long-standing. Henri Jayer famously opposed whole cluster, believing stems added bitterness, while other legends of the region such as DRC and Leroy embraced it. Typically, whole cluster additions range from 5 to 40 percent of the fermentation volume, though some producers use 100 percent.

• Whole cluster fermentation predates the introduction of destemming machines after World War II and is now making a strong comeback.
• Producers such as DRC, Domaine Leroy, Domaine Dujac, and Domaine des Lambrays have long used whole clusters in their wines.
• Stems contribute tannin, structure, spice, and perceived freshness, but only when fully lignified; green stems risk adding herbaceous notes.
• Whole cluster additions typically range from 5 to 40 percent of the fermentation volume; some producers use 100 percent.

Oak aging is central to Burgundian wine maturation, and the region has its own traditional barrel format: the pièce, a 228-litre vessel that is slightly wider and shorter than the Bordeaux barrique of 225 litres. The wine is mainly stored in pièces, which allow a gradual exchange between the wine and the surrounding air, gently integrating tannins, adding aromatic complexity, and contributing subtle oak-derived flavors. Red Burgundies typically spend between 12 and 24 months in barrel; whites spend 8 to 16 months. French oak from the forests of Allier, Tronçais, and Vosges is most commonly used, prized for tight grain, finesse, and restrained flavor integration. New oak percentages vary widely by producer and by appellation level: grand cru wines may see higher proportions of new oak to build structure and complexity, while village wines are more commonly aged in older barrels to preserve fruit and terroir expression. The use of new oak is itself a stylistic choice, with some producers such as the late Henri Jayer favoring 100 percent new oak, and others preferring predominantly older, neutral barrels to allow the vineyard to speak without wood interference. During aging, the practice of ouillage, topping up barrels to replace wine lost to evaporation, prevents oxidation.

• The Burgundy pièce holds 228 litres, is wider and shorter than the Bordeaux barrique (225 litres), and yields approximately 300 bottles.
• Red Burgundies age 12 to 24 months in barrel; white Burgundies age 8 to 16 months, according to official Bourgogne wines guidance.
• French oak from Allier, Tronçais, and Vosges forests is preferred for its tight grain and subtle, integrated flavor contribution.
• New oak percentages are a key stylistic variable, ranging from 100 percent new at some estates to predominantly old, neutral barrels at others.

White Burgundy, made exclusively from Chardonnay by French law, follows a distinct path through the cellar that sets it apart from most other white wine traditions. The defining sequence is barrel fermentation, followed by malolactic fermentation and, in many cases, lees stirring. Burgundian producers traditionally ferment Chardonnay directly in French oak barrels, allowing the wine to undergo malolactic fermentation, the bacterial conversion of sharp malic acid into softer lactic acid. This process adds texture, richness, and complexity, and is typically responsible for the creamy, rounded quality in white Burgundy. Malolactic fermentation in Burgundy generally begins spontaneously after alcoholic fermentation completes, without the addition of commercial bacterial cultures; the bacteria reside in the wood grain of older barrels used in previous vintages. Lees stirring, called batonnage, involves periodically suspending the dead yeast cells (fine lees) back into the wine using a spatula-shaped tool called a dodine. This practice builds body, integrates oak, and helps protect the wine against oxidation by consuming dissolved oxygen. Batonnage in Burgundy is practiced when tasting suggests more mouthfeel or texture is needed, rather than as a routine process applied to every barrel. For white wine, the key stylistic variables include new oak percentage, vessel type, and the frequency of batonnage.

• White Burgundy must be 100 percent Chardonnay by French law; barrel fermentation directly in French oak pièces is the traditional method.
• Malolactic fermentation (MLF) is standard in white Burgundy, converting tart malic acid to softer lactic acid, adding creaminess and texture.
• MLF typically begins spontaneously, driven by bacteria residing in the wood grain of previously used barrels; no commercial bacterial culture is added.
• Batonnage (lees stirring) is performed with a dodine when tasting indicates more body is needed; it builds texture, integrates oak, and limits oxidation.