Burgundy Winemaking Techniques

Burgundy winemaking begins long before the grapes reach the cellar. For Pinot Noir, grapes are typically harvested at around 22 to 23 degrees Brix, a lower ripeness level than many warmer-climate regions, which preserves the freshness and balance central to the Burgundian style. Sorting tables, used to remove damaged, moldy, or raisined fruit, are standard practice for red grapes. Interestingly, the sorting table is a relatively recent arrival in Burgundy, with most producers adopting it only within the past few decades. White winemaking differs: Chardonnay grapes are less frequently sorted on a table, and winemakers sometimes deliberately retain grapes with noble rot (Botrytis cinerea) as a desirable complexity factor. Because vineyard parcels are typically very small, there is often just one picking date per vineyard and one fermentation vat per wine, meaning every decision at harvest is critical and irreversible.

• Pinot Noir is targeted at 22 to 23 degrees Brix at harvest for freshness and balance.
• Sorting tables for Pinot Noir remove botrytis-affected, damaged, and raisined fruit; botrytis-affected Chardonnay is sometimes kept for complexity.
• Most domaines have one picking date per vineyard parcel, making harvest timing decisions especially high-stakes.
• Because parcels are so small, there is often only one fermentation vat per wine, with no room for blending corrections.

Red Burgundy is almost always fermented in open-top vats, traditionally made of wood or concrete, though stainless steel is also used. Before fermentation begins, many producers conduct a cold soak, chilling the must to below 12 degrees Celsius and holding it for anywhere from three to ten days to extract color, aroma, and soft tannins from the skins without alcohol. Once fermentation commences, cap management becomes the central daily task. Pigeage (punch-down) is the traditional Burgundian method, pushing the floating cap of grape solids back into the fermenting juice to extract color, tannins, and flavor. It is typically performed two to four times per day, with most producers preferring twice daily. Excessive pigeage risks over-extracting tannins and diminishing aromatic finesse. Many of the best winemakers also employ remontage (pump-over), drawing juice from the bottom of the vat and spraying it over the cap. Today, most top properties use both pigeage and remontage on the same wine, carefully balancing gentle extraction with aromatic preservation. A third technique, délestage, involves pumping the must into a separate vessel and allowing the cap to settle before pumping the juice back.

• Cold soak is conducted below 12 degrees Celsius for 3 to 10 days before fermentation to extract color and aroma without alcohol.
• Pigeage (punch-down) is performed 2 to 4 times per day; too much pigeage over-extracts tannins and diminishes fragrance.
• Remontage (pump-over) is used by many top producers alongside pigeage for a balance of gentle extraction and homogenization.
• Délestage (rack and return) is an alternative technique where must is drained to a second vessel, seeds are removed, then juice is returned.

One of the most debated choices in Burgundy cellars is the degree of whole-cluster, or whole-bunch, fermentation. This is one of the oldest winemaking methods in the region, with destemming machines only becoming widespread after World War II. Notably, the legendary Henri Jayer popularized a decisive move away from whole clusters in the 1970s, but the practice has been making a strong comeback over the past two decades. Producers such as Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaine Leroy, Domaine Dujac, and Domaine des Lambrays have long maintained the technique. Whole-cluster inclusion can range from as little as 5% to 100%, and its effects are significant. Stems add tannin, lift aromatic complexity with floral or spicy herbal notes, and can facilitate a partial carbonic maceration that results in lighter, more fragrant wines. However, the quality of the stems matters greatly; they must be sufficiently lignified (browned and woody) to avoid adding harsh, vegetal character. The potassium in stems also raises pH and lowers titratable acidity, a factor that winemakers must account for carefully.

• Henri Jayer popularized destemming in the 1970s, but whole-cluster use has strongly rebounded over the last two decades.
• DRC, Domaine Leroy, Domaine Dujac, and Domaine des Lambrays are among the most celebrated proponents of whole-cluster fermentation.
• Whole-cluster inclusion typically ranges from 5 to 40%, though some producers use 100% whole clusters for certain cuvées.
• Stem lignification (browning and hardening) is essential; green, unripe stems introduce herbaceous and vegetal notes.

White Burgundy is, by law, 100% Chardonnay, and its winemaking follows a distinct path from the reds. After gentle pressing, the juice is settled to remove gross solids and then transferred directly into French oak barrels for fermentation. Most domaines use 25% or less new oak, limiting overt oak flavors and allowing the fruit and terroir to remain central. The standard Burgundian barrel, known as the pièce, holds 228 liters. All Burgundian Chardonnays undergo malolactic fermentation, converting sharp malic acid to softer lactic acid. This is essentially non-negotiable at the region's cool latitude: without MLF, the wines would be too acidic for balance and enjoyment. The secondary byproduct diacetyl contributes the characteristic butter and hazelnut notes associated with white Burgundy. After MLF, wines rest on their lees for 10 to 18 months. Bâtonnage (lees stirring) is practiced at some domaines but is not universal: in Burgundy it is done on a needs basis after tasting, not as a routine. In Chablis, where steel tanks or old oak are more common, MLF softens the naturally high acidity of Kimmeridgian limestone-grown Chardonnay without masking its steely minerality.

• Chardonnay is fermented directly in French oak barrels; most domaines use 25% or less new oak to preserve fruit and terroir character.
• The standard Burgundy barrel (pièce) holds 228 liters, slightly different from the 225-liter Bordeaux barrique.
• Full malolactic fermentation is standard for all Burgundian Chardonnay, converting sharp malic to softer lactic acid and adding texture.
• Bâtonnage (lees stirring) is practiced only when tasting indicates more mouthfeel is needed, not as a routine intervention.

Once primary and secondary fermentation are complete, both red and white Burgundies enter a period of barrel aging. Reds typically spend 12 to 24 months in oak, while whites age for 10 to 18 months. The standard vessel is the 228-liter pièce made from French oak, though larger formats such as 500-liter demi-muids and the smaller 125-liter feuillette (common in Chablis) are also used. Red Burgundy at Premier Cru and Grand Cru level is almost never filtered; it clarifies naturally through gravity settling in barrel. Egg-white fining is practiced at some domaines to soften tannins. For whites, bentonite is the most common fining agent, and typically only a single racking is performed before bottling. Wine left over from a vineyard that does not meet the quality standard for its designation is declassified to a lesser appellation rather than blended in. Chaptalization, the addition of sugar to raise potential alcohol, is legally permitted in Burgundy as a cool-region exception under EU and French AOC rules, though its use is less common in warmer vintages.

• Reds age 12 to 24 months in barrel; whites age 10 to 18 months and are typically racked only once before bottling.
• Red Burgundy at Premier Cru and Grand Cru level is almost never filtered, clarifying naturally through barrel settling.
• Egg-white fining is used by some domaines for reds; bentonite is the most common fining agent for whites.
• Chaptalization (adding sugar to raise alcohol) is legally permitted in Burgundy but is used selectively, especially in cooler vintages.

Burgundy has been at the forefront of organic and biodynamic viticulture in France. Names such as Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaine Leroy, Domaine Leflaive, and Domaine Lefon were among the early adopters of organic and biodynamic principles in the 1980s and 1990s. Biodynamic principles treat the vineyard as a self-sustaining ecosystem, avoiding synthetic chemicals and timing vineyard work to a biodynamic calendar. In the cellar, low-intervention winemaking favors indigenous (wild) yeasts over commercial cultures, minimizes added sulfites, and avoids unnecessary fining or filtration. The use of indigenous yeasts is widespread, though it carries greater risk than cultured yeast, including more variable fermentation kinetics and, in Burgundy specifically, a higher tendency toward slightly elevated volatile acidity. The terroir-driven philosophy of Burgundy makes it a natural fit for this minimalist approach: if the vineyard is the message, the winemaker's job is to get out of the way.

• DRC, Domaine Leroy, Domaine Leflaive, and others were early adopters of organic and biodynamic farming in the 1980s and 1990s.
• Wild (indigenous) yeast fermentation is widespread in Burgundy, emphasizing terroir expression over predictability.
• Low-intervention winemaking avoids synthetic sprays, commercial yeasts, unnecessary sulfite additions, and artificial fining agents.
• Burgundy's terroir-driven philosophy makes it philosophically aligned with minimal cellar intervention: the wine's job is to express its climat.