Regions

Côte de Beaune

koht duh BOHN

The southern half of the Côte d'Or escarpment, covering 20 km from Ladoix-Serrigny to the hillsides of the Maranges, with Pinot Noir mainly planted around Beaune, Chardonnay dominant from Meursault onwards, and Montrachet, the cradle of five white Grands Crus.

The Côte de Beaune is the southern half of the escarpment of the Côte d'Or, named after the town and wine centre of Beaune. The Côte d'Or is divided into the Côte de Nuits in the north and the Côte de Beaune in the south. Between Ladoix-Serrigny and the hillsides of the Maranges, the vineyard covers 20 km from north to south, facing the morning sun and never more than a few hundred metres wide. Around Beaune the vineyards are mainly planted with Pinot Noir (Volnay, Pommard, Ladoix); in the words of the Bourgogne wine board (BIVB), Chardonnay "produces a few marvels on the Corton hill", and from Meursault onwards Chardonnay dominates. The Côte de Beaune has seven Grand Cru appellations: Corton, Corton-Charlemagne, Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet and Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet; the production area of Corton-Charlemagne includes that of the Charlemagne appellation, which is not currently in use. It also has 20 Village appellations, some of which have Climats classified as Premiers Crus: Aloxe-Corton, Auxey-Duresses, Beaune, Blagny, Chassagne-Montrachet, Chorey-lès-Beaune, Côte de Beaune, Côte de Beaune-Villages, Ladoix, Maranges, Meursault, Monthélie, Pernand-Vergelesses, Pommard, Puligny-Montrachet, Saint-Aubin, Saint-Romain, Santenay, Savigny-lès-Beaune and Volnay. Beaune is the capital of Bourgogne's wine trade and hosts the annual Hospices de Beaune wine auction.

Geography and the Villages

Coming from Dijon, the Côte de Beaune begins at Ladoix, and the vineyard covers 20 km from north to south between Ladoix-Serrigny and the hillsides of the Maranges, facing the morning sun and never more than a few hundred metres wide. Dating from the Upper Jurassic, the Côte de Beaune is a little younger than the Côte de Nuits, with gentler slopes and more varied hillsides. Corton faces south-east to south-west, much of Corton-Charlemagne faces south-west, the Montrachet Grands Crus face east and south, and the Maranges vineyards mostly face south to south-west. The hill of Corton lies in the midst of Ladoix-Serrigny, Aloxe-Corton, Pernand-Vergelesses and Savigny-lès-Beaune. Beaune has 42 Premier Cru Climats, Pommard 28 Premiers Crus (the best known being Les Rugiens and Les Epenots) and Volnay 29 Premier Cru Climats. Meursault has 19 Premier Cru Climats, Puligny-Montrachet 17, Chassagne-Montrachet 55 and Saint-Aubin 30. Maranges lies in the Saône-et-Loire département yet forms an integral part of the Côte de Beaune. The Côte de Beaune appellation, not to be confused with Côte de Beaune-Villages, refers to one commune only, Beaune, on the upper slopes of the Montagne de Beaune at 300 to 370 metres, while Côte de Beaune-Villages applies to red wines only and excludes Aloxe-Corton, Beaune, Pommard and Volnay. A little farther to the west, behind the Côte de Beaune, the Hautes Côtes de Beaune lie on a gently concave plateau at 400 m, where, on the sunniest slopes, around 20 communes produce the Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune appellation.

20 km north to south from Ladoix-Serrigny to the Maranges hillsides, never more than a few hundred metres wide
Around the hill of Corton: Ladoix-Serrigny, Aloxe-Corton, Pernand-Vergelesses and Savigny-lès-Beaune
Premier Cru counts: Beaune 42, Pommard 28 (best known Les Rugiens and Les Epenots), Volnay 29 (including Les Caillerets, Champans, Clos des Chênes)
Premier Cru counts: Meursault 19 (including Perrières, Charmes, Genevrières, Les Bouchères, La Pièce sous le Bois), Puligny-Montrachet 17, Chassagne-Montrachet 55 (including Morgeot, Les Embazées), Saint-Aubin 30; Maranges lies in Saône-et-Loire

Key Facts

Southern half of the Côte d'Or escarpment; the vineyard covers 20 km from Ladoix-Serrigny to the Maranges hillsides and is never more than a few hundred metres wide
Grapes: Pinot Noir mainly around Beaune (Volnay, Pommard, Ladoix); Chardonnay on the Corton hill and dominant from Meursault onwards
20 Village appellations: Aloxe-Corton, Auxey-Duresses, Beaune, Blagny, Chassagne-Montrachet, Chorey-lès-Beaune, Côte de Beaune, Côte de Beaune-Villages, Ladoix, Maranges, Meursault, Monthélie, Pernand-Vergelesses, Pommard, Puligny-Montrachet, Saint-Aubin, Saint-Romain, Santenay, Savigny-lès-Beaune, Volnay
Grand Cru appellations: Corton, Corton-Charlemagne, Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet; Charlemagne lies within the Corton-Charlemagne area but is not currently in use. Bourgogne has 33 Grands Crus
Montrachet family, production areas in 2022: Montrachet 7.79 ha and Bâtard-Montrachet 11.22 ha (Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet), Chevalier-Montrachet 6.95 ha and Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet 3.69 ha (Puligny-Montrachet), Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet 1.57 ha (Chassagne-Montrachet)
Hill of Corton, production areas in 2022: Corton 87.04 ha red and 3.95 ha white, Corton-Charlemagne 59.77 ha; Corton is grown in Aloxe-Corton, Ladoix-Serrigny and Pernand-Vergelesses
Beaune: 42 Premier Cru Climats and the capital of Bourgogne's wine trade; the Hospices de Beaune was built in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin, and its wine auction, created in 1859, is held on the third Sunday of November

Grand Crus: The Montrachet Hill and Corton

Montrachet is the cradle of five white Grands Crus: Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet and Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet. Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet share Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet; Chevalier-Montrachet and Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet belong to Puligny-Montrachet, and Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet to Chassagne-Montrachet. Their production areas in 2022 were 7.79 ha for Montrachet, 11.22 ha for Bâtard-Montrachet, 6.95 ha for Chevalier-Montrachet, 3.69 ha for Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet and 1.57 ha for Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet, all white wines from Chardonnay. Their origins go back to the Middle Ages, the work of the Cistercian abbey of Maizières and the Lords of Chagny; Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet and Chevalier-Montrachet were created as appellations on 31 July 1937, and Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet and Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet on 13 June 1939. Altitudes are 265-290 metres for Chevalier, 250-270 metres for Montrachet and 240-250 metres for Bâtard, Bienvenues and Criots; in the Climat of Montrachet the soils are thinnish and lie on hard limestone traversed by a band of reddish marl. The hill of Corton produces white Corton-Charlemagne and mainly red Corton; Corton's producing communes are Aloxe-Corton, Ladoix-Serrigny and Pernand-Vergelesses. In 2022 the production area was 87.04 ha of red and 3.95 ha of white for Corton, and 59.77 ha for Corton-Charlemagne. Only red Corton may add the name of its Climat to the appellation, from a list that includes Les Bressandes, Les Renardes, Le Clos du Roi, Les Pougets, Les Perrières and Les Languettes; unlike Corton, the Corton-Charlemagne label does not mention the Climat. Corton-Charlemagne occupies the highest portion of the hill, where gradients reach 20-23%, at altitudes between 280 and 330 metres, and much of it faces south-west. The Corton-Charlemagne vineyards were a gift of the Emperor Charlemagne to the religious community of Saint-Andoche de Saulieu in the year 775. The production area of Corton-Charlemagne includes that of the Charlemagne appellation, which is not currently in use.

Montrachet: 7.79 ha in 2022, shared by Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet
Bâtard-Montrachet 11.22 ha (both villages); Chevalier-Montrachet 6.95 ha and Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet 3.69 ha (Puligny-Montrachet); Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet 1.57 ha (Chassagne-Montrachet); production areas in 2022
Corton: 87.04 ha red and 3.95 ha white in 2022; only reds may add a Climat name such as Les Bressandes, Les Renardes or Le Clos du Roi
Corton-Charlemagne: 59.77 ha in 2022, on the highest portion of the hill of Corton; its area includes the Charlemagne appellation, not currently in use

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Stylistic Identity and Producers

JancisRobinson.com says the greatest white wines of Burgundy and some very fine reds are grown on this stretch. JancisRobinson.com places the better white-wine sites notably in Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet, along with the grand cru Corton-Charlemagne, and gives fullness of body, balance of acidity and persistence of flavour as its hallmarks of quality. BIVB describes white Meursault as rich and fat on the palate with a taste of hazelnut, Puligny-Montrachet as combining grace with a remarkable concentration, and white Chassagne-Montrachet as rounded and often opulent. BIVB describes Volnay as admired for its delicacy, its sap and its bouquet, and says the 19th-century fame of Pommard earned it the image of a forceful wine, while time, terroir and methods of vinification have created a more subtle reality. In the past, all the wines of the Côte de Beaune were called "Vin de Beaune", and it was not until 1936 that the wines were classified under the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée system; the Beaune and Pommard appellations date from 11 September 1936. The négociant houses of Beaune have huge cellars. Bouchard Père & Fils states on its own site that it has owned the Château de Beaune for over two centuries. Maison Joseph Drouhin, which has a shop in Beaune, describes itself on its own site as a family since 1880. The Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune, or Hospices de Beaune, was built in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin, chancellor to Philip the Good, and had its own vineyards; the Hospices de Beaune wine auction was created in 1859 and is held on the third Sunday of November.

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Sources and last verified

Primary sources (BIVB and producers' own sites): https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/wine-and-terroir/our-vineyards/cote-de-beaune-and-hautes-cotes-de-beaune/cote-de-beaune-and-the-hautes-cotes-de-beaune-a-winegrowing-region-renowned-for-its-legendary-wines,2471,9314.html, https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/our-wines-our-terroir/the-bourgogne-winegrowing-region-and-its-appellations/montrachet,2458,9253.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0yMjc4JmFjdGlvbj12aWV3RmljaGUmaWQ9MzU2Jnw%3D, https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/our-wines-our-terroir/the-bourgogne-winegrowing-region-and-its-appellations/batard-montrachet,2458,9253.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0yMjc4JmFjdGlvbj12aWV3RmljaGUmaWQ9MjE2Jnw%3D, https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/our-wines-our-terroir/the-bourgogne-winegrowing-region-and-its-appellations/bienvenues-batard-montrachet,2458,9253.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0yMjc4JmFjdGlvbj12aWV3RmljaGUmaWQ9MjE5Jnw%3D, https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/our-wines-our-terroir/the-bourgogne-winegrowing-region-and-its-appellations/criots-batard-montrachet,2458,9253.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0yMjc4JmFjdGlvbj12aWV3RmljaGUmaWQ9MzA0Jnw%3D, https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/our-wines-our-terroir/the-bourgogne-winegrowing-region-and-its-appellations/chevalier-montrachet,2458,9253.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0yMjc4JmFjdGlvbj12aWV3RmljaGUmaWQ9Mjc4Jnw%3D, https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/our-wines-our-terroir/the-bourgogne-winegrowing-region-and-its-appellations/corton,2458,9253.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0yMjc4JmFjdGlvbj12aWV3RmljaGUmaWQ9MjkyJnw%3D, https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/our-wines-our-terroir/the-bourgogne-winegrowing-region-and-its-appellations/corton-charlemagne,2458,9253.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0yMjc4JmFjdGlvbj12aWV3RmljaGUmaWQ9MjcyJnw%3D, https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/our-wines-our-terroir/the-bourgogne-winegrowing-region-and-its-appellations/beaune,2458,9253.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0yMjc4JmFjdGlvbj12aWV3RmljaGUmaWQ9MjE4Jnw%3D, https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/our-wines-our-terroir/the-bourgogne-winegrowing-region-and-its-appellations/meursault,2458,9253.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0yMjc4JmFjdGlvbj12aWV3RmljaGUmaWQ9MzQ5Jnw%3D, https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/our-wines-our-terroir/the-bourgogne-winegrowing-region-and-its-appellations/puligny-montrachet,2458,9253.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0yMjc4JmFjdGlvbj12aWV3RmljaGUmaWQ9Mzc4Jnw%3D, https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/our-wines-our-terroir/the-bourgogne-winegrowing-region-and-its-appellations/chassagne-montrachet,2458,9253.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0yMjc4JmFjdGlvbj12aWV3RmljaGUmaWQ9Mjc2Jnw%3D, https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/our-wines-our-terroir/the-bourgogne-winegrowing-region-and-its-appellations/pommard,2458,9253.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0yMjc4JmFjdGlvbj12aWV3RmljaGUmaWQ9MzcwJnw%3D, https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/our-wines-our-terroir/the-bourgogne-winegrowing-region-and-its-appellations/volnay,2458,9253.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0yMjc4JmFjdGlvbj12aWV3RmljaGUmaWQ9NDA0Jnw%3D, https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/our-wines-our-terroir/the-bourgogne-winegrowing-region-and-its-appellations/cote-de-beaune,2458,9253.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0yMjc4JmFjdGlvbj12aWV3RmljaGUmaWQ9Mjk2Jnw%3D, https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/our-wines-our-terroir/the-bourgogne-winegrowing-region-and-its-appellations/cote-de-beaune-villages,2458,9253.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0yMjc4JmFjdGlvbj12aWV3RmljaGUmaWQ9Mjk3Jnw%3D, https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/our-wines-our-terroir/the-bourgogne-winegrowing-region-and-its-appellations/saint-aubin,2458,9253.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0yMjc4JmFjdGlvbj12aWV3RmljaGUmaWQ9Mzg5Jnw%3D, https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/our-wines-our-terroir/the-bourgogne-winegrowing-region-and-its-appellations/maranges,2458,9253.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0yMjc4JmFjdGlvbj12aWV3RmljaGUmaWQ9MzM4Jnw%3D, https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/our-wines-our-terroir/the-bourgogne-winegrowing-region-and-its-appellations/ladoix,2458,9253.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0yMjc4JmFjdGlvbj12aWV3RmljaGUmaWQ9MzI1Jnw%3D, https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/wine-and-terroir/decoding-the-aocs/bourgogne-wines-decoding-the-aocs,2467,9263.html, https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/winegrowers-and-expertise/a-story-of-time/the-contribution-of-the-monks-and-dukes-of-bourgogne/from-5th-to-15th-c.-wines-made-by-monks-and-trumpeted-by-the-dukes-of-bourgogne-across-europe,2517,9387.html, https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/winegrowers-and-expertise/a-story-of-time/towards-an-international-profile/the-20th-century-towards-universal-recognition,2520,9393.html, https://www.drouhin.com/en_US/presentation/introduction-of-the-family, https://www.bouchard-pereetfils.com/en/. Secondary sources: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/wine-regions/france/burgundy/cote-de-beaune, https://www.decanter.com/wine/wine-regions/burgundy-wine/. Last verified 2026-10-05

Classification

Classification ladders

Geographic tiers

Burgundy AOC Hierarchy

Burgundy Full article 4 tiers, lowest to highest

4 Grand Cru

Grand Cru wines carry only the vineyard name on the label, without any village name.

Examples Les Clos Flagey-Échezeaux

Grand Cru wines carry only the vineyard name on the label, without any village name.

From Burgundy Wine Classification
3 Premier Cru

Premier Cru is an additional geographical denomination within certain Village appellations rather than an appellation of its own, and its wines display the village name followed by the vineyard name on the label.

Examples Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Beaune Premier Cru Champs Pimont Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru "Aux Perdrix" Volnay Premier Cru Lassolle

Premier Cru wines display the village name followed by the vineyard name on the label, although the Gevrey-Chambertin specification also allows the words 'premier cru' to appear without a climat name

From Burgundy Wine Classification, read from two or more sentences
2 Village

Village-level wines carry a specific commune name such as Gevrey-Chambertin or Meursault, with no individual vineyard designation required.

Examples Mâcon-Villages Beaujolais-Villages AOC Côte de Beaune-Villages Côte de Nuits-Villages

Village-level wines carry a specific commune name such as Gevrey-Chambertin or Meursault, with no individual vineyard designation required

From Burgundy Wine Classification
1 Regional Bourgogne

Regional Bourgogne wines are sourced from the broadest geographic areas and represent the entry level, accounting for roughly half of all Burgundy wine production.

Examples Crémant de Bourgogne AOC Bourgogne Aligoté AOC Bourgogne Passe-tout-Grains AOC Bourgogne AOC

Regional Bourgogne wines, sourced from the broadest geographic areas, represent the entry level and account for roughly half of all Burgundy wine production

From Burgundy Wine Classification

Burgundy's classification is based exclusively on the terroir of the vineyard site, not on the reputation or performance of any individual producer or estate.
The system was formally codified by France's AOC legislation passed on 30 July 1936 under INAO oversight.
Chablis operates its own four-tier classification: Grand Cru, Premier Cru, Chablis, and Petit Chablis.

Tiers, criteria and figures come only from Burgundy Wine Classification own text. Tap a rung for its criteria and the sentence behind it.

Geographic tiers

Chablis Hierarchy

Burgundy Full article 4 tiers, lowest to highest

4 Chablis Grand Cru Chablis Grand Cru AOC

Chablis Grand Cru AOC operates as a single appellation divided between 7 climats in a continuous band along the upper part of the valley.

Examples Les Clos

Chablis Grand Cru AOC operates as a single appellation divided between 7 climats, which form a continuous band along the upper part of the valley from Bougros in the North-West, through Preuses, Vaudésir, Grenouilles, Valmur and Les Clos to Blanchot in the South-East.

From Chablis
3 Chablis Premier Cru Chablis 1er Cru

Chablis Premier Cru includes 40 named climats on both banks of the Serein.

40 named climats

Examples Chablis Premier Cru AOC Chablis Premier Cru Vaucoupin

Chablis Premier Cru includes 40 named climats that can be grouped under 17 names, on both banks of the Serein: the historic climats, attested since the Middle Ages, are classified on the right bank and more recently revealed climats on the left bank.

From Chablis, read from two or more sentences
2 Chablis AOC

Chablis AOC at the next tier accounted for 66% of average marketable volume over the five years 2015-2019.

Examples Petit Chablis AOC

Chablis AOC at the next tier accounted for 66% of average marketable volume over the five years 2015-2019 and had 3,715.99 hectares in production in 2022.

From Chablis
1 Petit Chablis Petit Chablis AOC

Petit Chablis AOC at the lowest tier covers vineyards on the higher portions of the slopes or the edge of the plateau, on brown soils derived from hard limestones.

Examples Petit Chablis AOC

Petit Chablis AOC at the lowest tier (created 5 January 1944) covers vineyards on the higher portions of the slopes or the edge of the plateau, on brown soils derived from hard limestones with patches of sandy silts, mostly between 230 and 280 metres.

From Chablis

Petit Chablis AOC was introduced in 1944.
The Premier Cru count of 40 reflects progressive INAO classifications through the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s with subsequent refinements.
1960s-1970s INAO appellation expansions permitted Portlandian-soiled vineyards to qualify as Chablis AOC; William Fèvre's 1970s campaign for Kimmeridgian-only enforcement did not result in regulatory rollback.

Tiers, criteria and figures come only from Chablis own text. Tap a rung for its criteria and the sentence behind it.

How to Say It

Côte de Beaunekoht duh BOHN

Meursaultmehr-SOH

Puligny-Montrachetpyoo-lee-NYEE mohn-rah-SHAY

Chassagne-Montrachetshah-SAH-nyuh mohn-rah-SHAY

Pommardpoh-MAR

Volnayvohl-NAY

Corton-Charlemagnekor-TOHN shar-luh-MAH-nyuh

Bâtard-Montrachetbah-TAR mohn-rah-SHAY

Exam Study NotesWSET / CMS

Côte de Beaune = southern half of the Côte d'Or escarpment; 20 km from Ladoix-Serrigny to the Maranges hillsides; Pinot Noir mainly around Beaune, Chardonnay dominant from Meursault onwards
Montrachet family: Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet shared by Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet; Chevalier-Montrachet and Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet in Puligny-Montrachet; Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet in Chassagne-Montrachet
Hill of Corton: mainly red Corton, with Climat names allowed on red labels only; white Corton-Charlemagne on the highest portion of the hill; Charlemagne appellation not currently in use
Côte de Beaune AOC covers the commune of Beaune only, on upper slopes at 300 to 370 metres; Côte de Beaune-Villages is red only and excludes Aloxe-Corton, Beaune, Pommard and Volnay
Beaune: 42 Premier Cru Climats, capital of Bourgogne's wine trade; Hospices de Beaune built 1443, auction created 1859, held on the third Sunday of November

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