AOC Santenay red wines

A little-known Côte de Beaune village

The Côte de Beaune is best known for the famous wines of Beaune, Meursault and the Montrachet and Corton hills. As a result, attention is rarely paid to the outlying villages of the vineyard’s big names, such as Saint-Aubin, Chorey or Santenay. There are wines with profiles close to those of the “greatest”, but unfortunately they remain in the shadow of their illustrious neighbors. That’s why you can still enjoy bottles at superb value for money.

Today we’re heading for Santenay, one of the southernmost villages in the Côte de Beaune. With around 350 hectares of vines in production, it obviously can’t compete with larger appellations in terms of production volumes – and therefore in terms of visibility. In the end, however, it doesn’t really matter, as the quality of the 125 hectares classified as Premier Cru – more than a third of the appellation’s total surface area – proves. It comes as no surprise to learn that Santenay was one of the first vineyards in France to obtain AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) status in 1937, ahead of many of today’s prestigious Burgundy appellations.

A majority of red wines between freshness and strength

With 275 hectares of vines planted, red wines largely dominate whites in terms of volume produced (around 1.6M bottles each year). In keeping with Burgundian tradition, Pinot Noir reigns supreme, as no other grape variety is allowed in the production of Santenay red.

Generally speaking, Santenay reds are floral (rose petal, peony, violet) and fruity (raspberry, wild strawberry). Depending on the estate, we will seek more or less freshness, more or less aromatic intensity in the grapes by adapting the work in the vineyard and the date of harvest to our desires. If you move on to Santenay’s premier crus, such as the famous Clos de Tavannes, you gain not only power but also complexity and length (i.e., the wine’s aromas linger longer on the palate). These require a few years to reach their full potential, whereas more classic Santenay wines are ready to drink just a few months after bottling.

White wines with finesse

On the white side, Chardonnay also has no competition, being so well adapted to the Santenay terroir. Whereas the whites from Meursault offer a buttery, brioche-like aroma that calls for great dishes, the whites from Santenay are more floral and fresher, and can accompany an aperitif as well as a pasta dish with porcini mushrooms.