Burgundy is well known the world over for its fine wines. Full of mystery and concealment, it has been the stuff of dreams for generations around the world. While the entire region boasts no fewer than 84 different AOCs, it’s only a handful of these that are responsible for the region’s prestige.

Why is Burgundy so prestigious?

Burgundy’s vineyards are rich in little nuggets, but their production is highly confidential: only 1.4% of French wine production is produced in a small 230 km strip stretching from Chablis in the north to Mâconnais in the south. What makes it so special are its climats. ” In Burgundy, when we talk about climats, we don’t raise our eyes to heaven, we lower them to earth” (B. Pivot). 1,247 sites in the Côte d’Or are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Each is the result of a skilful equation between terroir and ancestral human know-how: each climate produces wines with its own specific characteristics. The most favored climats are awarded the Premier Cru appellation, in addition to the village AOC on which they depend. One example is the well-known Meursault Premier Cru Les Perrières. Others are so exceptional that they are even awarded their own AOC, as is the case in Côte de Nuits: these are the Grands Crus.

La Romanée-Conti or the most expensive wine in the world

The Romanée Conti AOC, although not even 2 hectares in size, is by far the best known in Burgundy. At an auction in New York in 2018, a bottle of Romanée-Conti 1945 sold for the modest sum of $558,000 (482,326 euros). This makes it the most expensive bottle in the world.

Until then, it was a Château Lafite Rothschild 1869 that held the record, with an estimate of $233,000. This auction is a resounding success for Burgundy… Even though the world had already been watching Vosne Romanée’s great wines for several years, since Henri Jayer’s exploits with his Grands Échezeaux, among others. Today, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC) has a monopoly on the climat. It’s impossible to buy “just” a bottle of Romanée-Conti: you’ll be obliged to buy a case of 6 containing bottles of other parcels exploited by the DRC, such as La Tâche, Echezeaux etc.

Côte d’Or Grands Crus: to each his own!

Generally speaking, Burgundy abounds in excellent wines. Although the region’s renown is essentially due to the Grands Crus and Premiers Crus (less than 10% of the total production), there is a great diversity! The most prestigious region is the Côte de Nuits. From Marsannay in the north to Nuits Saint Georges in the south, the greatest Pinot Noirs include Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot… Descending even further south, we reach the second part of the Côte d’Or, called the Côte de Beaune. This is the realm of Chardonnay whites, the best known being Corton, Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault. With 33 Grands Crus and 44 village appellations (almost all Premier Cru), there’s something for everyone!