The best wines from Côte de Nuits in France

The Côte de Nuits is a strip of vineyards about fifty kilometers long and a few kilometers wide. They are almost entirely planted with Pinot Noir. The vineyards owe their prestige to the special combination of soil, climate and, last but not least, the high quality of passionate winemakers.

The soil of the Côte de Nuits is a patchwork of different soil types. And Pinot Noir is extremely sensitive to that. Two wines from neighboring vineyards in the Côte de Nuits can therefore taste very different.

It is a half-hour drive at most, from one side of the Côte de Nuits to the other. Along the way you will pass vineyards that are among the most special in the world. They have names that you will find in every wine book, such as Clos de Vougeot and Romanée-Conti.

The Côte de Nuits is a strip of vineyards about fifty kilometers long and a few kilometers wide. They are almost entirely planted with Pinot Noir. The vineyards owe their prestige to the special combination of soil, climate and, last but not least, the high quality of passionate winemakers.

The soil of the Côte de Nuits is a patchwork of different soil types. And Pinot Noir is extremely sensitive to that. Two wines from neighboring vineyards in the Côte de Nuits can therefore taste very different. The climate also plays a role. It is on the cold side for winemaking, but if the vineyard is on an east or south facing slope it benefits from just the right amount of sun. Strict rules limit the yield per hectare. The Côte de Nuits makes a conscious choice for the highest possible quality.

Appellations of the Côte de Nuits

The Côte de Nuits has 11 municipalities with their own appellation. From North to South: Marsannay, Fixin, Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Echézeaux, Grand Echézeaux, Vosne-Romanée, Nuits-Saint-Georges and Côte de Nuits-Villages. The latter is a collective appellation for a limited number of municipalities. Other wines from the Côte de Nuits receive a simple Burgundy AOC on the label.

The best, mostly east-facing, rolling vineyards are located in the heart of the Côte de Nuits. They have been rewarded with Grand Cru status. The winemakers are among the best in the world, with Romanée-Conti as the undisputed - and priceless - flagship. This historic winery with a small vineyard barely larger than a football field produces the most expensive - and according to experts, also the best - Burgundian wine in the world. After the Grand Cru follows the Premier Cru with excellent, but slightly less special vineyards.

Although the Côte de Nuits produces great wines, the name is not synonymous with quality. Good wine requires a lot of knowledge and skill from the winemaker and one vintage is not the same as the other. Almost without exception, the Grand Crus guarantee top quality. In most cases, so do the Premier Crus and the local appellations. The Burgundy AOC can be excellent, but it can also be disappointing. Lots of tasting and comparing is the best advice.