Off the Beaten Path Cote de Beaune Reds
11/11/2024
You can still drink village level Red Burgundy any night of the week.
There are many routes to take when seeking wines of value from Burgundy. Today’s path is looking towards commonly overlooked villages from the Cote de Beaune. All making outstanding reds that showcase terroir.
I will be the first to sing praises of the prestigious wines that come from throughout the Cote d’Or; from Gevrey, and Chambolle down to Volnay and Pommard. In my short time here at Chambers St. Wines I have offered all of these to you and more! These wines are special and deserve to be spoken about and drank, but drinking wines from these villages often come at a certain price, and sometimes you may feel that you can only open them on a special occasion. This email is by no means meant to knock the wines of these prestigious vineyards that have helped to make Burgundy what it is today, but only to raise the awareness of their neighbors. Many of the winemakers offered today are champions of these often missed villages, and are making beautiful wines that are still reasonably priced. We offer you today, a selection of bottles that can be opened any night of the week that will be food friendly with a wide array of meals, and you will still be drinking village level red burgundy!
-Hanna Krilov
Below you will find a deep dive into seven wines spread across the Cote de Beaune, each worth taking a stop at.
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The village of Ladoix almost bridges the gap between the Cote de Beaune and the Cote de Nuits. It marks the beginning of the Cote de Beaune with its Neighbor Corgoloin (Cote de Nuits Villages) in the North and Aloxe-Corton in the south. This 0.65 Hectare vineyard contains 60 year old vines deep into chalky-mark soils, and sitting at 200 meters of elevation. After fermentation, the wine is aged for 12 months in 15% new oak barrels, resulting in a wine of finesse that is easy drinking. It’s light, fresh, and contains a little bit of spice with an earthy finish.
Hervé and Nathalie Petitot are the husband and wife team behind Domaine Petitot. Both are oenologists and while Hervé takes care of the vines, Nathalie manages the cellar. Hervé’s parents bottled the estates first wines in 1975, in 1990 Hervé began working alongside is father before taking over just 4 years later. The Petitot’s practice organic farming and believe that wines should showcase the terroir and the vintage in which they were grown.
Chorey-les-Beaune is the bottom of the gentle slope that leads up to Savigny-les-Beaune and Aloxe-Corton. Located on the eastern side of the main road, Chorey has remained under the radar with no premier or grand crus, but consistently making great Pinot Noirs that are fairly inexpensive. The lieu-dit of Les Beaumonts borders Savigny-les-Beaune and is situation on the bottom of the hillside on a very gently sloped section. The wine is aged for 12 months in barrique, 20% of it being new oak. The wine has excellent structure with ripe red fruits. A wine full of energy that is ready to drink!
Bernadette Camus and her husband Pierre Cornu created Domaine Cornu-Camus in 1981 by bringing together vines from each of their families. In 2008 they were joined by their daughter Lydia and her husband Christophe. Today they farm 12 hectares spread across 15 appellations with organic principles.
Monthélie is situated between Volnay and Meursault fairly nestled into the curve of the hillside with most of the vineyards facing south or southeast. While you can find some Monthélie Blanc out there, Pinot is king in this appellation accounting for about 85% of the hectares under vines. Due to its neighbors you tend to get a Volnay-like elegance with a bit more power behind them. This old vine Monthélie comes from 3 plots that amount to about 1 hectare. Aged for 12 months in 30% new oak. There is serious depth here with fruit and earth. A perfect Burgundy for when the temperatures finally cool down.
Florent is a 5th generation Monthélie vigneron who after completing viticulture school in Beaune decided to travel to the Languedoc and Pomerol to learn about wine outside of Burgundy. When he returned home he decided to created his own path and domaine rather than work alongside his father. Starting off with a mere 2 hectares working, Florent creates wines of energy and elegance. As of 2020 Florent now has grown to 11.5 hectares! The wines continue to shine as some of the best from Monthélie.
Auxey-Duresses sits in a side-valley of the Cote de Beaune leading to the Hautes Cotes, with Meursault to the south and Monthélie to the East. There is 50% more pinot noir grown here than chardonnay, but there is plenty of value to be found in both. This Auxey-Duresses is a blend from six lieu-dits: Argillats, Heptures, Les Crais, Grandes Vignes, Hautés, and Ecussaux. These are a blend of northeast and south facing vineyards. There are notes of red and dark cherry, earth and slight florals. This wine is supple and velvety. At this quality level you and drink it now or cellar it for a few years!
Gilles Lafouge is the 6th generation to work this family estate in Auxey-Duresses. Working 10 hectares mainly in Auxey-Duresses but additionally in Meursault and Pommard, the recipe for success here relies on old vines, organic farming practices, and classical winemaking. The wines are precise, supple, and consistently some of the best value in Burgundy.
Saint-Romain sits at a considerably higher elevation than most of the Cote and is therefore cooler providing wines with longer growing seasons and greater acidity. When the appellation was first established, it was planted almost entirely with chardonnay, but over the years producers are slowly increasing plantings where Pinot Noir now accounts for about 35-40% of the vines. Les Perrieres contains 70-year old vines, vinified with 40% whole clusters and then aged in used oak. There is a lovely perfume here with deep, ripe, red fruit and underlying minerality.
Bernard Zito has been working as a winemaker in Burgundy since the late ‘80s but in more recent years has been a consultant to some of the biggest names in Burgundy (think Lignier-Belair and Domaine Arnaux-Lachaux) to implement organic and biodynamic viticulture. Due to his work as a consultant, he only makes a few wines under his own name that can therefore be hard to find, today we made that search easy for you.
Santenay is located at the southern end of the Cote de Beaune but geologically shows a stronger resemblance to those further north in the Cote de Nuits. Again, you will see close to 85% of vineyards here being planted to Pinot Noir. Wines from here are often full of flavor and structure without being too aggressive. Moreau’s Cuvee S is an homage to his grandmother Simone who played a crucial role in helping David start his domaine. The wine comes from two parcels, Les Cornieres and Les Charmes. It is made 20% whole cluster with ambient yeast fermentation in concrete tanks. Later it is aged for 12 months in barrel (20% new) then 5 months in tank before bottling. Year after year this wine holds such amazing value, bright, ripe, and full of energy!
David Moreau has been making his own wines in Santenay since 2009. After graduating oenology school in Dijon he traveled to Chateauneuf-du-Pape to work with Domaine Beaucastel and then to New Zealand in order to discover wine outside of France. Upon returning to Burgundy he worked with Olivier Lamy of Domaine Hubert Lamy and then Aubert de Villaine of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti. With a resume like that it’s always surprising to me how unknown his wines often are. I was lucky enough to visit David in early 2020 after enjoying his wines for years, and his enthusiasm and energy for wine easily translates to what is in the bottle.
Maranges is the southernmost point of the Cote de Beaune. Up until 1988, there were three separate appellations: Cheilly-lès-Maranges, Deziz- lès-Maranges, and Sampigny- lès-Marnages. Due to their complicated names, vignerons often bottled under the name Cote-de-Beaune Villages. In ’88 the three joined under one name “Maranges” and there came a revival of the region. Les Chamery is a .35 hectare plot that is adjacent to Santenay with vines between 40-50 years of age. The wine is aged 11 months in barrel then 6 months in stainless steel before bottling. The result is a tart, and ripe red wine that is easy going with great freshness. Perfect for any night of the week.
The Fornerot family has been in Saint-Aubin since 1618, with Jerome starting his own winemaking in 2018 with 9 hectares of family plots. He spent his early years selling grapes to negociants and each vintage he is slowly bottling more under his own label.
