Burgundy Red Wine

The most famous wines produced here are the Red Wines and they are mostly made from the Pinot Noir grape. Gamay grape dominated Beaujolais is formally part of the Burgundy wine region, but is usually referred to by its own name rather than as Burgundy Red Wine.

The quality of Burgundy Red Wine is due to a number of factors.  Its vineyards slope gently toward the East, providing the vines with long sun exposure but avoiding afternoon heat, the soil is very chalky and contains calcium carbonate, which helps keep the soil well-drained. The well drained soil is a major factor assisting in the ripening of the grape because of the higher heat retained in the soil.

The Pinot Noir variety of grape seems to be a better reflection of Terroir than other black grape types, and this makes vineyard site selection a very critical factor when choosing to grow this type of grape. Burgundy is the most terroir-oriented region in France where a lot of attention is paid to the area of origin, and in which of the region's 400 types of soil a wine's grapes are grown. As opposed to Bordeaux, where classifications are variety and producer driven, Burgundy classifications are regionally focused. For example, a specific vineyard or region will bear a given classification, regardless of who is making the wine. This attention to region is reflected on the wine's labels where the appellations are the most prominent feature and the producer's name often appears at the bottom in much smaller text.

The main levels in the Burgundy classifications are:

Grand Cru are Red Wines that are produced from the best vineyard sites in the Côte d'Or, as strictly defined by the AOC laws. These Red Wines are specifically produced for cellaring and need to be aged a minimum of 5-7 years. The better Red Wines can be kept for more than 15 years. Grand Cru wines only list the name of the vineyard as the appellation on the wine label, plus the term "Grand Cru", but not the village name.

Premier Cru Red Wines are produced from vineyard sites that are still considered high quality, but not as highly regarded as the Grand Cru sites. These Red Wines need to be aged at least 3-5 years, but as in the Grand Cru Red Wines, the best wines can keep for much longer. Premier Cru Red Wines are labelled with the village of origin, the Premier Cru term, and usually the vineyard name.

Village appellation Red Wines are produced from a blend of wines from "lesser" vineyard sites within the boundaries of the 42 villages in Burgundy, or from a non-classified vineyard. Red Wines from each village are considered to have their own unique qualities and characteristics. These Red Wines can be enjoyed 2-4 years after the release date, although some types will keep for longer. Village wines will show the village name on the wine label, and sometimes the name of the single vineyard source or climate.