Côte Chalonnaise Wines

What defines the Côte Chalonnaise

The Côte Chalonnaise continues the Burgundian slope south of Santenay and Maranges, west of Chalon-sur-Saône. The hills are more broken than in the Côte d'Or, with vines mixed among woods and pasture, on the same limestone and marl. The grapes are the same, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with Aligoté at Bouzeron, and each of the four main villages has premiers crus of its own.

The villages

Rully, in the north, is known for crisp, elegant whites and bright reds. Mercurey is the largest appellation and best known for its reds, though its whites are serious too. Givry, further south, is mainly red, with structured Pinot Noir from premiers crus such as Clos de la Servoisine and Les Bois Chevaux. Montagny, at the southern end, is an all-white appellation, Chardonnay only, on limestone-marl soils.

How to choose

These wines give the character of Burgundy at a more modest price than the Côte d'Or, and they open earlier. For red, start with Givry: Domaine Joblot, run by fourth-generation Juliette Joblot with nine of its fourteen hectares in premier cru, and François Lumpp, who farms every vine himself and has used no weedkillers since 1995. For white, Feuillat-Juillot's Montagny and premier cru Les Coères, Laurent Mouton's Givry Blanc and Michel Juillot's Mercurey Les Vignes de Maillonge. Domaine des Rois Mages makes both colours in Rully.

How long to keep

Our cellar notes give 2 to 8 years for village wines and 5 to 14 years for the Givry premiers crus. Serve reds at 16 to 18 °C and whites at 12 to 14 °C. Reds suit roast lamb, duck and coq au vin; whites suit grilled fish, shellfish and goat cheese.