Côte de Beaune Red Wines
Red wines from the Côte de Beaune, from Ladoix and Corton to Santenay and Maranges: Pinot Noir from village to grand cru.
What defines red Côte de Beaune
The Côte de Beaune is the southern half of the Côte d'Or, running from the hill of Corton to Maranges. It is best known for its white wines, yet most of its villages grow Pinot Noir, and several are red-wine villages first. The slope is broader and gentler than in the Côte de Nuits, and the reds are generally more supple and fragrant, with Pommard as the firm exception.
The red villages
Corton is the only red grand cru of the Côte de Beaune. Around it, Ladoix, Aloxe-Corton and Pernand-Vergelesses share the hill. Savigny-lès-Beaune and Beaune give fragrant, mid-weight reds, with Beaune's premiers crus such as Grèves, Bressandes and Clos de la Mousse at their core. Pommard is the deepest and firmest; Volnay, next door, the most delicate. Further south, Saint-Romain and Auxey-Duresses make fresh reds from higher, cooler sites; Chassagne-Montrachet, which historically grew mostly Pinot Noir, still makes serious reds in Morgeot and La Boudriotte; Saint-Aubin adds a few fresh reds from its premiers crus, and Santenay and Maranges close the line with fuller reds at gentler prices.
How long to keep
Our cellar notes give 4 to 12 years for most village reds and 6 to 18 years for premiers crus, with Corton and the top Pommard and Volnay climats going further. Serve at 16 to 18 °C. These reds suit roast poultry, veal, pork and soft-rind cheeses; Pommard and Corton stand up to beef and game.
The growers we hold
Domaine de Montille and Domaine du Comte Armand in Volnay and Pommard; Bouchard Père & Fils and Henri Germain in Beaune; Jean-Marc et Hugues Pavelot and Bruno Clair in Savigny; Bachelet-Ramonet, Fontaine-Gagnard and Alex Moreau in Chassagne; Bachey-Legros, Lucien Muzard and Françoise et Denis Clair in Santenay.