Côte de Beaune

France · AOC · Burgundy

Styles

Natural factors

A NE/SW tectonic ridge spanning approximately 25 km separates limestone plateaux (400–500 m) from a Tertiary graben (200 m). (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
Cool oceanic climate (annual mean 10.5 °C, ~750 mm/year), sheltered by the Morvan massif, which provides a thermal advantage and a rainfall deficit.
Jurassic bedrock: platy Callovian limestones at the base, Oxfordian limestones in the middle and upper sections, topped by a wooded escarpment capped with marls.
Topo-sequences of soils: shallow and highly calcareous at the top, becoming progressively more clay-rich downslope, with a decarbonated layer of up to 0.50 m on the footslope.

Human factors

AOC recognised in 1937; plantings restricted to pinot noir N and chardonnay B, at a density of more than 9,000 vines per hectare.

Product characteristics

Red wines are tender and supple, showing notes of red berries, with sufficient acidity for ageing.
White wines are supple, sometimes full-bodied, with good acidity, floral and mineral aromas.

Terroir / wine link

Jurassic marly or limestone soils, together with gravelly alluvial deposits, are substrates that ensure optimal ripeness and moderate yields according to individual 'climats'.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.