📍 Côte de Beaune

Côte de Beaune is the southern half of the Côte d'Or slope in Burgundy, France. It runs from the area around Aloxe-Corton to Maranges, with the town of Beaune as its centre. The vineyards lie on east-facing limestone and clay slopes and are planted almost entirely with two grapes: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The wines of the zone are valued for their ability to age: the best bottles open up after ten years or more.

The Côte de Beaune is known for great white wines. The most famous villages are Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet, and the summit of the zone is Montrachet. Among reds Pommard, Volnay and Corton stand out: Corton is the only red grand cru of the Côte de Beaune, with the white Corton-Charlemagne next to it.

Each November Beaune holds the charity wine auction of the Hospices de Beaune, a tradition going back to the 19th century. Other appellations of the zone include Savigny-lès-Beaune, Santenay, Ladoix, Auxey-Duresses and Saint-Aubin, and the general name Côte de Beaune-Villages covers some of the villages.

For comparison with its neighbours: to the north lies the Côte de Nuits, where the leading wines are red, and to the south the Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais with simpler wines. The whole slope is on UNESCO's list as the "Climats of Burgundy".