70. The Wine Laws of Burgundy – Côte d'Or & The Importance of Slope

70. The Wine Laws of Burgundy – Côte d'Or & The Importance of Slope

 

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Today's episode continues our Burgundy series with a focus on the Côte d'Or—and more specifically, the role that slope plays in vineyard quality and classification. This concept is key not just in Burgundy but also in other cool to moderate regions like Germany's Mosel and Alsace.

We'll cover:

• Why elevation matters (200–400 meters in the Côte d'Or)

• How soil, drainage, and frost risk change from top to bottom of the slope

• Why mid-slope vineyards are home to many Premier Cru and Grand Cru sites

• How aspect (east/southeast exposure) influences ripening in this northerly climate

• The Côte de Nuits vs. the Côte de Beaune, and why nearly all red Grand Crus are in the north and nearly all white Grand Crus are in the south

• Key villages and their most famous crus, including Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Aloxe-Corton, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet

• Newer classifications like Bourgogne Côte d'Or AOC and how they fit into the picture

This is a dense one—but understanding slope and geography will make Burgundy's wine laws far less intimidating.

Next up: we'll wrap up our Burgundy laws series with Chalonnais and the Mâconnais on Thursday.