Welcome to Part III of Sorting Out Burgundy - Côte Chalonnaise. The Côte Chalonnaise has been called "the forgotten area of Burgundy." For the consumer, that's a good thing because it means that you can find some really nice wines for reasonable prices. Plus, it's a pretty simple area to understand - there are only five village appellations to know, and we discuss those below. But, the region produces a relatively small volume of wine, so these wines can be a little harder to find.
The Côte Chalonnaise is located directly south of the Côte de Beaune, and produces approximately 60 percent red wines and 40 percent white. There are no Grand Cru here, but there are many very nice Premier Cru. Côte Chalonnaise wines tend to resemble the lighter wines of the Côte de Beaune. Although the principal grapes are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, you'll also find the white Aligoté and the red Gamay (the principal grape used in Beaujolais). (If you want a quick review of Burgundy, check out the Wine Concepts Burgundy primer.)
By the way, if you've ever wondered where the Chardonnay grape originated, it was here in the Côte Chalonnaise. Specifically, in the village of Chardonnay.
The Côte Chalonnaise is pretty easy to master, as there are only five village appellations:
- Bouzeron. This is the only Burgundy village that produces wine only from the white Aligoté grape (elsewhere in Burgundy these wines carry the regional appellation "Bourgogne Aligoté"). What is Aligoté, you ask? It's a light, floral, minerally wine that goes well with oysters and other shellfish, seafood and white meats. It's a nice change of pace. You may know it as the wine that it mixed with crème de cassis to make the classic "Kir" cocktail (the Kir Royale uses a Cremant.) Another distinction for Bouzeron: Aubert de Villaine, the co-owner of Domaine de la Romané-Conti (Burgundy's most prestigious producer) lives here. His Domaine A & P de Villaine is considered the best Bouzeron producer; Maison Bouchard Père et Fils is also good.
- Rully. The best Côte Chalonnaise white wines are produced here and in Montagny. Rully is best known for producing Cremant de Bourgogne - about four million bottles a year. But this appellation makes some pretty nice Pinot Noir, generally a little lighter than those produced in Mercurey and Givry.
- Mercurey. This is a relatively large village that produces primarily reds, which are considered the best of the Côte Chalonnaise. Of course, they're also the most expensive. Because of its size, Mercurey wines are very easy to find. Domaine Joseph Faively is one of the better producers.
- Givry. This village produces pleasant reds that are a little less tannic and lighter bodied than Mercurey. It produces very little white wine, and these are undistinguished. There are a number of Premier Cru here. Domaine Chofflet-Valdenaire is the leading producer, and we selected one of their Premier Cru for our wine of the week (see below).
- Montagny. Along with Rully, this village produces the best white wines in the region. Note that the Caves des Vignerons de Buxy, a local cooperative, producers some very good quality wines.
- There is also a regional appellation called "Bourgogne-Côte Chalonnaise." These wines are generally lower quality than the wines produced from the villages above, but they are also correspondingly cheaper.
Wine of the Week. Domaine Chofflet-Valdenaire is the leading producer in Givry, and we tasted their 2015 Premier Cru Clos Jus. We were not disappointed. This wine is about $40 retail - a relative bargain compared to other Burgundy Premier Cru. It has nice aromas of black fruit and spice. On the palate it has a good intensity, and is mildly tannic, with blackberry and earthy notes and a medium finish. This would go great with ham, salmon or a lean beef. But, it also paired nicely with a pasta with tomato and meat sauce.
- If you're not in the mood to pay $40 for a bottle, here's an alternative. Try a Thevenet & Fils "Bourgogne Les Clos." It's about $20 retail, and is a very nice wine. Thevenet is a Wine Concepts favorite producer. The 2017 that we tasted had notes of strawberry and an earthiness, along with some nice minerality, and it paired nicely with both pork and beef.
Cheers!