A guide to the Burgundy wine classification system

In the Middle Ages, the Burgundy region laid the foundations for creating a four-tier vineyard hierarchy that has no direct parallel in Europe. It is the key reference point for exploring the wines of the Côte d’Or.

Cistercian monks and terroir

Of all the world’s wine regions, Burgundy is the one where terroir has been studied the longest— since the 12th century, in fact. The word ‘terroir’ refers to the natural conditions (soil structure, elevation and aspect, for example) that distinguish one vineyard site from another. At the beginning of the last Millennium, the vineyards of the Côte d’Or were owned by the church and aristocracy. Several religious orders were heavily involved in vine cultivation and winemaking for their respective ecclesiastical needs. Historians cannot be exactly sure when it started, but we do know that the Cistercian monks began to delineate Burgundy’s vineyards according to their quality and character before the 13th century.

The church’s role in shaping Burgundy’s wine culture was totally upended by the French Revolution. The vineyards of the church were seized and sold off in 1791; those of the aristocracy soon followed. However, the new owners embraced the hierarchy that had been created centuries before. After the work of the religious establishment was codified in the 19th century, the wine industry started to stipulate rules concerning labelling and wine origin.

As a result, Burgundy enthusiasts have long bought into appellations and specific climats (single vineyards), as much as they follow brands and individual estates. It is a very different approach to Bordeaux wine; the Saint-Émilion classification, for example, is based on the stratification of individual properties according to the perceived quality of their wine. In Burgundy, it is the land which is classified. The hierarchy is based on geographical possibility, not self-promotion.

Four tier classification

Vineyards in Burgundy are divided into four classes: Grand Cru, Premier Cru, Village and the pan-regional Bourgogne appellation system. The underlying rationale is that vineyard sites (even those close together) are always different to one another. One vineyard may be planted on well-drained soils that benefits from a south-facing aspect which ensures that the grapes ripen satisfactorily, even in cooler years. Another vineyard, in contrast, may face north and receives less sunlight. This is the central philosophy which underpins how Burgundy produces and markets wine. It also provides the consumer with a useful and transparent guide to wine quality.

Regional designations

The Burgundy wine region is home to more than 80 appellations. The majority refer to geographical areas (including the 25 villages) and delimited vineyards. However, there are a few appellations that are pan-regional, covering wines made from any part of Burgundy. They include vineyards situated in the most famous communes of the Côte d’Or that are cultivated on inferior soils. The most common regional wine appellations are Bourgogne Blanc, Bourgogne Rouge and Bourgogne Côte d’Or.

Gevrey-Chambertin can once again provide a useful illustration. Land that only qualifies for a generic appellation is found west of a flood plain, with poorly-drained, fertile soils rich in sand, clay and silt particles. Vines cultivated on this terroir will normally produce inflated yields and indifferent wine.

Nevertheless, there are certain growers who manage to craft surprisingly good wines from lesser vineyard sites in the Côte d’Or. How they achieve this is something of a mystery, but such wines can represent a veritable bargain, if you buy judiciously.

Village

The next tier in the Burgundy wine hierarchy is simply referred to as ‘village’ wine. Village wines are made from ‘unclassified’ vineyards located in a specific geographical appellation. There are many good village wines being made in Burgundy today by committed growers and merchants.

The commune of Gevrey-Chambertin offers an enlightening case study in understanding why the authorities distinguish between village land and Premier Cru sites. The village’s Premier Cru vineyards are planted on south/southeast-facing slopes and enjoy good drainage and exposure to the sun. They thrive in the calcareous, mineral-rich soils that typify the Côte d’Or.

Meanwhile, vineyards that fall under the village appellation are planted at lower altitudes. The drainage is less favourable than the Premier Cru sites, and they receive less sunlight. The soils on the flat river plain in Gevrey-Chambertin contain alluvium, which enhances their fertility. Although such fertile land is ideal for most types of agriculture, this terroir will give higher grape yields. Indeed, although it may be tempting to dismiss Burgundy’s classification framework as a marketing device, it is grounded in empirical reality.

Premier Cru

There are 635 Premier Cru vineyards in the wider Burgundy region, 539 of which are in the Côte d’Or. These climats consistently produce high-quality red and white wine. Of course, their exact qualities will vary, but a Premier Cru vineyard typically has good drainage, favourable exposure and clay/limestone soils. The soils will maintain a good balance between porosity and permeability. The wines will be more concentrated and structured than the village wines of the appellation. They offer a big step up in body, flavour and individuality.

Unlike the Grand Crus, Premier Cru vineyards need to be preceded and qualified by the name of the village. Therefore a wine made from the Premier Cru ‘Les Folatières’ would be labelled as Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières. However, each Premier Cru boasts an appellation in its own right, just like the Grand Cru climats.

Grand Cru

In the Côte d’Or, there are over 5,500 hectares of vineyards producing 75% red wine (from the Pinot Noir grape) and 25% white from the Chardonnay grape. There are 25 village appellations attached to communes in the Côte d’Or, most of which can produce both red and white wine. The most highly regarded vineyards (32 in total) in certain villages are classified as Grand Cru, the cream of the Burgundy crop. Every single one of these hallowed climats consistently produces the most perfumed, structured and complex wines in the Burgundy region. They have been awarded their own appellations, distinct from the villages where they are located. Some of the most famous include Chambertin, Musigny, Montrachet, and La Tache.

Unlike Bordeaux, Burgundy’s top vineyards are typically divided up amongst a number of individual owners. Chateau Lafite, for example, does not produce wine from neighbouring appellations like Saint-Julien and Saint Estephe. Yet a winery in Burgundy will often market wines from a range of appellations and vineyards, producing everything from Grand Cru labels to generic Bourgogne Blanc. Of course, it is the Grand Cru wines that fetch the highest price, due to the often miniscule volumes released. They are responsible for about 1% of Burgundy’s total wine output. The majority are situated in the Côte de Nuits.

The geological qualities of iconic vineyards like Montrachet are the subject of endless fascination. Several studies have attempted to understand why certain vineyards produce wines of incredible complexity and finesse, whereas others simply yield ‘drinkable’ Chardonnay. Soil and subsoil in the Montrachet Grand Cru have been extensively analysed, and it has been discovered there is large amount of magnesium and lead in the subsoil, in addition to copper, zinc, cobalt and silver. Some of these trace elements have a proven effect on vine metabolism; cobalt speeds up grape maturity, while zinc can help with the accumulation of carbohydrate. Yet no scientist can definitively explain why Montrachet produces the finest Chardonnay in the world. This is the mystique of Grand Cru Burgundy.