As its name might suggest (it translates to “golden slope”) the Côte d’Or is the crème de la crème of Burgundian wines, the heart of the region. Pinot Noir is actually planted heavily throughout the Côte d’Or, but the Côte de Beaune — the more southern of the region’s two pieces — is home to some of the world’s most famed Chardonnay vines. Villages such as Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet produce Chardonnays that have undeniably luxe richness, at times exuding ripe fruit, toasty oak, and creamy, buttery flavors, plus searing acidity, complexity, and longevity. While some Old World wine lovers might be surprised at the amount of California-like intensity Côte d’Or Chardonnays can have, particularly on the nose, the wines’ distinct backbones of acidity and minerality leave no mistaking them for anything else but high-class white Burgundy.
Dive deeper into this iconic wine with our illustrated guide to Chardonnay from the Côte d’Or.
