Wine from Beaune AOC

The medieval town of Beaune, in Burgundy's Côte-d'Or, is surrounded by hills covered with vineyards, more than two-thirds of which are premier cru. Despite their high quality, the wines of Beaune are not the best known in Burgundy, not least because they belong to small wineries, a high percentage of whose production is sold locally. A good way to get your hands on a few bottles is the popular annual Hospices de Beaune auction, part of a three-day celebration that serves charitable, festive and commercial purposes.

The region produces both red wines (355 ha) and white wines (59), from, of course, pinot noir and chardonnay grapes respectively. It is not difficult to find subtle differences between the wines from each vineyard, depending very much on the location of each estate. In general, the Beaune reds are deep and fruity, a little cooler to the north and perhaps a little earthier and more voluminous near Pommard. They have a vivid scarlet colour and aromas of black (blackcurrant, blackberry) and red (cherry) fruits, damp earth and undergrowth. With time in bottle, they develop aromas of spice, leather and truffle, gradually moving away from the fresh, crisp fruit of their youth and veering towards a deeper, nobler profile. They love the company of game or cheeses such as Munster or Époisses.

The white wines of Beaune are golden in colour with green reflections and give off fragrances of dried fruits, mountain herbs and white flowers; as with the reds, they can be consumed young to enjoy all their fruit or aged to delight in the enveloping sweetness of the evolved aromas. They pair wonderfully with poultry and fish and, with time, acquire a structure that allows them to stand up to cheeses such as Comté. Clos des Mouches is the most prestigious white wine in the AOC, the work of Joseph Drouhin.