Drink (more) Red Burgundy before you die!
Why? Because no other wine captures people’s attention, taste buds, and wallets quite like a really good Pinot Noir from Burgundy.
Ten Second Summary
- What it is: Pinot Noir from Burgundy, France — the world’s most famous and, for many, most magical expression of the grape.
- Tastes like: Heady perfume, sweet red fruit, roses, violets, autumn leaves, forest floor, spice, and a silky, seemingly weightless texture.
- Buying shortcut: Look for good producers in villages like Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée, Volnay, and Nuits-Saint-Georges — or jump straight to the best Pinot Noir producers ↓
- Best with: Roast duck, game birds, mushrooms, and dishes with earthy, savoury depth rather than heavy sweetness.
- When to drink: Many village wines drink well young-ish, but the best Premier Cru and Grand Cru bottles can reward patience for 10–20+ years.
What’s on this page
- What makes Burgundian Pinot Noir so special?
- Why drink a really good Red Burgundy?
- The DRC dream (and why Burgundy commands such huge prices)
- How to experience great Burgundy without remortgaging the house
- Why vintage matters so much in Burgundy
- The history of Burgundy’s vineyards
- Best villages for Pinot Noir
- Best Pinot Noir producers and bottles to try
- FAQ: Red Burgundy
What makes Red Burgundy so special?
Burgundy is the home of Pinot Noir. And no one does it better. It's a winemakers holy grail. Plenty of Pinot Noir vineyards have been planted around the world to try and match Burgundy. Some are pretty good, some are richer, some are darker, some are more powerful, and some are better value than Burgundy. But none are better. A really fine Burgundy Pinot Noir does something very few wines can do: it combines haunting perfume, sweet fruit, earthiness, finesse, and energy in a way that seems almost impossible.
It can be delicate yet intense. It can be silky yet profound. It can smell ethereal and taste deeply rooted in the soil from which it came. That, in essence, is why people become obsessed with red Burgundy.
Why drink a really good Red Burgundy?
No other wine delivers such heady perfume, such smooth-textured sweet fruit combined with such primal, earthy, autumnal flavors, creating this seemingly weightless energy in the mouth as it’s drunk, as does a really good red Burgundy.
The purity. The precision. The refreshment. One can go on and on. But, in short, the experience can be bordering on otherworldly.
%20near%20Gevrey-Chambertin,%20Burgundy%20AdobeStock_526381184.jpeg "Route des Grands Crus road sign in front of vineyard near Gevrey-Chambertin, Burgundy. Red Burgundy Pinot Noir.")
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| Route des Grands Crus near Gevrey-Chambertin, Burgundy | © Richard Semik / stock.adobe.com |
The DRC dream (and why Burgundy commands such huge prices)
If money’s no object, get your mits on a bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC) ... it’ll probably only set you back about US$25,000. Yep, you read that right.
Of course, I’ve never tried it (unfortunately); but it’s supposed to be the best. The history and the story of the wine is also a fantastic one.
If you want to know more about a wine you’ll probably never get to try, you should read Shadows in the Vineyard: The True Story of the Plot to Poison the World’s Greatest Wine by Maximillian Potter. It’s a great read for anyone that loves a whodunit story — oenophile or not.
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| A great read by Maximillian Potter whether you're a wine lover or not |
A bucket list of 100 wines could be made entirely of bottles from Burgundy and I’m sure for some Burghounds their bucket lists would be. The best Burgundies are unbelievably good and can be unbelievably expensive — thankfully, not all as prohibitive as DRC ... you can knock off one or two zeros for most of them.
Unlike Bordeaux, production is very, very small so availability can also be an issue, which of course helps drive the price up.
How to experience great Burgundy without remortgaging the house
I strongly recommend going to a tasting of Grand Crus and Premier Crus being held by a reputable merchant. For a fraction of the cost you’ll get to try a range of delicious wine. And then maybe treat yourself to a bottle of your favourite.
That, for most of us, is one of the best ways to explore Red Burgundy intelligently. Burgundy is too expensive, too nuanced, and too vintage-sensitive to buy blindly with confidence unless your wallet is considerably fatter than mine.
Why vintage matters so much in Burgundy
The quality and style of Burgundy are also heavily influenced by the vintage. And vintages in Burgundy are anything but consistent.
Although, thanks to advances in viticulture and winemaking techniques, less than ideal growing conditions aren’t always as disastrous as they once were.
Still, before shelling out significant coin for a bottle of really good red Burgundy (for mere mortals, if the wine’s good the coin will be significant) do some research ... read some vintage charts or talk to a wine merchant that you trust.
The history of Burgundy’s vineyards
The history of Burgundy’s vineyards is as rich, fascinating, and complex as the wines themselves. Winemaking in the region dates back at least 2,000 years. Indeed, the Romanée part of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is believed to be a nod to the Romans who cultivated vines in Burgundy during their occupation of the region.
However, it was the Benedictine and Cistercian monks in the Middle Ages who really put Burgundy on the vinous map and made the wines of Burgundy what they are today.
The monks were meticulous record-keepers and keen observers who also had a penchant for drinking really good wines — they didn’t like the rough stuff. This holy trinity of meticulous record keeping, observational prowess, and fondness for fine wine led to them identifying the best vineyard sites.
The monks precisely delineated more than 1200 vineyard plots, known as climats, that consistently produced distinctive wines. These delineations were usually based on specific geological and climatic conditions that influenced the growth of the grape vines, and thus the resulting wine.
These guys understood the importance of terroir long before it became a buzzword in the wine world. It’s these climats identified by the monks that form the basis of Grand Cru and Premier Cru designations in Burgundy today. Thanks Monks!
A really good red Burgundy is not just a wine, but an experience steeped in history, tradition, and an almost spiritual connection to the land. You may never be fortunate enough to taste a bottle of DRC but there are some great Grand Cru and Premier Cru wines out there so you can partake in a legacy that has been carefully crafted over centuries or, actually, millennia.
Best villages for Pinot Noir
One of the great fascinations of Pinot Noir from Burgundy is how dramatically the wine can change over very small distances. Burgundy is a patchwork of tiny vineyard plots known as climats, and each village tends to produce wines with its own personality.
Here are some of the most famous villages to explore if you want to understand the magic of red Burgundy.
Gevrey-Chambertin
Often considered one of the most powerful expressions of Red Burgundy, Gevrey-Chambertin produces wines with darker fruit, structure, and longevity. Some of Burgundy’s most famous Grand Cru vineyards are located here, including Chambertin and Chambertin-Clos de Bèze.
Vosne-Romanée
Vosne-Romanée is home to some of the most coveted vineyards on the planet, including Romanée-Conti, La Tâche, and Richebourg. The wines tend to combine perfume, elegance, and remarkable depth — the archetype of what great Burgundy can be.
Chambolle-Musigny
Chambolle-Musigny is often described as producing the most graceful and perfumed wines in Burgundy. Silky texture, floral aromatics, and elegance are the hallmarks of this village.
Volnay
Volnay wines are renowned for their finesse. They are often lighter in structure but incredibly aromatic and expressive. When people talk about “feminine” Burgundy, Volnay is often the example used.
Nuits-Saint-Georges
Nuits-Saint-Georges tends to produce more structured and robust Pinot Noir compared with some of its neighbours. The wines often show darker fruit and firm tannins and can age very well.
Exploring wines from these villages is one of the best ways to begin understanding the extraordinary diversity of Burgundian Pinot Noir.
Best Pinot Noir producers and bottles to try
Four sublime, bucket list worthy, red Burgundies that shouldn’t break the bank
- Domaine Faiveley Domaine de la Croix Jacquelet, Mercurey, Côte Chalonnaise
- Albert Bichot Château Gris Monopole, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru
- Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Clos des Ducs, Volnay Premier Cru
- Louis Jadot Lavaux Saint-Jacques, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru
Four more that might!
- Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin Grand Cru
- Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair La Romanée Grand Cru
- Domaine Dugat-Py Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
- Domaine Dujac Echézeaux Grand Cru
If you’re searching for the best Pinot Noir producers, Burgundy is of course full of them. The names above are just a starting point, but a very good starting point indeed.
FAQ: Red Burgundy
Is Red Burgundy always Pinot Noir?
For all practical purposes, yes. When people talk about Red Burgundy, they mean Pinot Noir from Burgundy. The other key grape variety in Burgundy is Chardonnay and this is commonly refered to as White Burgundy.
Technically, Beaujolais is also from Burgundy and this is made from the grape variety Gamay. Similarly, Chablis is also technically part of Burgundy. But, when people talk about Red and White Burgundy they are typically refering to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Cote d'Or, the heartland of Burgundy and where most of the most highly prized wines come from.
Why is Red Burgundy so expensive?
Because the best sites are tiny, demand is global, production is small, and the wines have an almost unmatched reputation among collectors and wine lovers.
What are the best villages for Red Burgundy?
Some of the most famous are Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée, Volnay, Nuits-Saint-Georges, and Pommard.
What is the difference between village, Premier Cru, and Grand Cru Burgundy?
In simple terms, village wines come from a commune, Premier Cru from superior vineyard sites within that commune, and Grand Cru from Burgundy’s most prestigious vineyard sites.
Do I need to spend a fortune to enjoy good Red Burgundy?
No. The very top wines are eye-wateringly expensive, but there are still excellent bottles from good producers and less famous appellations that won’t completely ruin your finances.
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