Beaune is situated in the heart of the Cote de Beaune, and is considered the wine capital of Burgundy. The town itself has its own appellation, Beaune (often Premier Cru) and is separate from the Cote de Beaune appellation, that refers specifically to higher altitude vineyards located just above the town.
One of the main features of Beaune is the Hospices de Beaune, which hosts the region’s most famous annual charity wine auction (on the 3rd Sunday in November). The hospice was founded in 1443 to provide care for the poor. Over the centuries families have bequeathed parcels of land to the hospice, and the Hospice de Beaune Estate now owns more than 60 Hectares (50H of Pinot Noir and 10H of Chardonnay) of vineyards scattered across appellations and climates. A sign of the quality of the terroirs is that 85% of the estate’s vineyards are classified as either Premier or Grand Cru. For the last 165 years, the grapes that are harvested are pressed and barrelled, and then auctioned off with the proceeds going to the hospice. To provide some insight as to the magnitude of this annual event, you need look no further than to the 28.9million euros that was raised in 2022 alone, to help finance a range of hospital and medical projects.
Whilst staying at Hotel Le Cep in Beaune, we did a private tasting at the hotel’s own Caveau St-Felix, with their Chief Sommelier, Sebastian Vallee. The wine cellar dates back to 1570 and they have a vast range of cellared wines including 36 cuvees from the Hospice de Beaune acquired over 30 years. We tasted the “Immersion Grand Terroir” that provided tastings of a selection of Premier Crus, Grand Crus, as well as a wine from the Hospice de Beaune.
We also went on the ‘5 Senses’ Wine Tasting tour at Bouchard Aine & Fils that provided a tour of the cellars along with a guided tasting of a selection of their wines that included the villages, Premier Cru and Grand Cru.
We were so impressed with Beaune, and eager to learn more about Burgundian wines, that we returned six months later. On this trip we visited Maison Champy, on Rue du Grenier a sel, to experience their ‘Terroir Tasting Immersive’. This tour included a visit to their caves that are at a constant 12-14 degrees Celsius.
We also drove to the walled vineyard of Chateau de Clos De Vougeot, on Rue de la Montagne, and did a self-guided tour of the castle.
At the Chateau de Pommard, in Rue Marey Monge, we did a private, customised, wine tasting in February 2023. All of their wine consultants are qualified professionals from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET). Our Guide explained in detail the history, terroir, the villages and appellations and their particularities, along with the expertise of the winemaker whilst we tasted six of their exceptional Pinot Noirs that had been specifically selected for us. A testament to the quality of their wines was that we ordered six bottles, despite the exorbitant import tax on having them sent to Australia.
A visit to the village of Pommard is not complete without visiting the small Maison Jean-Marc Boillot, located in the main street, that provides a more intimate wine tasting experience. For four generations the Boillot family have been making a range of highly regarded wines in the heart of Burgundy and have been associated with the most prestigious appellations of the Cote de Beaune for nearly 50 vintages. Whilst there we tasted a selection of their 100% Chardonnays including the Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Champs Canet and their 100% Pinot Noirs including their Beaune 1 er Cru ‘Les Epenottes’ and their Pommard 1er Cru ‘Les Jarollieres’
In August 2023, we visited Chateau De Meursault for their ‘Exclusive Tasting’ that included a private visit to the Cellars that date back to the 12th and 18th centuries as well as tasting eight of their wines including Premier Crus and Grand Crus, from the 8 hectares of vineyards that they own.
Whilst driving around the Cote d Beaune, a visit to Caveau de Chassagne, in Rue Charles Paquelin, in Chassagne Montrachet is worthwhile as the wine store stock wine from a number of the region’s growers and have an extensive array of back vintages. (2023-2025)
