Burgundy

Shop All Burgundy

Burgundy is a patchwork of tiny vineyards, and that is the whole charm of it. Almost every wine comes from one of two grapes: Pinot Noir for the reds, Chardonnay for the whites. The difference between bottles comes down to the exact plot of land. A single hillside can hold dozens of named vineyards, each with its own character. The label tells you precisely which one you are drinking. Our Burgundy collection runs the full range. The honest village wines and the rarest grand crus sit side by side, every bottle kept cold to your glass.

The Classification, Simply Put

Burgundy ranks its wines in four tiers, each one tied to a more tightly defined piece of ground. Regional Bourgogne can use grapes from across the region and is ready to enjoy young. Village wines come from a single named commune and carry more character. Premier Cru comes from a superior named plot within a village, around a tenth of all Burgundy. Grand Cru is the top tier: a small group of historic vineyards, roughly thirty-three in all, proven over centuries.

The narrower the source, the smaller the production and the higher the price. You do not need a grand cru to drink well, though. A village wine or premier cru from a talented grower is often the smartest buy on the page.

Our Producers

We have shipped Burgundy wine since 1999. The collection now spans the region, from Chablis in the north to the Mâconnais in the south. Among the growers we carry:

• Domaine Bouchard Père & Fils holds the largest estate in the Côte d'Or, with grand crus including Chambertin and Bonnes-Mares.
• Domaine de Montille farms biodynamically across Volnay and Pommard, plus the grand cru slopes. Its reds and whites have real purity.
• Domaine Bachelet-Monnot works the southern Côte de Beaune, where its Maranges and Santenay wines drink beautifully for the money.
• Gilbert Picq is a benchmark Chablis grower, all steel and oyster-shell freshness, with no heavy oak to get in the way.
• Clos de Tart is a grand cru monopole in Morey-Saint-Denis, one of the most sought-after estates in the region.

Domaine David Moreau in Santenay and Domaine de Villaine in the Côte Chalonnaise also feature, with several Beaujolais growers beside them.

Vintage Guidance

Recent Burgundy has enjoyed a run of strong years, and the collection reflects them. 2020 gave concentrated, structured wines with the acidity to age. 2021 was cooler and more classical: lighter, fragrant reds and tense, mineral whites for earlier pleasure. 2022 and 2023 are the standout vintages in stock. Both are ripe and balanced across red and white wines, approachable young, with the best bottles holding for years. Older vintages such as 2008 and 2012 turn up in the grand cru reds, ready to drink now.

Choosing by Occasion

• A weeknight supper: a regional Bourgogne, red or white, from Bachelet-Monnot or Benoît Moreau.
• Roast chicken or a creamy fish dish: a village white from Chassagne-Montrachet or Meursault.
• Duck or earthy mushroom dishes: a Côte de Beaune village red, or a Maranges premier cru.
• A gift or a celebration: a Bouchard grand cru, Chambertin or Bonnes-Mares.
• To lay down: a grand cru red from a strong year like 2020 or 2022, in magnum if you can.

How to Serve

Red Burgundy is best slightly cool, around thirteen to sixteen degrees, which holds its perfume in place. In our climate that means a short spell in the fridge before pouring. White Burgundy likes it cooler still, near ten to twelve degrees. Pour it into a glass with a wide bowl so the aromas can open. Give younger reds half an hour of air to settle. Older grand crus are delicate, so pour them straight and leave the sediment behind.

FAQ

1. What kind of wine is Burgundy? Burgundy is French wine from the Burgundy region in eastern France, made almost entirely from two grapes. The reds are Pinot Noir, light to medium in body, with red-fruit and earthy character. The whites are Chardonnay, ranging in style from the lean, mineral wines of Chablis to the rich, rounded whites of the Côte de Beaune. A little Gamay and Aligoté make up the rest. Burgundy is named for its place, not its grape, so the label tells you where the wine was grown.

2. Which is the best Burgundy wine? There is no single best, only the right bottle for the moment. The grand crus from growers like Bouchard and de Montille are the rarest wines in the region and the longest-lived. For everyday drinking, a village wine or regional Bourgogne from a skilled grower delivers real Burgundy character at a gentler price. The smartest approach is to match the wine to the occasion rather than chase a name.

3. What's another name for Burgundy wine? In French it is Bourgogne, the name you will see on regional labels. The reds are Pinot Noir and the whites are Chardonnay, so those grape names are sometimes used loosely as shorthand. Note that cheap jug wine once sold abroad as "burgundy" has nothing to do with the real thing, which always comes from the Burgundy region of France.