Pinot Noir is responsible for some of the world’s finest wines. Famed for producing the red wines of Burgundy and the Côte d’Or in particular, it is now widely grown in cool climates across Califonia and Oregon, and with increasing success in New Zealand. Although typically used to produce varietal wines, Pinot Noir makes a significant contribution in the wines of Champagne, where it is vinified as a white wine and blended with Cardonnay and Pinot Meunier. On the whole, fresh summer fruit of strawberries, raspberries and red cherries tend to be the identifying qualities, however richer versions express darker fruit including black cherries (kirsch), cherry cola, leather and violets to name a few.
Two hundred miles south east of Paris lies the famous and historic wine region, known in French as Bourgogne. The Cote d'Or, the heartland of the region, consists of two distinct sub-regions split on either side of the town of Beaune.The Côte de Nuits to the north, includes the famous villages of Vosne-Romanee, Gevrey-Chambertin, and Nuits-Saint-Georges and are known primarily for making red wine from Pinot Noir.Although The Côte de Beaune to the south still makes some magnificent reds (see Volnay and Pommard), white wine made from Chardonnay is the main focus. The most famous villages are Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault. Burgundy has three other important regions. The village of Chablis (exclusively Chardonnay) encompassing the region's most northerly vineyards. The Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais to south are quantitatively speaking more important. Agriculture is more diverse with a significant portion of the land devoted to livestock and arable farming.
Driving up from Beaune, Nuits-Saint-Georges marks the start of the Cote de Nuits, the northern half of the Cote d’Or. The appellation is split into two by the river Meuzin and the town which hugs it. Although there are no grand crus, there are a wealth of premier crus (27 in total) ranging in style depending on vineyards particular aspect and geology. However generally speaking, those to the north bordering Vosne tend to be one the more fruit forward and elegant side. Good examples of premier cru from the north include Les Damodes, Aux Murgers, and Aux Cras. The vineyards to the south are often held to be the richest and most ageworthy. They include but are not limited to Les Poiret, Les Vaucrains, Les Cailles, and not least Les Saint Georges, which, viewed by some, is reaching grand cru quality. A little white wine is made, mostly notably from Domaine Pacalet and Patrice Rion, the latter who has a few Chardonnay vines in the premier cru vineyard, Les Terres Blanches, located in the adjoining village of Premaux, the wines of which are sold as Nuit-Saint-Geroges.
