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.
Chassagne is the most southerly of the famous trio of great white wine communes (below Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet) in the Cote de Beaune district of Burgundy. Historically Pinot Noir was the predominant variety in the vineyards, however simple economics has dictated that with a premium paid for white Chassagne, it is Chardonnay that is grown. Given the consistent excellence of the villages white wine this change is not without its merit . Straddling the Puligny-Chassagne village boundary at the north are two of the world's most famous vineyards, Le Montrachet and Batard-Montrachet. In addition the village also has the whole of Les Croits, an extension of the grand cru Batard-Montrachet vineyard. With 370 hectares under vines it is one of the largest villages in the Cote d'Or and has a record 51 premier cru vineyards. And while premier crus such as Les Chenevottes and Clos-Saint-Jean located close to the grand crus perform exceptionally well, the more southerly vineyards - la Maltroie and Morgeot - do not dissapoint. The village's wines are similar to Puligny, perhaps less minerally angular but nevertheless full and firm and more perceptable acidity than Meursault.
