Côte Chalonnaise
Cool continental
Burgundy's gentler southern hills: more affordable Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and Bouzeron, the home of Aligoté.
Overview
About Côte Chalonnaise
The Côte Chalonnaise lies south of the Côte de Beaune, around the town of Chalon-sur-Saône. It has no Grand Cru vineyards but does have Premier Crus, and its villages — Bouzeron, Rully, Mercurey, Givry and Montagny — offer red and white Burgundy at lower prices than the Côte d'Or.
Bouzeron is the only village appellation in Burgundy dedicated to Aligoté, made from the Aligoté Doré clone, a status it gained in 1998. Mercurey and Givry are known for reds, and Montagny is white.
Côte Chalonnaise is marked on the map.
France
Shaded: Saône-et-Loire. Map units are states, provinces or départements, so a smaller place appears as the larger area that contains it.
The land
Climate & terroir
Climate
Cool continental
Cool and continental, slightly warmer and more open than the Côte d'Or, with rolling hills instead of a single slope.
Terroir & soils
What the vines grow in
Limestone and marl in a patchwork of gentle hills, with more clay in places. A number of sites face south or south-east.
Go deeper
Rules, years & producers
The Côte Chalonnaise follows Burgundy's pyramid, but without a Grand Cru.
Premier Cru
Named vineyards in Rully, Mercurey, Givry and Montagny.
Village
Bouzeron (Aligoté), Rully, Mercurey, Givry and Montagny.
Regional
Bourgogne and Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise.
What's grown here
Grapes
Each grape's page links back here.