Climats

Climats

Burgundy is exceptional for many reasons. A paradise where we can enjoy excellent wines, both red and white, and a captivating landscape. However, if Burgundy has so many positive adjectives it is not by chance, but because of the meticulous care with which it has always been made. The work in the vineyard, where it all begins, has been the key to the recognition of their wines. And this is where the “climats” come into play, a model of viticulture, more than two thousand years old and practically unchanged since then, which was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site on 4 July 2015. Few things come about by chance or chance. Work, especially in the long term, always pays off and the “climats” are a good example of this.

What is a “climat”? It is the term that defines a specific Burgundian vineyard. A “climat” is a plot with its own name, subject to the hierarchy of the crus system, with its history and with specific geological, hydrometric and exposure characteristics. However, as a “climat” often belongs to several producers, each wine born from the vineyard will vary according to each producer’s interpretation of that landscape.

Throughout the Côte d’Or, there are more than a thousand “climats”. Many of them have mythical names, where the degree of excellence of their wines only depends on the hand of the winegrower. Among the most famous are: Chevalier-Montrachet, Batard-Montrachet, Montrachet, Romanée-Conti, La Tache, Echezaux, Musigny, and a long list of grands crus, which produce excellent wines made with chardonnay and pinot noir.

A good way to explore the different “climats” is by bicycle, along the secondary roads that link the different villages, especially in the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune, where the vineyards intertwine and spread out on both sides of the road. A cultural tour that is hard to beat, not only for the climats, but also for the villages and châteaux. All you need is a map and a basket with some food and, of course, some wine from the “climat” where you want to have a picnic. The latter is the most important thing.

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