Burgundy on a budget: 10 tips to buying smarter

Looking for value in Burgundy? There’s no doubt, it’s a challenge.

‘In the grand scheme of the world of wines, value is pretty much nonexistent from Burgundy at this point,’ says Jonathan Eichholz MS, co-owner of New York City restaurant pop-up Aftergold and educator at GuildSomm International.

Indeed, a decade ago, stellar expressions of Burgundy’s top sites and winemakers could be found in the $30-$50 (£30-£38) range from US merchants.

Today, says Eichholz, prices for quality Burgundy begin at $60-$80, a reflection of both skyrocketing demand and scarcity.

Nonetheless, you can still find relative value in Burgundy. Lesser-known villages in the shadow of the Côte d’Or’s star appellations still offer reasonably priced wines, particularly in the outer fringes, where the warming climate has widened the margins for fine winemaking.

The region’s historic négociant networks and large domaines provide opportunities to find value, too.

And according to Arnaud Tronche, director of Paris wine store and restaurant Legrand Filles et Fils, a new wave of boutique producers and micro-négociants also offer potential contenders.

Here are 10 tips for discovering the value that still exists in Burgundy today.

1: Head for the heights

The warming climate has made thrillingly mineral, fresh-fruited wines a hallmark of the higher-altitude Hautes-Côtes de Beaune and Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, appellations that extend to the west above the Côte d’Or.

An influx of prominent producers such as Méo-Camuzet, Olivier Leflaive and Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair gained early attention.

Since then, young independent wine-growers and micro-négociants such as Chanterêves, Maison A&S and Marthe Henry Boillot, drawn here by the affordable, distinctive terroir, have brought new energy to this evolving region, says Tronche.

2: Hone in on Chablis and Grand Auxerrois

‘Barring famous names like Dauvissat and Raveneau, Chablis remains quite affordable,’ says Eichholz. Indeed, excellent premier cru Chablis can still be found for less than a basic Bourgogne from top producers.

Outside Chablis, climate change has elevated wines from the Grand Auxerrois (for more detail, see our recent feature on the Grand Auxerrois), particularly village appellations such as Irancy for Pinot Noir or Vézelay for Chardonnay.

Regional bottlings of Coteaux Bourguignons, Bourgogne Chitry and Bourgogne Tonnerre offer further value. Eichholz highlights Domaine Louis Michel & Fils for classically steely Chablis, or William Fèvre for a richer style, while properties such as Domaine Alice et Olivier De Moor represent ‘an exciting new school of Chablis’, he says.

In the Kimmeridgian limestone soils of Irancy, producers such as Gabin and Félix Richoux, and Christophe Ferrari at Domaine St Germain are standouts. In Vézelay, Domaine de la Cadette excels.

3: Delve into the fringes of the Côte de Nuits

Marsannay and Fixin, the northernmost villages of the Côte d’Or, along with the Côte de Nuits Villages, a regional appellation that encompasses the southern and northern edges of the Côte de Nuits, offer rare value within this otherwise pricey part of Burgundy.

Marsannay, still without any premier cru vineyards despite long-promised promotions, remains a great source of value.

Just north of Gevrey-Chambertin, Fixin boasts not only a similar geology but also a structured, focused style reminiscent of its more famous neighbour (see our ‘Burgundy’s underrated premiers crus’ feature).

Sylvain Pataille, renowned for his Marsannay, whether red, white or rosé, is a top pick for Eichholz, along with Bruno Clair, who has deep roots in Marsannay, too.

In Fixin, Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet is a standout, along with Domaine Denis Mortet and Méo-Camuzet for excellent entry-level wines throughout Marsannay and Fixin. Look out for Côte de Nuits Villages bottlings from Didier Fornerol and Camille Thiriet.

Tronche’s tips #1

Bypass the huge markups that have inflated prices in foreign markets by buying and enjoying Burgundy in France.

4: Look beyond Volnay and Meursault

Similarly overlooked, due to the star power of neighbouring Volnay and Meursault, are Monthélie, Auxey-Duresses and St-Romain, a trio of villages that extend to the west of Meursault in the Côte de Beaune.

Monthélie (bordering both Volnay and Meursault) is best known for Pinot Noir with a floral, supple character reminiscent of Volnay. Auxey-Duresses produces both white and red wines that echo Volnay and Meursault, but are leaner and nervier in style.

Here, too, particularly for the higher-elevation St-Romain, the warming climate has allowed for reliably riper wines.

Standout producers include Douhairet-Porcheret in Monthélie, Domaine Lafouge Jean & Gilles in Auxey-Duresses and Domaine Henri & Gilles Buisson in St-Romain.

5: Uncover villages in Corton’s shadow

Off the beaten path in the shadow of the grand hill of Corton, the villages of Savigny-lès-Beauneand and Pernand-Vergelesses offer rare value in the heartland of the Côte d’Or.

In cooler times, these neighbouring appellations were known for rustic, often unripe wines.

Today’s warmer climate and the influence of some of Burgundy’s most dynamic wine producers – including Simon Bize, Chanterêves and Domaines Jean-Marc & Hugues Pavelot, Chandon de Briailles and Guilbert-Gillet (Tronche’s pick, particularly for masterful Aligoté) – have flushed the regions with wines of increasing finesse and pleasure.

6: The secret’s out on St-Aubin

St-Aubin, tucked away behind Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet, was once a hidden gem for fans of white Burgundy seeking top-tier quality without top-tier pricing.

At its best, St-Aubin delivers wines of stony intensity and opulence that rival those of its more famous neighbours.

But St-Aubin hasn’t been a secret for well over a decade now and prices for star producers such as Marc Colin, as well as his sons Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey and Joseph Colin, have soared.

Jacques Bavard and Domaine de Montille offer more approachably priced options.

7: Chalonnaise

With no grand cru appellations, the Côte Chalonnaise, just south of the Côte de Beaune, was known historically for easy-drinking, fruity wines.

But quality has surged in recent decades, particularly in the prime villages of Bouzeron, Mercurey, Givry and Montagny, which share the limestone soils of the Côte d’Or.

Mercurey and Givry in particular offer perfumed, seductively spiced Pinot Noir with longevity that can rival that of better-known appellations.

For Chardonnay, Montagny offers accessible options for premier cru bottlings. Bouzeron is the only village in Burgundy devoted to the Aligoté grape.

Domaine de Villaine, based in Bouzeron, is a star of the region, but producers such as Camille Giroud, Olivier Leflaive and Faiveley offer consistent value.

Domaines Feuillat-Juillot and Berthenet are noteworthy in Montagny, as is Domaine du Cellier aux Moines in Givry.

Tronche’s Tips #2

Generic Bourgogne bottlings, typically blends sourced from across the region, can provide accessible introductions to a producer’s or négociant’s house style.

Look to classic domaine producers such as Lafarge or négociants such as Bouchard Père & Fils, Maison Joseph Drouhin or Louis Jadot for honest expressions of unique terroir at fair prices, or seek out small producers from lesser-known and emerging regions, and micro-négociants such as Antoine Lepetit de la Bigne and Les Horées.

8: Mâconnais

‘The search for inexpensive white Burgundy is an endless game of Whac-a-Mole,’ says Eichholz. ‘Discover an unknown village or producer and prices skyrocket the next day.’

Amid this struggle, the Mâconnais, the southern gateway to Burgundy, has become a bastion for terroir-focused value alternatives to Meursault or Chassagne.

Indeed, its exceptional terroir has made the Mâcon one of Burgundy’s most dynamic regions, attracting renowned producers such as Puligny-Montrachet’s Domaine Leflaive.

Eichholz points to the Bret Brothers/La Soufrandière as a source for extraordinary bang for your buck.

9: Explore the southern fringe of the Côte d’Or

Santenay, at the southernmost edge of the Côte de Beaune, was historically a source for easy-drinking but rustic wines, typically blended into inexpensive Bourgogne.

But the appellation can produce lavish, perfumed Pinot Noir of substance and charm – especially from its 12 premiers crus – that still delivers excellent value.

Notable producers abound in Santenay, including Caroline Morey, David Moreau and Domaine Bachelet-Monnot.

Meanwhile, Bachelet-Monnot and Tronche’s pick, newcomer Domaine de Cassiopée, are among the many young, innovative wine producers who’ve made Maranges, a little west of Santenay, a recent hotbed.

10: Outside the box: Aligoté and Passetoutgrain

Far more than a forgotten cousin, Aligoté is ‘an open, aromatic grape with distinct varietal character – a more extroverted version of Chardonnay’, Eichholz says.

While still a relative bargain, it’s increasingly prominent across Burgundy. Standouts include Sylvain Pataille’s single-vineyard expressions from Marsannay and Ramonet’s Bouzeron.

A more approachable option, however, is Michel Lafarge’s Bourgogne Aligoté Raisins Dorés.

For juicy, uncomplicated reds, the regional Bourgogne Passetoutgrain appellation, with its blends of Pinot Noir and Gamay, often co-planted and co-fermented, can be delightful.

‘Emmanuel Rouget is an especially fancy producer who makes the best Passetoutgrain in all of Burgundy,’ says Eichholz, but producers such as Lafarge, Domaine Robert Chevillon and Domaine Marquis d’Angerville make consistent, more-affordable examples, too.

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