Two grapes, four levels and one rule about producers. Ten wines from $40 to $265.
Almost every red Burgundy is Pinot Noir and almost every white is Chardonnay. What changes from bottle to bottle is the place, and a Burgundy label names the place rather than the grape. Once that clicks, the region becomes much easier to read.
If your idea of Pinot comes from the Yarra Valley, Tasmania or Central Otago, expect red Burgundy to look paler, to smell more of flowers and earth than of ripe fruit, and to feel lighter and tighter in the mouth. That is the style, not a fault. Give it twenty minutes in a large glass and it usually opens up.
Below is how the labels work, how the 2022 and 2023 vintages differ, and the ten bottles we would hand to someone opening their first serious Burgundy. All ten are on our shelves now.
The four levels on a label
Burgundy ranks vineyards, not estates. Each step up is a smaller piece of land, and a smaller share of what the region makes.
Bourgogne Rouge and Blanc, Mâcon, Crémant de Bourgogne. The grapes can come from across the region. On this list: 1, 2, 3, 4
The village name alone: Chablis, Viré-Clessé, Chambolle-Musigny, Gevrey-Chambertin, Meursault. All the grapes come from inside that village. On this list: 5, 6, 8, 9, 10
The village plus a named vineyard, and the words Premier Cru or 1er Cru. On this list: 7
The vineyard name stands on its own. There are 33, and all but one are in the Côte d'Or; the other is Chablis Grand Cru. Not on this list. Start lower and you will enjoy them more later.
The producer matters more than the level. A Bourgogne Rouge from a serious domaine will usually give you more than a village wine from a careless one. Good growers put younger vines from their better vineyards into their regional wines, which is exactly why the cheaper bottles below are worth your money.
2022 or 2023?
Most of this list comes from these two vintages, and they behave differently. 2022 was a generous, balanced year that growers talk about as one to lay down. 2023 brought the largest crop Burgundy has on record, ripened through a late-summer heatwave, and the best wines are defined by charm: open, round and ready earlier than the 2022s. For a first bottle, 2023 is the easier way in. For a bottle to put away for a few years, lean to 2022.
The ten at a glance
| # | Wine | Level | Price | Drink |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | André Delorme Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blancs NV | Regional | $40 | Now |
| 2 | Vincent Girardin Cuvée Saint-Vincent Bourgogne Blanc 2023 | Regional | $72 | Now to 2030 |
| 3 | Domaine de la Vougeraie Terres de Famille Bourgogne Rouge 2022 | Regional | $90 | Now to 2030 |
| 4 | La Gibryotte Bourgogne Rouge by Claude Dugat 2023 | Regional | $110 | 2026 to 2033 |
| 5 | Domaine William Fèvre Chablis 2023 | Village | $78 | Now to 2029 |
| 6 | Héritiers du Comte Lafon Viré-Clessé 2023 | Village | $105 | Now to 2030 |
| 7 | Domaine Faiveley Mercurey 1er Cru Le Clos du Roy 2022 | Premier Cru | $99 | Now to 2032 |
| 8 | Domaine Faiveley Chambolle-Musigny 2023 | Village | $180 | Now to 2040 |
| 9 | La Gibryotte Gevrey-Chambertin by Claude Dugat 2023 | Village | $210 | 2027 to 2036 |
| 10 | Domaine Xavier Monnot Meursault Les Chevalières 2023 | Village | $265 | Now to 2035 |
Start with a glass of bubbles
André Delorme Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blancs NV
Nose White flowers, peach and pear, with a line of citrus.
Palate Fine bubbles and brisk acidity. Pear, peach and citrus, then a clean mineral finish.
Cellar Drink now · Serve at 6 to 8°C
Made the same way as Champagne, with the second fermentation in the bottle, by a Rully house that has specialised in Crémant since André Delorme founded it in 1942. Pour it while the first red breathes.
Regional wines from serious hands
Bourgogne on the label, better vineyards inside the bottle.
Vincent Girardin Cuvée Saint-Vincent Bourgogne Blanc 2023
Nose White peach, pear and citrus blossom, with toasted almond.
Palate Fresh and textured. Orchard fruit over a chalky line, a little lemon curd, hazelnut and oak spice.
Cellar Drink now to 2030 · Serve at 10 to 12°C
The fruit comes from parcels near Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet, so it tastes like a small version of those villages. If you buy one white here to learn the Côte de Beaune style, make it this one.
Domaine de la Vougeraie Terres de Famille Bourgogne Rouge 2022
Nose Red cherry, raspberry and plum, then spice and a little forest floor.
Palate Medium-bodied and silky, with fresh acidity, a light mineral spine and a quiet, clean finish.
Cellar Drink now to 2030 · Open 20 minutes ahead
Vougeraie is the Boisset family's domaine, put together in 1999 from vineyards right along the Côte and farmed biodynamically. Younger vines from its higher appellations go into this blend, which is why it drinks like more than a Bourgogne. It was the single pick in the first version of this guide, and it still earns its place.
La Gibryotte Bourgogne Rouge by Claude Dugat 2023
Nose Red cherry, wild strawberry and raspberry, with violet, liquorice and crushed stone.
Palate Juicy red fruit, lively acidity and fine tannins, with a savoury thread through a fresh finish.
Cellar Drink 2026 to 2033
La Gibryotte is the small négociant label run by Claude Dugat's children, Bertrand, Laetitia and Jeanne, from grapes bought around Gevrey. It is the affordable way into a cellar whose own wines are hard to find, and the 2023 is friendly right now.
The quieter corners: Chablis, the Mâconnais and Mercurey
Outside the Côte d'Or, the same grapes at fairer prices.
Domaine William Fèvre Chablis 2023
Nose Citrus, pear and apple blossom, with a chalky edge.
Palate Fresh and supple, white-fleshed fruit and a clean, mineral finish.
Cellar Drink now to 2029 · Serve at 8 to 10°C
Fèvre owns more Grand Cru land in Chablis than anyone else, and this village wine comes from the domaine's own vineyards. Only a small share sees used barrels, so this is Chardonnay with almost no oak: the clearest way to taste what a cool climate and limestone do to the grape. Oysters, obviously.
Héritiers du Comte Lafon Viré-Clessé 2023
Nose Ripe citrus, white peach and pear, with honey, white flowers and a mineral note.
Palate Medium to full-bodied and rounded, with fresh acidity, stone fruit, lemon curd and a touch of hazelnut.
Cellar Drink now to 2030
In 1999 Dominique Lafon, of the Comtes Lafon in Meursault, bought a domaine in the Mâconnais and farms it biodynamically. The wine is raised in large casks rather than small new barrels, so you get the texture of a Côte de Beaune white without the oak. The fuller white on this list, for anyone who finds Chablis too lean.
Domaine Faiveley Mercurey 1er Cru Le Clos du Roy 2022
Nose Small black and red fruits, woven with smoke and a little oak.
Palate Generous fruit and velvety tannins, warm and harmonious.
Cellar Drink now to 2032 · Decant 30 minutes
A walled vineyard that once belonged to the kings of France, bought by the Faiveley family in 1971. Mercurey sits south of the Côte d'Or, which is why a Premier Cru from one of Burgundy's great houses costs less than most village Gevrey. The best value on this list.
The step up to village wine
Two red villages to compare side by side, and a Meursault that breaks the stereotype.
Domaine Faiveley Chambolle-Musigny 2023
Nose Wild strawberry, red cherry and raspberry, with rose petal, violet and sweet spice.
Palate Silky, fine-grained tannins and bright acidity. Red berries over a limestone line to a long, graceful finish.
Cellar Drink now to 2040 · Open 30 minutes ahead
Chambolle is the village people mean when they call Burgundy perfumed. Faiveley's parcels sit on stony, limestone-rich ground, and in a warm, generous year the wine is already open. This is the bridge from the Bourgognes above.
La Gibryotte Gevrey-Chambertin by Claude Dugat 2023
Nose Black cherry, wild raspberry and red plum, with violet, liquorice and baking spice.
Palate Medium-bodied and silky. Dark and red berry fruit, fine-grained tannins and a savoury mineral thread.
Cellar Drink 2027 to 2036 · Decant 45 minutes if opened now
Gevrey is darker and firmer than Chambolle, and opening the two together is the quickest lesson Burgundy offers. Same Dugat family as number 4, one level up.
Domaine Xavier Monnot Meursault Les Chevalières 2023
Nose Lemon zest, white peach and pear, with white flowers, crushed stone and hazelnut.
Palate Vibrant acidity and a silky texture. Citrus, orchard fruit and a touch of brioche over a firm mineral backbone.
Cellar Drink now to 2035 · Open an hour ahead
Les Chevalières is a stony lieu-dit behind the village, in the valley that runs toward Auxey-Duresses, and Monnot is its largest grower. The label says village Meursault, but the stones give it a tension that will change any picture of Meursault as broad and buttery.
Serving it, and what to eat
Temperature
Reds at 14 to 16°C, cooler than most people serve them. Whites at 10 to 12°C, Chablis a degree or two colder. Too warm and the perfume goes flat.
Glass and air
A wide Burgundy bowl lets the aromas gather. Pour, wait twenty minutes, then taste again: young village reds change the most.
With the reds
Roast chicken or guinea fowl, duck, anything with mushrooms, and soft cheeses like Brie. Leave heavy spice and charred meat for another bottle.
With the whites
Oysters and shellfish with the Chablis. Roast chicken, scallops or a creamy pasta with the Viré-Clessé and the Meursault.
Questions people ask
Is Burgundy worth the price?
At the regional level, from a good producer, yes: numbers 2, 3 and 4 above show the style properly for well under the price of most village wine. The bigger jumps in price come at village level and above, and they are worth it once you know which style you like.
Why is red Burgundy paler than Australian Pinot Noir?
Burgundy's cooler climate gives grapes with more natural acidity and less sugar, and most growers aim for perfume and texture rather than extraction and new oak. The colour is lighter, but the flavour lasts longer than the colour suggests.
Which village should I try after my first bottle?
Chambolle-Musigny for perfume and silk, then Gevrey-Chambertin for depth. Numbers 8 and 9 on this list are made to be opened side by side.
Can I cellar Bourgogne Rouge?
Most regional reds are at their best within five to eight years of the vintage, and the windows above reflect that. If you want a bottle to forget about for a decade, step up to village level or higher.
Keep reading
- Red BurgundyLa Gibryotte: an affordable way into Claude Dugat's wines
- Red BurgundyLucien Le Moine, the Beaune micro-négociant
- White BurgundyDomaine Leflaive and the benchmark for white Burgundy
- White BurgundyVincent Girardin: who makes the wine now
- ChablisA complete guide to Chablis
- White BurgundyBeyond Chablis: the rest of white Burgundy
- VintageBurgundy 2022, the vintage to buy first
Tell us what you drink now
Give us the Pinot or Chardonnay you already like and a budget, and we will pick your first Burgundy. Email info@winemore.com.au or come and see us at Chadstone.