Hautes-Côtes de Beaune French wine appellation guide: location, history, wines, climate & soil
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune is a Burgundy appellation on the hills and plateaus behind the Côte de Beaune, producing fresh, fruity Pinot Noir and lively Chardonnay with great value for money.
More info about Hautes-Côtes de Beaune
Geographic position
Eastern France, in the Côte-d'Or and Saône-et-Loire departments, on the high ground west of the Côte de Beaune, from around Beaune and Nolay to the Maranges, across about 50 villages at 1,000 to 1,650 feet of altitude.
Origin & history
These hills have been planted since the Middle Ages, but many vineyards were abandoned after phylloxera and the World Wars. From the 1950s growers replanted them and created a cooperative; the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune became an AOC in 1961. The landscape also includes the medieval Château de La Roche-Pot.
Wines & grape varieties
Mostly red from Pinot Noir, with notes of cherry, raspberry and blackcurrant and a light, fresh structure. Whites from Chardonnay (with some Pinot Blanc) are crisp, citrusy and mineral; also some rosé.
Climate & soil
Semi-continental climate, cooler and later-ripening than the Côte below. Clay-limestone and marl soils on Jurassic limestone.
Wine region: Burgundy
Grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir