Côte de Nuits: Pinot Noir with many faces

The northern half of the Côte d'Or is the spiritual centre of red Burgundy.

Names such as Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-Saint-Georges sit only kilometres apart, yet their reputations were built on distinct expressions of Pinot Noir.

Gevrey-Chambertin is often associated with structure and depth. Philippe Pacalet's Gevrey-Chambertin 2023, for example, combines dark fruit with floral and mineral elements while retaining the transparent, lightly extracted quality characteristic of Pacalet's approach. His Nuits-Saint-Georges 2023 moves towards a firmer, more savoury register, with greater tannic presence and darker mineral tones.

This contrast is particularly useful when learning Burgundy. The grape has not changed; the place has.

Aether's portfolio also allows exploration of a different generation and style through domaines such as Michel Magnien, including Marsannay, Morey-Saint-Denis and Gevrey-Chambertin, and the Jayer lineage through wines from the Hautes-Côtes and Nuits-Saint-Georges.

Côte de Beaune: not simply “white Burgundy”

The Côte de Beaune contains some of Burgundy's greatest Chardonnay vineyards, but reducing it to white wine misses half the story.

Beaune itself is particularly important for red Burgundy. Domaine Rapet Père et Fils Beaune Premier Cru Grèves 2022 illustrates the combination of finesse, depth and tannic structure that makes the climat so highly regarded. Further north, Pernand-Vergelesses and the hill of Corton show how closely great red and white terroirs can coexist.

At the highest level, the distinction becomes even clearer. Philippe Pacalet's Corton Bressandes Grand Cru 2022 is Pinot Noir with considerable structure and mineral depth, while his Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2022, from the same broader hill of Corton, is Chardonnay with concentration, acidity and pronounced mineral tension.

That juxtaposition says more about Burgundy than almost any textbook diagram.

Meursault and the language of Chardonnay

Meursault is frequently described through words such as richness, butter and hazelnut. Those associations are useful, but the best examples are not simply rich.

They balance texture with acidity, depth with tension.

Pacalet's Meursault Premier Cru Charmes 2022 provides a useful example: orchard fruit and breadth are supported by acidity and a mineral backbone rather than simply oak or weight.

This is also why Burgundy should not be chosen simply according to the grape variety. A Chardonnay drinker who enjoys Chablis may not necessarily be looking for the same expression as someone drawn to Meursault.

Where to begin with Burgundy

A good introduction does not have to begin with Grand Cru.

Wines such as Domaine Rapet Chorey-lès-Beaune, Michel Magnien Marsannay Les Mogottes, and the Bourgogne and Hautes-Côtes wines from Domaine Hoffmann-Jayer allow drinkers to understand regional and village character before moving into Premier Cru and Grand Cru territory. Aether's current Burgundy range extends from these more accessible appellations through Gevrey-Chambertin, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Meursault, Corton and other celebrated sites.

The pleasure of Burgundy lies precisely in making those connections.

A bottle is not simply “better” because the appellation becomes smaller. What becomes more interesting is its specificity: a grape, grown in one particular place, interpreted by one producer.

That is the reason Burgundy can remain fascinating long after the first bottle.