drink different - burgundy pinot noir

The Côte d’Or is a hill in Burgundy, around 30 miles long and less than a mile wide, from which emanate some of the best red wines in the world.  This is where Pinot Noir reaches its peak, in villages with famous names like Nuits-St-Georges, Volnay and Gévrey-Chambertin.

All this comes at a price, though.  The quality of the wine, coupled with the small-scale production, means that Côte d’Or reds do not come cheap.  So what is the Pinot Noir fan in search of Burgundian character to do?

Fortunately there is another hill just south of the Côte d’Or, made up of very similar soils, called the Côte Chalonnaise.  Although the wines made here are not quite as powerful, they deliver the essence of Burgundy Pinot Noir for a fraction of the price.  Look out for appellations such as Givry, Mercurey and Rully.