The Côte de Beaune ranks among the best wine areas in Burgundy. And not surprisingly the lovely town of Beaune is home to some fine wine cellars. Visiting a wine vault in the town is one of the top attractions in Beaune. So we’ve pulled together what we believe to be seven of the best Beaune wine cellars.
Bouchard Ainé & Fils
This Beaune wine cellar and producer have been in business since 1731. Located in the 18th century Hôtel du Conseiller du Roy, a fine example of traditional Burgundy architecture, the original cellars have been preserved in their original state. Visits to the vaults include tastings and food pairings.
Fine Beaune wines: Bouchard Ainé & Fils produce several fine wines including the Grand Cru ‘Les Marconnets’ and ‘Clos du Roi’, both reds.
Where: 4 Boulevard Maréchal Foch, Beaune
More information: http://www.bouchard-aine.fr/en/
Champy
Champy currently owns 25 hectares of vineyards acquired since 1990. Yet their wine production in Beaune goes back to 1720 and many believe they are the among the oldest wine merchants in town. The Champy wine cellar houses original wine equipment including the rail tracks that transported the giant copper fermentation containers within the cellars.
Fine Beaune wines: Champy produces organic Beaune wines and the best includes the white Beaune Premier Cru ‘Les Reversées’ and the red Premier Crus ‘Aux Cras’ and ‘Les Champs Pimonts’.
Where: 3 Rude du Grenier à Sel
More information: http://champy.com/
Loïs Dufouleur
These Beaune wine cellars date from 1879 and production today continues to use traditional methods. Their vineyards cover just 5 hectares and you can’t visit the cellars themselves, but their shop has a well-stocked selection of their best Beaune wines.
Fine wines: The Dufouleur label makes seven wines. Six of them are red, including three Premier Crus such as ‘Clos des Perrières’ and ‘Cent-Vignes’. Their sole white wine, ‘Champs Pimonts’, also has the Premier Cru domaine.
Where: 8 Boulevard Bretonnière
More information: http://www.domaineloisdufouleur.com/en/le-domaine/
Louis Jadot
One of the best known wine producers in Beaune, Louis Jadot set up in the town back in 1859. Although the family had already set down roots in the area in 1826 when they bought the ‘Clos des Ursules’ Premier Cru. Their wine cellar provides an exclusive experience, perfect for the true wine connoisseur – not only do you get a chance to see the Louis Jadot classics, but you can purchase ‘fins de loges’ wines, the very last bottles from a particular domaine.
Fine wines: Louis Jadot produces numerous Beaune wines including many white and of course, the red ‘Clos de Ursules’.
Where: 62 Route de Savigny
More information: http://www.louisjadot.com/en/index.php
Louis Latour
Another of the oldest wine merchants and producers in Beaune, Louis Latour was founded in 1797, although the family bought their first vineyard in the area as far back as 1675. By 1815, the company was exporting abroad and became known as the wine producers for ‘princes and kings’. Nowadays they rank as the largest Grand Cru domaine in Burgundy. The Louis Latour wine headquarters are housed in a 17th century mansion in the centre of Beaune.
Fine wines: Louis Latour produces a total of 12 Beaune wines including seven Premier Cru such as the Beaune ‘Aux Cras’ (white) and the red the ‘Domaine Latour’ and the ‘Clos du Roi’.
Where: 18 Rue des Tonneliers
More information: http://www.louislatour.com/en/
Maison Joseph Drouhin
These Beaune wine cellars date back to the 13th century and are situated in the Duke of Burgundy’s parliament building. They’re also among the largest in the town – they cover a hectare in area. The Maison Joseph Drouhin was founded in Beaune in 1880 and now has 32 hectares in the area dedicated to vineyards. They use a biodynamic approach to grape growing and natural products only.
Fine wines: This wine house produces seven Beaune wines including several Premier Cru such as the ‘Clos des Mouches’, red and white.
Where: 1 Cour du Parlement
More information: http://www.drouhin-oenotheque.com/en/visite
Patriarche
Another one of the oldest wine producers in Beaune and Burgundy, Patriarche was established in 1780. Their wine vaults are enormous – in total there are 5km of tunnels that house over 3 million bottles of wine. A variety of visits and guided tours are available to the Patriarche wine cellars.
Fine wines: Patriarche produces a range of wines in the Burgundy region including sparkling wines and signature reds and whites.
Where: 5-7 Rue du College
More information: http://www.patriarche.com/
So depending whether you want a tour or just a taste of Beaune’s finest export, take your pick.
