The climats of Burgundy, a thousand years of named vineyards

In Burgundy, a climat has nothing to do with the weather. It is a precisely bounded, named plot of vines, often named for centuries, whose wine carries that name.

The monks, the first mapmakers

Cîteaux Abbey, founded in 1098 not far from Nuits, played a decisive role. The Cistercians observed, compared and singled out the plots whose wine stood apart. The Clos de Vougeot, which they assembled in the twelfth century, is their most visible legacy.

The dukes and quality

In 1395, Duke Philip the Bold ordered Gamay to be uprooted in favour of Pinot Noir, considered nobler. The decree shaped the red wines of the Côte for centuries.

2015, recognition

In July 2015, the climats of the Burgundy vineyards were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List: 1,247 plots along the Côte from Dijon to the Maranges, together with the historic centre of Dijon and the town of Beaune.