Hautes-Côtes de Beaune

The Hautes-Côtes de Beaune AOC is a regional appellation within the Burgundy wine region. Officially established in 1961, the Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune appellation spans 16 communes in the Hautes-Côtes region of Côte-d'Or and the higher elevations of 13 communes in the Côte de Beaune region of Saône-et-Loire.

Located between 280 and 450 meters above sea level, the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune vineyards occupy the best-exposed slopes of the valleys running perpendicular to the wine-growing coast, heading westward. The soil is dominated, especially in the south, by marl formations. The slopes, which are sometimes very steep, are frequently covered with limestone scree inherited from the Bajocian cornices.

The wines of Hautes-Côtes de Beaune are white wines made from the Chardonnay grape variety and red wines made from the Pinot Noir grape variety. There is a small production of Hautes-Côtes de Beaune rosé Burgundy (or Bourgogne Clairet), made from the same Pinot Noir. The reds are powerful yet rounded, possessing the flattering and emblematic aromatic intensity of Pinot Noir. Sometimes firm in their youth, they find harmony and balance after a few years. The whites possess the characteristic roundness of Chardonnay. Bouchard Père et Fils has a perfect command of the subtleties of the terroir and the wines of the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune.