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In this area, red wines are produced from one variety - Pinot Noir, but the wines actually vary in quality from light and ordinary to rich, complex and truly majestic. Burgundy is famous for its small vineyards and it is generally believed that the smaller the area of the vineyard, the better the wine. The best Burgundy wines come from Côte d'Or, a strip of only 30 miles, divided in the center into 2 separate parts; Côte de Nuit to the north and Côte de Beaune to the south. The fame of Cotê de Nuits is in the red wines - 95% of Pinot Noir grapes are produced here. Of course, here are some of the best, able to age, the most exotic and expensive wines.
The Côte de Beaune produces approximately 38% white wine, 60% red wine and 2% sparkling wine. The white wine variety is exclusively Chardonnay, and the quality varies from the best, Montrachets and Corton Charlemagnes, Meursault, Puligny and Chassagne to the more ordinary Macon Blanc. The former are traditionally aged in small oak barrels, while Macon wines are usually lighter in character and have a good value for money. The red wines from Beaune do not have the fame of their "brothers" from Côte de Nuit, with exceptions here are those who come from Pomard, Corton and Volney. In general, they are lighter in style, but depending on the harvest they can show potential that successfully competes with the Côte de Nuits and beyond.
