Bugatti Beaune Vignoble Route Des Grands Crus Chemin
Sign Route Des Grands Crus BourgogneThe Route des Vins crosses the most prestigious part of the Burgundy vineyards. 37 picturesque wine villages in the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, between Dijon and Beaune and as far as Santenay, over a length of 60 km.
route-des-grands-crus-carteIt’s a narrow strip stretching along a north-south axis, no more than 2 km wide and 300 to 400 meters high. The route is signposted by brown-backed panels bearing a white cluster, from Dijon to Santenay via Nuits-Saint-Georges and Beaune.
Pernand panelYou’ll come across other types of signs, those of the Burgundy wine appellations, currently being replaced. We’re waiting for your photos on Instagram #beaunetourisme #routedesgrandscrus
In its first part, the road follows an axis parallel to the former N74,newly renamed D974. This prestigious Côte de Nuits is home to some of the world’s greatest red wines, including 24 grands crus out of Burgundy’s 33 (Romanée-Conti, Clos de Vougeot, Chambertin,…).
chateau-clos-de-vougeot-cour1Take a break at Château du Clos de Vougeot, birthplace of the Chevaliers du Tastevin.
Vineyards of MeursaultAfter Corgoloin, it’s theCôte de Beaune region up to the Maranges hillside. A land blessed with Chardonnay, producing some of the world’s greatest dry white wines, including Corton Charlemagne, crus de Meursault and Montrachet….
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Vineyards and cabotte in Savigny
Village Panel Pommard
auxey-duresses-panneauEach village has its own vineyard and red (pinot noir) and/or white (chardonnay) appellations, and along the way, a harmonious landscape full of charm. Gentle curves, vineyards organized into plots, some of which are surrounded by dry stone walls, a river or a hedge. These are the “Clos”, whose entrances are sometimes adorned with majestic gates or porches recalling the owner’s name. Some plots have also preservedsmall limestone constructions, these are the “Cabotes” where tools were once stored and the winegrower could rest and eat.
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Vineyards Colline Corton (2)
Chateau Pommard VignesAll along these gentle hills, vines run in tight rows between each village only a few kilometers apart.
From Gevrey-Chambertin to Nuits Saint Georges or from Aloxe-Corton to Santenay, they feature typical vineyard architecture with beautiful limestone houses and tiled roofs. Often arranged between courtyards and gardens, these winegrowers’ residences almost all have ancient cellars, a Mecca of the house that the owner will introduce wine lovers to.
Traditional villages, often opulent with the occasional mansion built by wine merchants who settled on the hillside in the 18th or 19th century. Gathered around their Gothic and often Romanesque churches, fountains and washhouses, these villages are the emblematic living quarters of the Burgundy wine region.
Saint Vincent Cors De Chasse
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vdv-folklore-accordeonLet’s not forget, too, that Burgundy winegrowers have a sense of celebration and hospitality. To the rhythm of the 4 seasons of vines and wine, they pay homage to Bacchus (God of Wine) and Saint-Vincent (Patron Saint of Winegrowers) and invite their friends and customers…and all wine lovers, to these authentic, convivial celebrations.
“Doing” the Route des Grands Crus also means visiting sites prestigious or humble, well-known or off the beaten track. In Chenôve, the presses of the Dukes of Burgundy (14th century) are a reminder that the Valois Dukes were “the Lords of the best wines in Christendom”. In Vougeot, the Château stands as an eternal witness to the painstaking work of the Cistercian monks whose Abbey lies on the nearby plain. En route, a few bell towers or châteaux and their glazed tile roofs will herald the splendor of the roofs of the Musée de l’Hôtel-Dieu – Hospices de Beaune. Travelling along the Côte de Beaune, the châteaux of Corton André, Pommard, Meursault and Chassagne Montrachet illustrate the notion of “Clos” to perfection.
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Chateau Aloxe Corton
Pommard harvestDiscover the Burgundy wine route by bike along the Voie des Vignes itinerary from Beaune to Santenay, via Pommard, Meursault and Chassagne-Montrachet. The Voie des Vignes then continues from Santenay to Nolay.
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