Côte d’Or
South and east of Chablis is the famed Côte d’Or (pronounced koht Dor), where the most renowned wines of Burgundy are produced. Here east- and southeast-facing slopes gain maximum benefit from the sun and are protected from the wind by the Morvan hills to the west. The base of the soil is limestone mixed with marl. Where the limestone predominates, the finest whites are made from the Chardonnay grape, and where the marl is predominates, red wines are made from the Pinot Noir grape.
The Côte d’Or is split into two parts. To the north is the Côte de Nuits, where Pinot Noir dominates and produces the fullest bodied reds in Burgundy. The south is the Côte de Beaune, where the finest dry whites in the world are made from Chardonnay, not to mention some lovely, elegant reds. All the red Grand Crus except one, Corton, are found in the Côte de Nuits; likewise, all the white Grand Crus except one, the very rare white Musigny, lie in the Côte de Beaune. This is a function of the soil and its effect on the vines.
