Guide to Burgundy Red Wine: Classifications, 10 Best Bottles (2024)

Red Burgundies are some of the most prestigious and sought-after wines in the world. 

Produced primarily from the Pinot Noir grape, these wines are complex, seductive, and extremely age-worthy - the finest of which are made only in tiny quantities.

In this article, we will cover Burgundy red wine in detail, the wine classifications, the top 10 bottles in 2024, and their investment potential. We’ll also explore serving tips and the fascinating Burgundian red wine regions.

Burgundy Red Wine: Classifications and Characteristics

Red Burgundy wine typically refers to wine made solely from the Pinot Noir grape variety. These wines are bright and dry with red fruit notes, soft tannins, and vibrant acids.

They are produced across various appellations, classified into four levels of quality:

• Grand Cru Wine: Only 2% of all vineyards receive this classification. These are Burgundy’s finest, consisting of big names like Romanée Conti, Le Chambertin, and others.
• Premier Cru Wine: Burgundy has 640 Premier Cru vineyard plots, making up 12% of its total wine production. These exceptional bottles are only a step below Grand Crus but just as highly coveted.
• Village Wine: This appellation covers 44 wine-producing villages, including Chablis, Nuits St George, and Savigny-les-Beaune.
• Regional Wine: This appellation represents 50% of all wines produced in Burgundy, including Bourgogne Rouge, Crémant de Bourgogne, and Bourgogne Aligoté. It includes wines from across Burgundy that don’t classify as Grand Cru, Premier Cru, or Village wine.

It also includes a lesser-known Burgundy wine, Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains, which comprises Gamay, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay grape varieties.

So, which are the best bottles to buy?

10 Fine Burgundy Red Wines To Collect In 2024

Here are the top Burgundy red wines to bring home this year:

• 2014 Domaine Leroy Musigny Grand Cru
• 2018 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Tâche Grand Cru Monopole
• 2010 Domaine Armand Rousseau Pere et Fils Chambertin Grand Cru
• 2010 Domaine Jacques-Frederic Mugnier Le Musigny Grand Cru
• 2015 Domaine Georges & Christophe Roumier Bonnes Mares Grand Cru
• 2015 Labet & Dechelette Chateau de La Tour 'Hommage a Jean Morin' Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru
• 2016 Domaine Jacques-Frederic Mugnier Clos de la Marechale
• 2017 Domaine Jeannin-Naltet Clos Des Grands Voyens
• 2015 Thierry Richoux Irancy Veaupessiot
• 2019 Domaine Faiveley Mercurey

1. 2014 Domaine Leroy Musigny Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France ($64,249)

The 2014 Domaine Leroy Musigny Grand Cru is a magical Pinot Noir wine that has a very complex bouquet with dark red fruit, limestone, hints of hickory, and wild hedgerow. This natural wine offers a medium-bodied palate with fine tannins and a spicy finish.

2. 2018 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Tâche Grand Cru Monopole, Cote de Nuits, France ($7,043)

A bottle of the 2018 La Tâche offers elegantly layered red berry, rose petal, violet, and sandalwood aromas. It is a natural wine that showcases a bold berry and green malt flavor.

3. 2010 Domaine Armand Rousseau Pere et Fils Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France ($6,486)

This 2010 Le Chambertin wine has a complex nose of wild berries, spice, and mineral notes with silky blackberry and licorice flavors on the palate. It has dense tannins and an explosive finish.

4. 2010 Domaine Jacques-Frederic Mugnier Le Musigny Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France ($4,959)

The 2010 Le Musigny is an excellent wine with well-developed tannins and tremendous depth. It has an intense mineral-driven flavor, fruity tension, and a long finish.

5. 2015 Domaine Georges & Christophe Roumier Bonnes Mares Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France ($2,794)

This 2015 vintage Pinot Noir has cherry, dark chocolate, vanilla, and espresso roast aromas. It is powerful, with rich tannins and a chewy finish on the palate.

6. 2015 Labet & Dechelette Chateau de La Tour 'Hommage a Jean Morin' Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France ($840)

This Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru offers black fruit, violet, and spice aromas with intense black cherry, licorice, and cassis flavors. It has suave tannins, smoky minerality, and great length.

7. 2016 Domaine Jacques-Frederic Mugnier Clos de la Marechale, Nuits St Georges Premier Cru, France ($258)

This 2016 St Georges 1er Cru showcases raspberry, dark plums, and violet aromas. The wine has supple fruit and dark chocolate flavors with fine tannins and a persistent finish.

8. 2017 Domaine Jeannin-Naltet Clos Des Grands Voyens, Mercurey Premier Cru, France ($38)

The 2017 Clos des Grands Voyens 1er Cru offers dense raspberry, pepper, and spice aromas. It displays fruity flavors on the palate with velvety tannins and juicy acidity.

9. 2015 Thierry Richoux Irancy Veaupessiot, Burgundy, France ($58)

This 2015 vintage red Burgundy wine has deep cherry, plum, chocolate, and coffee aromas. It has incredible depth with supple tannins and a long finish.

10. 2019 Domaine Faiveley Mercurey, Côte Chalonnaise, France ($39)

The 2019 Domaine Faiveley is an excellent wine that offers red fruit and spice aromas with smooth fruit flavors on the palate. It is well-balanced with silky tannins and lively acids.

Should You Invest In Burgundy Red Wines?

Burgundy produces great Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines, having an exceptional cellaring potential of over a decade or two on average. Some exceptional bottles, like Domaine Leroy Musigny Grand Cru, can age for over 50 years.

Also, the most acclaimed Burgundies from the top producers are made in small volumes.

This limited production and critical acclaim drive up their prices, making them fantastic long-term investments. Take these, for example:

• The price of the 2009 Domaine Leroy Musigny Grand Cru wine increased by 56%, from $63,903 in May 2022 to $99,719 in July 2023.
• The price of the 2012 Domaine Jacques-Frederic Mugnier Le Musigny Grand Cru winerose by 99.8%, from $2,452 in March 2022 to $4,901 in July 2023.

Some of these wines reach exorbitant prices at auctions. A recent example is the 1945 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti, which was sold for $558,000 in a 2018 Sotheby’s auction.

It’s no surprise these wines are on the wishlist of every wine enthusiast!

On that note, if you are looking to capitalize on these wines, you should enlist the help of a trusted wine investment company like Vinovest.

Let’s look at how you can enjoy these wines.

Burgundy Red Wine: Serving Suggestions, Food Pairings, and Cooking Tips

Serve your Burgundy red wine at 57°F-61°F (14°C-16°C) in Burgundy wine glasses.

You can pair the wine with rib-eye steak, lamb, or mushroom-based dishes. It also goes well with French cheese like Langres and Époisses de Bourgogne and meat-based dishes like chicken, rabbit, duck, pork, and lamb. 

Here’s another interesting fact: 

Burgundy red wines are known for their complex taste and are commonly used for cooking delicious dishes, especially French and Italian cuisine.

You can use Burgundy red wine to whip up rich stews, lip-smacking sauces, and even desserts. 

Now, let’s explore the picturesque red wine regions of Burgundy.

Burgundy Red Wine Regions

The Burgundy wine region consists of 4 main subregions that produce red wine, including:

• Côte de Nuits
• Côte de Beaune
• Côte Chalonnaise
• Mâconnais
• Others

A. Côte de Nuits

The northern half of Côte dOr, Côte de Nuits houses 24 Grand Cru vineyards and over 100 Premier Cru vineyard plots.

About 80% of the wines produced in this Burgundy region are Pinot Noir, and the remaining 20% comprise Chardonnay white wine and Pinot Noir rose wine.

B. Côte de Beaune

Côte de Beaune is the southern half of Côte dOr. It houses 8 Grand Cru and 42 Premier Cru vineyards.

The region is widely renowned for its white Burgundy wines but also produces amazing red wines.

C. Côte Chalonnaise

Côte Chalonnaise comprises 119 Premier Cru vineyard plots but no Grand Cru vineyards.

The region produces a wide diversity of wines, including red wines made from Pinot Noir and Gamay grape varieties, Chardonnay and Aligote Bourgogne Blanc wines, and Cremant De Bourgogne wines.

D. Mâconnais

The largest and the most southern Burgundy region, Mâconnais is famous for its white Burgundy wine.

However, Pinot Noir and Gamay red and rose wines comprise around 30% of the region’s wine production.

E. Others

The Irancy appellation is also famous for its Pinot Noir red wines.

Other notable Burgundy wine regions include the Chablisregion (which is better known for its Chardonnay wines) and the Saint-Bris appellation (known for its Sauvignon Blanc wines).

Add A Fine Red Burgundy To Your Collection

Burgundy red wines offer an ethereal tasting experience that can lure in every wine lover. Their longevity and scarcity also make them cellar-worthy and perfect long-term investments.

Want to add fine red or white Burgundy wines to your collection?

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