Burgundy Classifications: News from the Front
Various bits of classification news came through in the second half of 2024. Most of these changes have been in the works for some time, but nothing happens fast in Burgundy.
Pouilly Vinzelles and Pouilly-Loché have gained some Premiers Crus, following on from Pouilly-Fuissé three years earlier. The grapes must be handpicked, with no herbicides allowed in the vineyards, the permitted maximum yields are reduced by 2 hl/ha to 58 hl/ha, and the wines may not be bottled before 1st July of the following year. This is excellent news for the appellations. Vineyards such as Les Quarts are clearly the equal of a Premier Cru in Pouilly-Fuissé.
The new Premiers are:
- Pouilly-Loché Premier Cru Les Mûres (7.09ha)
- Pouilly-Vinzelles Premier Cru Les Longeays (7.50 ha)
- Pouilly-Vinzelles Premier Les Pétaux (2.76 ha)
- Pouilly-Vinzelles Premier Les Quarts (12.45 ha).
The appellation of Côte de Nuits-Villages will cease to be schizophrenic. From the 2024 vintage it will only concern the vineyards in Prémeaux, Comblanchien and Corgoloin at the southern end of the Côte. At the northern end of the Côte, the vineyards in Brochon which were part of Côte de Nuits-Villages will now be part of the Fixin appellation. Neither they, nor the original Fixin vineyards, will have the right to use Côte de Nuits-Villages in future.
From what I hear, unofficially, Marsannay has taken further strides towards being granted a probable 13 or 14 Premiers Crus, maybe as early as for the 2025 vintage. There are still a few details to sort out on exact delimitations, regulations and the like, but it really looks as though this is going to happen at long last: the first dossier was presented even before that of Pouilly-Fuissé.
It also seems increasingly likely that Les St-Georges in Nuits-St-Georges will be elevated to Grand Cru status at some point in the not-too-distant future.
It has been frowned on for a while, by some, for producers to specify sub-climats on the label along with the name of the Grand Cru. This regulation is apparently now going to be enforced. Corton is exempted because the original decrees allowed for Corton Renardes, Corton Perrières etc, but it will no longer be acceptable to have Corton-Charlemagne, Le Charlemagne or Echezeaux En Orveau – which is quite a common practice. Personally, I think this is a poor decision. If a lieu-dit is officially on the cadastre, it should be permissible to put it on the bottle. I would however exclude the option for Clos Vougeot, where the plot names are an informal usage, and have never been officially on the cadastral map.
