David Duband Bourgogne Rouge 2021

David Duband Bourgogne Rouge 2018

Bourgogne Rouge wines are the still reds produced under the generic Bourgogne appellation. Created in 1937, it covers those Burgundy wines made from vineyards without a more location-specific title. Bourgogne Rouge wine can be produced from grapes grown in any one (or more) of 300 communes throughout Burgundy.

Pinot Noir is by far and away the predominant grape used under the title. The less well-known red variety Csar is also allowed, but only in the Yonne department (covering Chablis and a host of outlying titles) in northwestern Burgundy.

As of 2011 (the last census) there were around 1,855 hectares (just under 4,600 acres) of vines producing Bourgogne Rouge wines, spread right across Burgundy. This is well over double the 854ha (2,110 acres) designated for Bourgogne Blanc, even though Chardonnay accounts for 48 percent of plantings across Burgundy.

In the Cte de Beaune and Cte de Nuits sub-regions, this surface area is concentrated mostly on the lower slopes of the Cte d’Or escarpment and the flat land beyond this. The land on the mid-slopes is generally occupied by more-prestigious Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards.

Although covered by the basic Bourgogne appellation, the highest land in the Cte d’Or produces very little Bourgogne Rouge. This is because it is also entitled to use the more-respected Hautes Ctes de Beaune and Hautes Ctes de Nuits titles.

The appellation laws for all Bourgogne wines are generally less restrictive than those covering Burgundy’s location-specific titles. The maximum permitted yield is lower and the regulations around vineyard management factors, such as vine training techniques and vineyard planting densities, are also more relaxed.

Pricing and quality can vary greatly within the category. This can be due to the reputation of the producer, but also the nature of the vineyard.

Occasionally the Bourgogne designation is used for declassified wines from village-level (or even Premier Cru) vineyards, such as cuves made from younger vines in a property. Single-vineyard designations also sometimes appear on wines at this level.