Bourgogne Rouge wines are the still, dry red wines produced under the generic Bourgogne appellation. Created in 1937, this covers 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.
Grape varieties
Pinot Noir is by far and away the predominant grape used under the title and is listed as the sole major red variety permitted under the title. The less well-known grape César is also allowed, but only in the Yonne department (covering Chablis and a host of outlying titles) in northwestern Burgundy, and can only make up to 49 percent of any wine.
Other, so-called "accessory", varieties include the white Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris grapes which, if found in Bourgogne Rouge wines, will be co-planted in Pinot Noir vineyards (but cannot comprise more than 15 percent of any site).
In more recent years, the previously banished Gamay variety has been allowed, albeit only grown in the ten Beaujolais crus (Brouilly, Chénas, Chiroubles, Côtes de Brouilly, Fleurie, Juliénas, Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Régnié and Saint-Amour). Although primarily destined to allow négoce firms based in Burgundy to produce the new Bourgogne Gamay title (with a minimum of 85 percent Gamay), up to 30 percent Gamay can be included in other red wines.
Vineyard area
As of 2011, 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 854 hectares (2,110 acres) designated for Bourgogne Blanc, even though Chardonnay accounts for 48 percent of plantings across Burgundy.
In the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits subregions, this surface area is concentrated mostly on the lower slopes of the Côte 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 Côte d'Or produces very little Bourgogne Rouge. This is because it is also entitled to use the more-respected Hautes Côtes de Beaune and Hautes Côtes de Nuits titles.
Production regulations
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.
Occasionally the Bourgogne designation is used for declassified wines from village-level (or even Premier Cru) vineyards, such as cuvées made from younger vines in a property. Single-vineyard designations also sometimes appear on wines at this level.
The style can be enjoyed without food. The wines might also be served cooler than other reds. Beaujolais and Beaujolais Village wines probably typify this style. However, many grape varieties could be used, if grapes ripen moderately, fermentation/maceration techniques do not emphasize tannin and color extraction, and new oak barrels are avoided.
Characteristics
Red fruit aromas: strawberry, raspberry, cherry
Bubblegum aromas (if made using carbonic maceration)
Moderate tannins and alcohol – though given the wine is light bodied, these might be noticeable
Origin：Burgundy, France
Type：Red Wine
Grapes：Pinot Noir
Alcohol：13%
Bottle Size：750ml
