Origin
Exceptional vineyard sites that lie within the village appellations may be classified as Premier Cru, this appellation represents the next level in the Bourgogne classification hierarchy. These wines come from vineyards that have consistently made high-quality wines for centuries and as such they are among the best French Burgundy wines available. Premier Cru wines are almost entirely made from French wine varieties Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, although there is a tiny amount of Premier Cru Aligoté from the region. It is rare that a Premier Cru vineyard will belong to just one owner (this is termed a monopole); most vineyards will be divided between a number of different owners, each of whom will grow and harvest their individual parcel of vines.
In all, there are more than 600 Premier Crus spread between Chablis, the Côte d’Or and the Côte Chalonnaise. Together, they make up approximately a tenth of Burgundy wines. These wines must state Premier Cru on the label. If the wine comes from a single vineyard the name of the vineyard also appears on the label such as Gevrey-Chambertin Champeaux or Morey-Saint-Denis Les Millandes. Producers may also blend wines from various Premier Cru vineyards within a village in which case no vineyard names will appear on the label.
