Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits is the appellation for red, white and rose wines produced from vineyards on the hautes cotes (high slopes) of the northern Cote d'Or. Created in 1961, it is clearly distinguished from the more-prestigious vineyards located on the mid-slopes below, which fall under the eight communal and 23 Grand Cru appellations of the Cote de Nuits.
(© BIVB / Gadenne D.)
The majority of Hautes Cotes wines are red, made predominantly from Pinot Noir. Chardonnay is most commonly used grape for white wines, which account for 25% of output. Rose (or clairet) wines are produced from Pinot Noir and constitute only a fraction of total production.
The terroir of the Hautes Cotes, particularly the climate, differs noticeably from that of the lower slopes to the east. The higher altitude of the vineyards (985–1310ft/300–400m) means that the grapes sometimes struggle to ripen fully, leading to less richly flavored, less-complex wines. To minimize the impact of this cooler climate, the Hautes Cotes vineyards are most often planted on south- and west-facing slopes which benefit from maximum exposure to the sun's warmest rays. In terms of soil make-up, Hautes Cotes vines are largely planted on sites with marlstone sub-strata, rather than the chalky soils which dominate the lower slopes. That said, there are clear outcrops of bright white limestone in various places, marked out by the quarries which dot the landscape.
The Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits appellation covers roughly 1730 acres (700ha), spread across 20 communes in the Cote d'Or. Together, they produce around 3.5 million bottles every vintage.
The corresponding appellation for the southern half of the Cote d'Or is, unsurprisingly, Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Beaune. The dividing line between these two viticultural sub-regions is the village of Magny-les-Villers, below the northern slopes of Montagne de Corton.
