Burgundy Explained: Regional, Village, Premier Cru, and Grand Cru

Of all the world's wine regions, Burgundy has the most confusing labeling system — and also, many would argue, the most rewarding one once it clicks. Unlike Bordeaux, where a château's name tells you almost everything, Burgundy is organized around one central idea: the specific patch of ground the grapes came from matters more than who made the wine. Here's how the hierarchy actually works.

Regional Wines

At the base of the pyramid sit wines simply labeled "Bourgogne" — grapes can come from anywhere within the broader region. These are usually the most affordable and approachable Burgundies, and a good way to understand a producer's basic style before spending more. Our Arnaud Ente and Benoît Ente Bourgogne bottlings sit at this level, and they're a genuinely good way to taste two of Meursault's most sought-after growers without their flagship prices.

Village Wines

The next tier is named after a specific village — Meursault, Gevrey-Chambertin, Puligny-Montrachet, and so on. Grapes must come from within that village's boundaries, so the wine starts to reflect a genuine sense of place. Village-level wines are where most people fall in love with Burgundy: recognisably tied to a specific spot, but still relatively accessible. Domaine Fourrier's Gevrey-Chambertin and the Ente family's Meursault Village wines are excellent examples.

Premier Cru

Within a village, certain individual vineyards have been identified — over centuries of observation — as consistently producing better wine than their neighbours. These get the "1er Cru" (Premier Cru) designation, along with the specific vineyard's name on the label: Volnay 1er Cru "Les Frémiets," Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru "Cherbaudes," Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Folatières." At this level, the specific plot of land starts to genuinely define the wine's character — soil, drainage, and sun exposure all leave a real fingerprint.

Grand Cru

At the very top sit Burgundy's Grand Cru vineyards — fewer than 35 across the entire region, representing roughly 1% of all Burgundy produced. These are the sites considered capable of producing the finest wine Burgundy can offer: Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet, Bonnes-Mares. Grand Cru wines don't even need the village name on the label — the vineyard name alone is considered sufficient, a small but telling detail about how much weight that name carries.

And Then There's the Monopole

Occasionally, a single Grand Cru vineyard is owned entirely by one estate — no other producer makes wine from that exact plot. These are called monopoles, and they're some of the rarest wines Burgundy makes. Clos de Tart is the textbook example: a Grand Cru vineyard in Morey-Saint-Denis owned in its entirety by a single domaine since 1141, with no other winery ever having had a claim to it.

Where to Start

If you're new to Burgundy, the honest advice is to start at village level and work your way up — the jump in price from village to Premier Cru to Grand Cru is real, but so is the jump in complexity, and it's worth understanding what you're tasting for before spending Grand Cru money. Our full range spans every level of this pyramid; browse it in our Burgundy Wines collection.