Burgundy classifies land, not brands — and that changes everything.
In Episode 2D, we unpack Burgundy’s famously intricate classification system:
The four-tier hierarchy of the Côte d’Or
Regional, village, premier cru, and grand cru logic
Why grand crus are appellations but premier crus are not
Production volumes and what they mean for scarcity
Lieux-dits, climats, and additional geographical denominations
Why classification does not guarantee quality
The impact of Napoleonic inheritance laws
Slope position and classification: top, mid-slope, bottom, and flat land
Principal appellations across Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise, and Mâconnais
Subtle stylistic differences between villages — and why winemaking still matters
This episode explains how Burgundy’s hierarchy maps directly onto terroir and style.
