Auxey-Duresses Wine

Auxey-Duresses is a village in the Cote de Beaune sub-region of Burgundy. Located in the Saint-Romain Valley, an east–west hiatus in the Cote d'Or escarpment, its hillsides enjoy excellent south and south-east orientation. This fact, along with the high percentage of limestone in the local soils, means that these vineyards are well placed to make wines of very high quality. (Copyright material, Wine-Searcher.)

Auxey-Duresses has had its own communal appellation since 1937, covering both red and white wines – made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay respectively. It also has nine Premier Cru-rated climats, all located on the south-facing Montagne de Bourdon hillside just behind the village.

Auxey-Duresses wines are not out of keeping with those from nearby Meursault and Volnay, although many find them a little more restrained than these richer wines. A significant proportion of the village's production is sold under the wider Cote de Beaune-Villages appellation, but the increasing interest in Burgundy's wines means that the value of the commune appellation is increasing year on year.

The climate around Auxey-Duresses is of continental type, with warm, dry summers and cool, extended winters. While spring arrives earlier here than in Burgundy's northern outposts like Chablis, the commune's viticulturalists must still contend with cold spring mornings and the risk of frost damage to their vines.