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Maranges is the southernmost wine-producing commune of the Cote de Beaune in Burgundy, taking its name from the three villages within its catchment area: Cheilly-les-Maranges, Dezize-les-Maranges and Sampigny-les-Maranges. The Maranges appellation produces medium-bodied red wines from Pinot Noir, which are best consumed within a few years of vintage. White wines made from Chardonnay are permitted under the appellation laws, but are produced only in very small quantities.
Until May 1989, the Maranges villages produced wines under the Cote de Beaune-Villages appellation, but they were then collectively granted their own title for their 420 acres (170ha) of vineyards.
While not the most highly regarded of Burgundy's communes, Maranges has a handful of Premier Cru vineyards clustered together between the villages, which run contiguously with those of neighboring Santenay, to the east. The soils here are still reminiscent of those further up the Cote d'Or escarpment, containing a relatively high level of limestone and clay.
Technically speaking, Maranges is just inside the Saone et Loire administrative district, rather than the Cote d'Or district, but the local geology and wine style here mean that it continues to be considered a part of the Cote de Beaune, and therefore the Cote d'Or wine region.
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