Any who have grappled with this might well ask, “Why no mention of lieu-dit?” which can best be called a “named place.” The two can be used almost interchangeably, though climat is seen as the senior term, with greater historical gravitas. (If the Cité does no more than get a clear understanding of this term and its wide use across to non-French-speaking visitors, then they will have achieved something.)


A bold move This year, Burgundy opens the three new visitor centers that make up the Cité des Climats et Vins de Bourgogne—in Chablis, Beaune, and Mâcon—adding to an already impressive roster of attractions that includes such gems as the Ducal Palace in Dijon, the Château du Clos de Vougeot, and the Hospices de Beaune. The Cité’s genesis dates back more than a decade and was given real impetus when Burgundy was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 2015. Having three sites is a bold move, which may run the risk of dissipating the message, but has the great virtue of acknowledging a truth about Burgundy that many seldom grasp, particularly those who have yet to visit: It is a geographically scattered region, not a cluster of vineyards radiating out from a central capital, à la Bordeaux. The single word “Burgundy” suggests centrality—unlike, for example, “the Loire” or “the Rhône,” which suggest length, with bankside vineyards tracing the course of a river for perhaps a couple of hundred miles. Burgundy lovers also tend to use the word specifically with reference to the Côte d’Or. For many, their conception of the region barely extends beyond those


Left: The Chablis Cité, in the center of the town. Above: The spectacular modern Cité in Beaune.


fabled slopes; it is not often you hear Chablis being referred to as Burgundy, plain and simple, without elaboration. This is more than a superficial point, and it needs emphasizing today more than ever. Recent years have seen a laser-like focus from around the globe on the top wines from the Côte d’Or. Headline after headline blazons the prices being paid for the most highly regarded grands crus—and for tiny vineyard plots also. The dazzle of attention does more to obscure than to illuminate. Thus, the authorities have done well to establish three sites, to give physical emphasis to the message that there is more to Burgundy than Chambertin, Musigny, and the like. Pointing our compass southeast out


of Paris on the A6, the Autoroute du Soleil, about 90 minutes later we come to Chablis, famed for wines of stone and savor that may be made from Chardonnay the grape but are far removed from Chardonnay the wine. The name itself is one of the best known in the wine world, bandied about with not much thought given to where it comes from or what makes it unique. Might the new Cité help to change that? Its central location in the town, only a couple of hundred yards


from the mairie (the town hall), and its housing in a former Cistercian cellar, Petit Pontigny, answer an emphatic yes to that question.


The building itself speaks history, even allowing for the new extension. And by not being an entirely new build, it has an uncatchable head-start on the mother ship in Beaune and the southern satellite in Mâcon. Even during construction, it was the most satisfying venue to visit, with vaulted stone arching overhead—a structural embodiment of the Burgundy story. By contrast, the Beaune Cité, another hour or so along the autoroute, makes use of the newest building techniques and materials and, unlike Chablis, is situated on the outskirts of the town. The location cuts both ways, since the space has allowed for landscaping and parking, as well as the development of an adjacent hotel, restaurant, and retail space. Perhaps in time it will come to be known as the Climat Campus. The Cité is a magnificent construction, given an almost weightless appearance by the sweeping external ramp that spirals upward and that can be accessed without having to pay an entry fee. Inside, there is an impressive exhibition space, a wine


THE WORLD OF FINE WINE | ISSUE 79 | 2023 | 23


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