Burgundy Buying Guide: Top Collectibles, 1er Cru Values & Auction Highlights

Burgundy is a region of rich tradition and exciting innovation. This guide highlights the best of the 2022 and 2023 vintages—from accessible Bourgogne Rouge to prestigious Premier and Grand Crus. Whether you’re exploring top villages, discovering rising domaines, hunting rare finds at auction, or starting to plan your holiday party, this guide will help you navigate Burgundy’s complex world with confidence and enjoyment.

• The New Wave of Bourgogne Rouge
• Stunning 2023s from Louis Jadot
• Demystifying Some of Burgundy’s Top Communes
• Three Rising Star Domaines to Keep an Eye On
• Exploring The Premier Crus of Chablis with Agnes Gleizes
• Burgundy Rarities Now at Auction
• Turn Your Holiday Event Into Burgundy 101!

Thirty years ago, when I first started in the wine business, I have to say I was not a big fan of Bourgogne Rouge. They were clipped, hard-edged, and lacked the beautiful fruit we associate with Red Burgundy. Today, however, everything has changed. The new generation of Bourgogne Rouges is flat-out delicious and often represents not only the best value in Red Burgundy but also serves as a great introduction to the house style of the producer. The recent batch of landings, all from either the 2022 or 2023 vintages—both of which were solar years—are fresh, bright, lively, balanced, and packed with gorgeous fruit flavors. Learn more about Alex's picks On the Trail.

Despite Louis Jadot’s name recognition, they’re often underestimated—likely because a handful of their wines appear in grocery stores, leading some to assume they’re a “grocery store brand.” In reality, Jadot holds some of the largest Premier and Grand Cru holdings in Burgundy and crafts wines that age beautifully, deliver strong value across appellations, and earn near-universal critical praise. Overlooking these wines would be a serious mistake.

The 2023 vintage was another warm year in Burgundy, yielding wines with depth and power, sappy red fruit, and impressive balance. Whether you’re reaching for the sublime Beaune Clos des Ursules or a benchmark Chambertin Clos de Bèze, you won’t be disappointed.

-Alex Pross, K&L Burgundy Buyer

We see it constantly: customers interested in Burgundy but intimidated by the complexity and nuance and overall high barrier to entry. Even those comfortable discussing a few favorite bottles may struggle to navigate an unfamiliar shop or wine list. While nuanced producer knowledge represents the pinnacle of Burgundy expertise, nearly 2,000 years of terroir knowledge is why the region is both revered and yet so complicated. Soil, slope, aspect, and weather are critical for finicky Pinot Noir and ripening-sensitive Chardonnay. Though, understanding a few top villages can immediately bring clarity, making it possible to move from overwhelmed to confident.

This quick reference article will cover four major regions across both the Côte de Nuits, the more northerly section, and the Côte de Beaune with a focus on reds. To remember the orientation of the two major subsections, I use the (N) in (N)uits to remember North, and the (B) in (B)eaune: the Côte de Beaune is on the (B)ottom.

To start, understanding Gevrey-Chambertin provides a quick return on investment: it sits near the northern limit of the Côte d'Or and boasts nine essential grand crus. At the center lies the small town of Gevrey-Chambertin, with foundational vineyard sites rippling outwards.

South of the town lie the coveted grand crus, all of which handily include "Chambertin" in their names, sitting on a gentle, east-facing slope, protected by a tempering forest above them. The grand crus are largely planted on compacted limestone, layered with varying types and depths of clay topsoil. With a variety of rock deposits, Gevrey exhibits some of the most diverse soil in all of Burgundy. The general consensus is that being farther north with more brutal soil types lends to a more "muscular" style of wine, though modern and more elegant producers like Domaine Rossignol-Trapet may take issue with such generalizations. As time passes, modern practices and a changing climate are forcing a reevaluation of generalizations formed over centuries. Keep reading On the Trail.

-Chelsea Herholdt, Senior Private Client Advisor

If you're a Burgundy enthusiast seeking exceptional quality without the collector’s price tag, these rising star domaines deliver just that. Representing the new face of the region, Domaine Parent, Domaine Bart, and Hereszytn-Mazzini are crafting wines that balance tradition and innovation, offering outstanding quality-to-price ratios across the board.

From the consistently excellent and elegant bottlings of Anne and Catherine Parent in Pommard, to the revitalized and soon-to-be-elevated Marsannay offerings from Domaine Bart, and finally to the biodynamically farmed, terroir-driven wines of Hereszytn-Mazzini—these producers are redefining what value means in Burgundy today. Whether you're diving into a Bourgogne Rouge or exploring Premier and Grand Cru bottlings, these wines are crafted for Burgundy lovers, by Burgundy lovers. Read more about these incredible projects On the Trail.

-Alex Pross, K&L Burgundy Buyer

Agnès Gleizes and her partner Cyril Gautheron lead a family-run estate in Chablis that stretches back seven generations. Based in the village of Fleys, just a few kilometers from the town of Chablis, they manage about 30 hectares of vines spanning Petit Chablis, Chablis, Premier Cru, and even Grand Cru appellations.

Their philosophy is firmly rooted in terroir: they allow soil, exposure, vine age, and vintage to shine through rather than imposing heavy-handed techniques. They farm with high environmental standards—they are certified HVE level 3 (“Haute Valeur Environnementale”), its highest tier, underlining their commitment to sustainability. Keep reading On the Trail.

-Kate Soto, K&L Wine Specialist

Burgundy collectors know the chase is half the fun, and K&L Auctions makes sure the hunt never goes cold. With new lots hitting the block every day, bidders always have the chance to acquire immaculately stored treasures that rarely appear in retail, and often at prices that reward the patient bidder. Not just confined to just a few marquee sales each year, you can count on K&L to constantly deliver new opportunities to land iconic bottlings from the top domaines and prized vintages. Don’t miss your chance, great Burgundy lots are closing soon.

-John Christensen, Director of Auction & Cellar Acquisition

Wine List 101 with K&L Sommelier Services: Learn to Read Between the Wines

Picture this: you’re at a client dinner. The wine list arrives, and it’s handed directly to you. You can’t pass it off—your clients are watching, your boss is at the table, and all eyes are on you.

The list is enormous, more like a novel than a menu. Every page is filled with French names—villages, vineyards, appellations you’ve never heard of. You scan for something familiar, but the names blur together. Panic sets in. What if you make the wrong choice? Order something unsophisticated? In a matter of seconds, the tone of the entire evening could shift from polished professionalism to doubt about whether you and your team measure up.

Now, imagine a different version of the same moment. You open the same list, but instead of panic, you feel a quiet confidence. You think back to the K&L Sommelier Services event your firm hosted over the holidays—a guided tasting designed specifically to decode situations just like this.

Our sommelier-guided events are fully customizable. Our team will work with you to craft a unique and memorable experience for your crew. And, because Burgundy offers both prestige and clarity of focus—Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes—it serves an ideal topic for a wine workshop. If you’ve always been curious about diving deeper into this distinguished region, your company holiday party is the perfect chance to do so! Guests leave not only having enjoyed an evening of world-class wines, but with practical, lasting confidence they can use at their very next client dinner. After the guided tasting the event can transition into a relaxed reception where guests can revisit wines or explore new selections while networking and engaging with our sommeliers. Let us help you execute your next event to perfection.

Interested in trying some exquisite Burgundy but don't have enough people for a private tasting? Head into your local store to taste Burgundy greatness with our Open Cellar Program.

-Alex Leonardini, K&L Somm Services Director