Which Côte d'Or sub-region has Pinot Noir as the dominant grape?

• A. Cote de Beaune
• B. Beaujolais
• C. Maconnais
• D. Cote de Nuits

Answer: (D)

Pinot Noir dominates in the Côte de Nuit because its cooler, northern climate and the region’s limestone-marl soils are ideal for this delicate red grape. Pinot Noir thrives with the maturity and structure needed for Burgundy’s renowned red wines, producing the complex, long-lived reds that Côte de Nuit is famous for. In contrast, the Côte de Beaune is especially known for white Burgundy (Chardonnay) and also produces reds, but Pinot Noir isn’t the overarching grape there as it is in the northern Côte d’Or. Beaujolais and the Maconnais lie outside Côte d’Or and have different dominant profiles (Beaujolais with Gamay, Maconnais focused more on Chardonnay with some Pinot Noir). So the sub-region where Pinot Noir is the dominant grape is the Côte de Nuit.