The Gold of Stone and Vine: History and Heritage of the Climats of Burgundy

A plot, a name, a wine. In Burgundy, when one speaks of a Climat, one does not look up to the sky, one looks down to the earth. This phrase by Bernard Pivot expresses the essence of a heritage

in which every fragment of soil carries the memory of a millennial savoir‑faire. The concept of the Climat, a subtle alliance of terroir, microclimate, history and human practice, is embodied in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which have become the interpreters of a cultural landscape found nowhere else in the world. From the patient legacy of the monks of the Middle Ages to UNESCO’s international recognition, one central question remains: how can the authenticity of this living heritage be preserved in the face of contemporary challenges.

A Historical Construction: Two Thousand Years of Viticultural Memory

From Gallo‑Roman Roots to the Dukes of Burgundy

The first traces of Gallo‑Roman vines appear at the end of the first century, on the plains, before the hillsides were gradually cultivated. In the sixth century, King Gontran ordered the planting of a vineyard in Chalon‑sur‑Saône, a sign of the growing importance of viticulture. Later, the Dukes of Burgundy, governing from Dijon, shaped the reputation of the wines of Beaune and the Côte, encouraging their export throughout Europe in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The starting point of this quest for quality was the ordinance issued by Philip the Bold in 1395, which required the removal of gamay vines from the duchy’s vineyards. This marked the beginning of single‑varietal cultivation in the region, with pinot noir for red wines and chardonnay for white wines. The Dukes then used their political influence to organise a wine market that was already international, in which Burgundy wines were so highly esteemed that they were offered as valued diplomatic gifts.

The Monastic Builders: Cîteaux, Cluny and the Birth of the Parcellaire

From the eleventh to the twelfth century, the Benedictine and Cistercian orders established a

viticultural parcellaire of remarkable precision. The monks observed soils, exposures, slopes and water circulation. They defined the first land units, created the Clos and structured the terroirs according to geological and agronomic criteria. The Clos de Vougeot, with its Cistercian cellars, remains one of the most emblematic witnesses of this organisation.

The Singularisation of Names: Romanée, Montrachet, Les Amoureuses

The toponymy of the Climats constitutes an essential intangible heritage. The names reveal the history of the places and the sensitive perception of the winegrowers. Romanée evokes land once romanised, Montrachet refers to a bare hill, while Les Amoureuses expresses a finesse that seems to touch both the wine and the local imagination. Sixteenth‑century cadastral archives, such as the small tibiéraide of Dijon dated 1550, show the first mentions of identified Climats. In 1584, the word climat appears for the first time in a legal act concerning Champ Bertin in Côte‑d’Or.

The Built Heritage: The Human Imprint on the Landscape

Dry‑Stone Walls, Meurgers and Cabotes

The Climats are shaped by built elements that bear witness to human labour. Dry‑stone walls delimit the plots, protect the soils and shelter discreet biodiversity. The meurgers, piles of stones extracted from the vineyards, mark land boundaries and tell of the effort required to make the hillsides cultivable. The cabotes, small stone huts, served as shelters for winegrowers. Many examples can be found around Beaune, particularly on the heights of Beaune and Savigny‑lès‑Beaune.

The Monuments of the Vineyard: Hospices de Beaune, Clos de Bèze, Clos Napoléon

The Hospices de Beaune, with their polychrome roof, embody the hospitable and charitable

dimension of viticultural heritage. Their role in the promotion of wines, notably through the famous auction, illustrates the continuity between charity, economy and culture. The Clos de Bèze, transferred in the seventeenth century from the chapter of Langres to the Dijon bourgeoisie, reflects the social evolution of the vineyard. The Clos Napoléon in Nuits‑Saint‑Georges, with its monumental gate, recalls the importance of clos in the hierarchy of terroirs.

Maps and Inventories: Lavalle and the Birth of Classification

In 1855, Jules Lavalle published the first topographical inventory of the crus of the Côte d’Or. His map, produced with the Beaune Agricultural Committee, constitutes a major milestone in the understanding of terroirs. It preceded the creation of the Appellations d’Origine Contrôlée in 1935, which confirmed the identity of the Climats and their cultural value.

International Consecration: UNESCO and the Management of the “Living Landscape”

The 2015 Inscription: A Global Recognition

In 2015, the Climats of the Burgundy vineyard were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural landscape. This recognition consecrated a unique system composed of one thousand two hundred and forty‑seven precisely delimited plots, combining villages, clos, dry‑stone walls, paths, cellars and the city of Beaune itself.

Ten Years Later: Transmission, Education and Vigilance

The Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne in Beaune plays an essential role in the transmission of this heritage. The European Heritage Days allow access to places usually closed to the public, such as the Salle Vergnette de Lamotte, where a relief map of the vineyard demonstrates the historical precision of delimitation work. The management of the site relies on a balance between preservation, transmission and adaptation. Climatic, economic and tourism‑related challenges require constant vigilance to maintain equilibrium between tradition and innovation.

The Climats of Burgundy form a living landscape in which every stone, every name, every row of vines carries the memory of two millennia of history. Preserving this heritage means protecting a unique cultural model, the fruit of an uninterrupted dialogue between nature and humankind. Beaune, the beating heart of this territory, continues to embody this precious alliance between stone and vine, heritage and future.

By Cédric Le Borgne

Founder and Director of Ars Essentia Gallery