Côte de Nuits: a new milestone in the recognition of Burgundy’s Climats

A major step forward for the protection and enhancementof Burgundy’s viticultural heritage

On 28 October, more than a hundred elected officials, State representatives and wine professionals gathered at the Château du Clos de Vougeot to celebrate a historic event: the official classification, by decree on 2 July 2025, of the Côte de Nuits site. This recognition, the result of ten years of consultation, marks a decisive stage in the protection and promotion of the vineyard landscapes inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2015.

This fourth classified site along Bourgogne’s Côte viticolecovers 4,530 hectares, stretching from Chenôve to Premeaux-Prissey, south of Dijon. It encompasses around 35% vineyards, 50% forest and 12% dry grasslands, illustrating the diversity of natural environments that shape this mosaic of terroirs. The classification acknowledges both the scenic value of these landscapes, slopes carved by rocky valleys, villages embraced by vines, and dry-stone walls and huts that punctuate the hillsides, and their historical significance, bearing witness to centuries of viticultural tradition.

With the Côte de Nuits now included, classified sites acrossthe Côte viticole extend over 14,000 hectares: the southern Côte de Beaune (classified in 1992), the Montagne des Trois Croix (1993) and the northern Côte de Beaune around the Colline de Corton (2023). Together, they form a coherent whole, ensuring the preservation of the emblematic landscapes that define Bourgogne’s Climats.

According to Gilles de Larouzière, President of the Association des Climats du vignoble de Bourgogne, this new classification “is excellent news for the long-term preservationof the World Heritage site. It is not about putting the landscape under a glass dome, but about safeguarding its historic features without restricting viticultural activity.”

A view shared by Paul Mourier, Prefect of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, who emphasised that the initiative represents “an opportunity to combine preservation and economic development in the service of the spirit of place.”

Beyond its symbolic importance, the classification providesa practical tool for managing and passing on the region’s viticultural heritage. It complements existing measures designed to guide landscape evolution and vineyard practices, while reinforcing the coherence of the World Heritage inscription. The Côte de Nuits, cradle of legendary grands crus, now stands as another cornerstone in the patrimonial edifice of Bourgogne’s Climats, landscapes protected, celebrated, and transmitted to future generations.