Being situated in a side-valley of the Côte de Beaune means that the climate of Auxey-Duresses is quite cool, producing a different style of Burgundy than other warmer regions. The wines are slightly shorter-lived than those of nearby Volnay, meaning there are often bargains to be had with them. The village also faces a secondary challenge—from the difficulty most foreigners find in pronouncing it (for the avoidance of embarrassment it is ‘Aussey’). Before 1924, the village was known simply as Auxey, but then added the name of one of its finest producers, Les Duresses. As with most wine producing towns and cities in Burgundy, its name and history can be traced back centuries, in this case to the year 859. A little about the geography here; these Premier Cru wines are found largely on the south- facing slopes of the Montagne de Bourdon hillside behind the village of Auxey- Duresses. On the hill of Bourdon, geologically an extension of Volnay and Monthélie, the soil is a pebbly marl-limestone mix which gives vigor to the east/south-east facing vineyard of Les Duresses. The Climat du Val, on the other hand, faces south and has very limey soil, while in La Chapelle marl predominates over limestone. And on the hill of Mélin, the fine-textured soil resembles that of nearby Meursault and Puligny, producing excellent Chardonnay.
Auxey-Duresses