In Burgundy, more so than other regions, a significant amount of the nature and character (and price) of the wine is dictated by the terroir. No other French wine-growing region can be said to rely on geology as much for its reputation. Here, the soil in plots can vary from yard to yard, so that you may be walking on village-level vines with one footstep, and Premier Cru with the next.

The different types of soil impart subtle changes to a wine’s acidity, sweetness, minerality, body and a range of other factors. So next time you take a stroll in wine country, think about the earth you’re walking on – and let nature show you your favorite wines’ natural habitat, and why they flourish there.

The producers that Elden Selection work with make wines from a diverse range of soil types, such as limestone, clay, sandy, and gravel. As with all things in the world of wine, experimentation is the way to really learn, and there’s no substitute for trying wines from a variety of terroir to discover your favorites. See our Blog for more information on the topic of terroir.

Explore terroir and discover your favorites with this 12 bottle case. Includes 2 bottles of each WHITE with Ground Shipping Included

Domaine Gilles Bouton Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru 'La Garenne' 2020
Gilles Bouton’s Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru ‘La Garenne’ touches the premier cru ‘Champs gains’ as well as the Saint Aubin 1er Cru ‘Murgers de Dents de Chien’ (which Gille also has a holding in. So we are in noble vineyard territory here. This is a golden wine, in many senses of the word. Ripe fruit, almond undertones, green apple minerality. Toasty croissant and flint combine in the mid-palate with just a touch of honey. Subtle and balanced. Concentrated. ‘Harmonious’ is the word that springs to mind.

Domaine Borgeot Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru 'Clos St Jean' 2017
From one of the best Chassagne-Montrachet white premier cru vineyards, sitting right below the village quarry, this ‘Clos St Jean leads with its sublime minerality.  Bright gold in color.  Youthful  exotic fruit going towards grilled almonds. Elegant and well-balanced. Great long finished carrier through by the mineralty.

Jean-Baptiste Ponsot Rully ‘En Bas de Vauvry’ 2019
Stony-dry minerality, smokiness sublimated by a very elegant and creamy toasted aging. Great finesse and tension, a hallmark of Ponsot whites. All the complexity of the premier crus! Aged 12 months in barrels (one-third new oak) and 3 months of assembly in mass (15% of tank, 20% of new barrels and the rest in barrels of 1 to 4 wines).

Agnes Paquet Chassagne-Montrachet 'Les Battaudes' 2018
A single vineyard Chassagne, from a vineyard just below the premier cru ‘Morgeot’, this is a deep rich wine from a clay soil. Great earthy texture, but at the same time airy and elegant.  The finish is long and complex.

Domaine Borgeot Bouzeron 'Les Tournelles' 2018
Bouzeron is a village within the Cote Chalonnaise and is permitted to make wine with the second white Burgundy grape ‘Aligoté’. This wine is floral and fresh, with green apple acidity and body.  Minerality picks up the acidity and carries it to a long finish. Elegant expression of aligoté doré from a single vineyard. Great aperitif wine, but has what it takes to age.

Domaine Germain Pere et Fils Saint Romain Blanc 2020
With admirable yields (45hl/ha), this Saint Romain white is taken seriously right from the start. Add 30% new oak and 8-9 months of aging and batonnage, and you get a very classy Chardonnay with the unique and superbly subtle Saint Romain minerality, full, rich and dense, with elegant floral notes, good acidity in its youthful charm. We found this wine on a restaurant list in Santenay and were so impressed we went the next day and became friends with the producers.