April 22nd - April 26th, 2026 | | |
THIS WEEK'S TASTING FLIGHT:
Two Sides of Burgundy
Côte de Beaune vs. Côte de Nuits
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Same grape. Same region. Completely different personalities.
Decide which side of Burgundy is your style of wine.
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THIS WEEK AT PETIT PHILIPPE
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$35 Burgundy Flight: Three Pinot Noirs showing the contrast between Burgundy's Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits.
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$15 Bonus Flight Pour: Domaine Tortochot Morey-Saint-Denis 2023, a village-level Côte de Nuits wine that brings the comparison to its conclusion.
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Upcoming Events: Papapietro Perry Winemaker Tasting with David Low and our 16th annual RoséFest.
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There are a few different ways people describe what they like about Burgundy.
For some, it’s the lighter frame, the red fruit, the floral edge. For others, it’s something darker, a little firmer, with more earth and structure behind it.
What many people don’t realize is that those two experiences often come from different parts of the same region.
This week's $35 tasting flight explores these contrasting expressions of Burgundy. It's not about memorizing villages and classifications, but noticing how different these wines feel when you taste them side by side and discovering which of the two styles you naturally lean toward.
The Côte de Beaune shows more lift, brighter red fruit, and a softer, more approachable texture. The Côte de Nuits leans darker, with more structure, more earth, and a style that carries a bit more weight.
Both are Burgundy. Both are Pinot Noir. Yet their expressions are distinct.
We are pouring three wines to show you this contrast in styles:
Domaine Gabriel & Paul Jouard Santenay Vieilles Vignes Rouge 2023 | $54
- Beaune-side entry with red cherry, raspberry, and with an easy, seamless feel from the first sip.
Thibault Liger-Belair Hautes-Côtes de Nuits "Les Clos du Prieuré" 2022 | $59
- Nuits-driven contrast with darker fruit, savory spice, and a firmer structure with a little more grip and less give up front.
Domaine Tollot-Beaut Chorey-lès-Beaune Rouge 2023 | $80
- Classic Beaune expression with black cherry, floral lift, and richer, fuller feel without losing its balance.
These three wines make the comparison clear: two distinct expressions of Burgundy, one lighter, more lifted, and more floral, the other darker, firmer, and more earth-driven, with Tollot-Beaut showing how much depth the Beaune side can have.
If you’d like to continue exploring the contrast, this week's optional bonus pour takes the Nuits side one step further:
Add a 2 oz bonus pour for $15
Domaine Tortochot Morey-Saint-Denis 2023 | $117
- Core Nuits expression with blackberry, spice, and earth, supported by a more structured frame that builds and lingers through the finish.
Tortochot farms grand cru vineyards in Morey-Saint-Denis, and this wine carries that same structure and intent at the village level. It shows the Nuits style at a deeper, more complete level at the end of the flight, while also offering a rare chance to taste a village Morey, something we don't get to pour often in a flight.
Whether you’re still figuring out what Burgundy is, or already know the names and villages by heart, this flight gives you the rare chance to taste both sides of Burgundy side by side and decide which one feels more like your kind of wine.
Come taste with us today through Sunday, while the wines last.
Cheers,
The Petit Philippe Team
| | Join us for guided tastings, winemaker dinners, and hands-on workshops. | | | |
Thursday, April 30th | 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
winemaker-guided | single-vineyard Pinot Noir
Winemaker David Low will lead a seated tasting of six Papapietro Perry wines in La Cave, including four single-vineyard Pinot Noirs from the 2022 vintage, the Peters Vineyard Chardonnay, and a Dry Creek Zinfandel to close.
Special event pricing will be available on the full lineup for guests during the tasting.
A focused opportunity to taste across the range with the winemaker and determine which wines are worth bringing home and adding to your collection.
📅 Thursday, April 30
⏰ 5:30–7:00 PM
🎟 $60 per person + tax
Reserve your seat →
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Friday, May 8th | 6 PM - 8 PM
Saturday, May 9th | 3 PM - 5 PM
walkaround tasting | taste across regions | event-only pricing
RoséFest returns.
Our annual walkaround tasting is back, with 15 rosés poured across France, Italy, Spain, Germany, South Africa, and the United States.
A chance to explore, compare, and discover the wines that define the season, all in a relaxed, self-guided format across the shop and La Cave.
Whether it’s your first RoséFest or part of your annual ritual, this is where summer begins at Petit Philippe.
Friday, May 8th | 6 pm - 8 pm
Saturday, May 9th | 3 pm - 5 pm
Wines will be available to purchase during the event, including a selection of RoséFest exclusives that won’t be around for long.
Tickets are now available.
Purchase Tickets →
| | Three Pinot Noirs that highlight how different Burgundy can be in the glass, from lighter, more lifted styles to darker, more structured ones. | | |
Join Us for Weekly Tasting Flights
Available during the hours below
11:00 am - 9:00 pm | Thursday
11:00 am - 9:00 pm | Friday
11:00 am - 9:00 pm | Saturday
1:00 pm - 7:00 pm | Sunday (depending on availability)
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Côte de Beaune • Burgundy, France
$54 retail
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Jouard farms older vines in Santenay, bringing more depth to a village that often flies under the radar while keeping the easy, approachable style that defines the southern Côte de Beaune. These old vines are the reason this wine carries more weight than most Santenay bottlings, without losing its lift. After seven generations of making wine from this site, you feel the precision in its structure.
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Vinification
Old vines on clay-limestone soils bring natural concentration, but the winemaking stays restrained to keep that from turning heavy. A year in French oak adds just enough structure to frame the wine, without tightening it. This gears the wine towards clarity rather than build, which is why the wine comes through clean and focused.
Tasting Notes
Red cherry and raspberry lead, with a light floral note and a touch of earth underneath. Smooth and easy on the palate, with fine tannins that stay in the background. There’s more depth here than you expect at this level, but it stays light on its feet.
Comfortable from the start and easy to come back to. If you tend to prefer brighter, more approachable styles, this is the side of Burgundy will resonate for you.
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Côte de Nuits • Burgundy, France
$59 retail
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Thibault Liger-Belair applies the same philosophy used in his grand cru vineyards (including Richebourg and Clos de Vougeot) to this site, and you can tell from the structure of the wine. The 2022 vintage brings more depth and concentration, making the difference between the two sides of Burgundy easier to recognize. This leans darker and more savory, with a firmer edge that gives it a more serious feel from the start.
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Vinification
A portion of whole cluster fermentation adds lift and a subtle savory edge, while reinforcing the wine's structure. Oak is used to build frame, not softness, which gives the wine more shape and presence on the palate.
Tasting Notes
Red and darker cherry come through with earth and a subtle spice note. The texture is firmer, with more grip and a more structured feel through the middle. It builds as you spend time with it, showing more depth rather than coming across all at once.
If you’re drawn to darker fruit, savory notes, and a more structured feel, this Nuits expression will contrast the lifted Beaune style and resonate more strongly.
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Côte de Beaune • Burgundy, France
$80 retail
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Tollot-Beaut has made Chorey worth paying attention to, even without the prestige of higher classifications. This is a producer that defines the appellation, not the other way around. Old vine Pinot Fin selections and decades of work in these vineyards show up in the depth and control of this wine.
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Vinification
Old vine fruit brings added concentration, but the winemaking keeps it from turning dense. Time in oak helps integrate the structure, softening the edges without muting the fruit. The result is a wine that feels complete and composed, without relying on weight alone.
Tasting Notes
Black cherry and raspberry lead, with a light floral lift and a touch of spice. Supple on the palate, with tannins that are fully integrated into the wine rather than sitting on top of it. There’s more depth and presence here, but everything stays in balance.
A clear step up in depth without losing approachability, showing why producer matters as much as place in Burgundy. Here, a village-level Burgundy goes well beyond the simple, early-drinking style people expect.
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*OPTIONAL BONUS POUR*
Côte de Nuits • Burgundy, France
$117 retail
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Tortochot farms grand cru vineyards in Morey-Saint-Denis, and that same structure carries into this village wine. The site sits among some of Burgundy’s most celebrated vineyards, and it shows the depth and grip this village is known for.
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Vinification
A portion of whole cluster fermentation adds lift and a subtle spice edge, while also reinforcing the wine’s structure. Oak aging builds length and frame, giving the wine more shape through the finish. The focus here is on structure and length, so the wine carries through the palate rather than fading early.
Tasting Notes
Black cherry and blackberry lead, followed by earth, spice, and a hint of pepper on the finish. More structured on the palate, with tannins that carry and a finish that lasts. It opens with freshness, but the lasting impression is depth and persistence.
If you’re drawn to wines with more depth, structure, and length, this is where the Nuits side fully comes into focus. It’s also a rare chance to taste a village Morey-Saint-Denis in this setting, and one that tends to leave the strongest impression at the end of the flight.
| | The Two Côtes: Why They Taste Different | |
The difference between the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits isn’t subtle, and it’s not random. A few key factors shape how Pinot Noir shows up here, and once you know what to look for, it becomes much easier to recognize what you’re drinking—and what you’re likely to enjoy.
Slope & Exposure
Both sit along the same hillside, but the conditions shift as you move north. In Beaune, vineyards tend to ripen a bit more gently, which leads to wines that feel lighter, brighter, and more immediately approachable. In Nuits, the conditions push toward more concentration, which is why those wines tend to feel firmer and more structured.
Soil Composition
Soil plays a direct role in texture. Beaune’s mix of clay and limestone tends to produce wines with a rounder, softer feel. In Nuits, thinner soils and more limestone marl create more tension and grip, which is where that darker, more grounded character comes from.
Ripeness & Structure
Those differences carry through to the fruit. Beaune wines often show more red fruit and feel open earlier. Nuits wines tend to lean darker, with more structure underneath, which is why they can feel a bit more serious or reserved at first, but often carry longer on the finish.
Finding Your Style in Burgundy
You don’t need to memorize villages to start choosing Burgundy more confidently. If you prefer wines that feel lighter, brighter, and easier to approach, you’ll usually find yourself leaning toward the Côte de Beaune. If you’re drawn to wines with more depth, structure, and a longer finish, the Côte de Nuits is where you’ll naturally gravitate.
Once you start noticing that difference, Burgundy becomes much easier to navigate. Instead of guessing, you begin to recognize the style in the glass—and choose bottles that match what you already know you enjoy.
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