Places compared
Burgundy vs Oregon Pinot Noir
Oregon was planted to make Burgundy. How close did it get?
Which to choose
Choose
Côte de Nuits
You want the specific savoury, earthy character that Burgundy alone reliably produces, and the site hierarchy that goes with it.
Choose
Willamette Valley
You want the same shape of wine for less money, with more consistency between producers.
Where they differ
Written rather than computed. A place has no taste profile of its own — the wines made there do, and they vary — so averaging one into existence would produce a number for every dimension and a meaning for none.
Climate
Côte de Nuits
Continental at 47° north: cold winters, warm summers, spring frost and summer hail.
Willamette Valley
Maritime at 45° north: milder winters, cooler summers, and autumn rain as the recurring threat.
Fruit
Côte de Nuits
Red cherry and raspberry with earth, mushroom and forest floor emerging with age.
Willamette Valley
Riper and darker — black cherry and plum alongside the red fruit — with a distinct savoury, stemmy edge.
Structure
Côte de Nuits
High acidity, very fine tannin, and a texture that is the point of the wine.
Willamette Valley
Comparable acidity, slightly firmer tannin, and generally a touch more weight.
Hierarchy
Côte de Nuits
Four legally delimited tiers from regional to Grand Cru, built over a thousand years.
Willamette Valley
AVAs that regulate origin only, and a hierarchy that is entirely a matter of producer reputation.
Price
Côte de Nuits
Village wine now costs what Premier Cru did a decade ago.
Willamette Valley
Serious Oregon Pinot Noir costs roughly what Burgundy village wine does, and there is far more of it.
Read more
Place
Côte de Nuits
The northern half of the Côte d’Or, and the source of the world’s most celebrated Pinot Noir.
Place
Willamette Valley
Oregon’s Pinot Noir region, cooler and more restrained than California and closer in style to Burgundy.
Comparison
Côte de Nuits vs Côte de Beaune
The two halves of the Côte d’Or, and which one you actually want.