Premeaux-Prissey
Two old villages joined in 1972, with walled premier cru clos and wines sold as Nuits-Saint-Georges.
- Wine village
- 19 min from Beaune
- Red and white wines
€290for a half-day wine tour from Beaune, up to 4 guests
At a glance
- Appellations
- Nuits-Saint-Georges, Côte de Nuits-Villages
- Grapes
- Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 19 min by road (15 km), €80 one way for the whole car.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About Premeaux-Prissey
Premeaux-Prissey lies just south of Nuits-Saint-Georges, among the last villages of the Côte de Nuits before the Côte de Beaune. Its best vineyards belong to the Nuits-Saint-Georges appellation, and several are historic walled clos. The commune also makes Côte de Nuits-Villages.
The wines
Premeaux's premiers crus sit mostly in a line of walled clos on the slope, such as Clos de la Maréchale, Clos Arlot and Clos des Forêts Saint-Georges. Hard, compact Comblanchien limestone forms the backbone of the slope, covered with scree and clay. The wines are Nuits-Saint-Georges in style, firm and structured Pinot Noir. Much of the appellation's rare white, from Chardonnay, grows here in Premeaux.
History
The commune brings together two villages that stayed separate for centuries: Premeaux and Prissey were only united in 1972. Prissey's small Romanesque church of Saint-Martin dates from the 11th century and was reworked around the 13th. Inside is the tombstone of Charles de Saulx, lord of Prissey, who died in 1474. Premeaux's name may come from premières eaux, first waters, a nod to its many springs.
Premeaux's wines were noticed early: in 1816 the wine writer André Jullien placed its Clos de Premeau in the first class. From the 16th century until the 1980s the village also quarried stone, including a pink stone prized for building, and old pink tombstones remain in the cemetery. Since 1936 its best vineyards have shared the Nuits-Saint-Georges appellation with the neighbouring town.
Well-known premiers crusClos de la Maréchale · Clos Arlot · Clos des Forêts Saint-Georges · Les Didiers · Clos des Corvées · Clos Saint-Marc
What to see
Église Saint-Martin de Prissey
This small Romanesque church from the 11th century sits below the village. Inside, look for the tombstone of Charles de Saulx, lord of Prissey, who died in 1474.
The clos of Premeaux
Several premier cru vineyards here are walled clos, such as Clos de la Maréchale, Clos Arlot and Clos Saint-Marc. Most are private, so admire their stone walls from the lanes.
Wash house and Saint-Marcel church
Near the church of Saint-Marcel-et-Saint-Marc, beside the main road, stands a wash house with an impluvium, an old system for collecting rainwater.
Tips for your visit
Premeaux-Prissey makes a short stop of 20 to 30 minutes. Combine it with Nuits-Saint-Georges, just to the north, and with the Côte de Beaune villages to the south on the way back to Beaune.
Around here
What to combine with Premeaux-Prissey on the same day, nearest first.
Guides about Premeaux-Prissey
Questions
Premeaux-Prissey is about 19 min from Beaune by road (15 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €80 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? Premeaux's growers celebrate Saint Marcel on 16 January rather than Saint Vincent, the usual patron of Burgundy's winemakers. The custom grew from a 19th-century mutual aid society of vineyard workers.
Sources
Premeaux-Prissey with a private driver
Half-day wine tour from Beaune: €290 for the car, up to 4 guests