Rully
Crisp whites, supple reds and a cradle of Burgundy's sparkling wine, below a medieval château.
- Wine village
- 25 min from Beaune
- Red and white wines
- 23 premiers crus
€290for a half-day wine tour from Beaune, up to 4 guests
At a glance
- Appellations
- Rully
- Grapes
- Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 25 min by road (20 km), €90 one way for the whole car.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About Rully
Rully lies at the northern end of the Côte Chalonnaise, about 25 minutes south of Beaune. About two-thirds of its wine is white, the rest red. The village is also a historic centre of Crémant de Bourgogne, and its fortified château has passed down one family line since the 12th century.
The wines
Rully makes red and white wines under its own name, with 23 premiers crus, 21 in Rully and two in neighbouring Chagny. Chardonnay prefers clay-limestone soils, while Pinot Noir grows on brown or limey soils with little clay. The whites are fresh and fruity, often floral; the reds are light and supple. The village also produces a large volume of Crémant de Bourgogne, more than 15,000 hectolitres a year.
History
The great square keep of the Château de Rully was raised at the end of the 12th century, and Hugues de Rully held the castle in 1194. In the 14th century it became a stone enclosure with three round towers, and in the 15th a lordly residence. Through marriages it passed from the Rully family to the Saint-Léger, Montessus and Ternay families, whose descendant still owns it. Its 18th-century outbuildings carry the largest group of stone roofs in Burgundy.
Rully played a founding role in Burgundy's sparkling wine. In 1822 Fortuné Joseph Petiot-Groffier, who owned vines here, hired François Basile Hubert, an 18-year-old from Champagne. By 1826 the wine was on sale, and in 1830 Hubert founded Rully's first house devoted to sparkling wine. The still wines gained their appellation in 1939, and Crémant de Bourgogne became an appellation in 1975.
Well-known premiers crusGrésigny · La Pucelle · Rabourcé · Clos St Jacques · Margotés · Montpalais
What to see
Château de Rully
A fortress with a late 12th-century keep, 14th-century towers and a 15th-century dovecote, still lived in by the owners. Visits are by appointment, except in July and August, when guided tours run daily without booking.
Voie Verte
The greenway follows the old towpath of the Canal du Centre past Rully, between Saint-Léger-sur-Dheune and Chalon-sur-Saône. It is flat and paved, good for a short walk or bike ride.
Chapel of Agneux
A 12th-century chapel in the hamlet of Agneux, whose name is also carried by one of Rully's 23 premiers crus. It stands in the grounds of a private property and can only be seen from outside.
Around here
What to combine with Rully on the same day, nearest first.
Guides about Rully
Questions
Rully is about 25 min from Beaune by road (20 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €90 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? The dovecote of the Château de Rully, built in the 15th century, has 1,200 nesting holes made of fine stone, enough for 2,400 pigeons and their young.
Sources
Rully with a private driver
Half-day wine tour from Beaune: €290 for the car, up to 4 guests