Saint-Aubin
A valley village just over the hill from Montrachet, where most vineyards are classified premier cru.
- Wine village
- 22 min from Beaune
- Red and white wines
- 30 premiers crus
€290for a half-day wine tour from Beaune, up to 4 guests
At a glance
- Appellations
- Saint-Aubin
- Grapes
- Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 22 min by road (18 km), €85 one way for the whole car.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About Saint-Aubin
Saint-Aubin lies in a small side valley just behind Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet, with its hamlet of Gamay across the vines. Its vineyards sit in the immediate surroundings of Montrachet. White wine dominates today, and 30 of its climats are classified premier cru.
The wines
Vines face east or southeast at 300 to 350 metres. Whites grow on pale, clay-rich and very chalky soils, while reds favour spots with more brown clay. In 2022 about 140 hectares were white and 24 red, per the Burgundy wine board. Young whites are floral and mineral, turning honeyed with age. The reds, from Pinot Noir, are dark garnet, with raspberry, blackcurrant, morello cherry and blackberry, lifted by spice.
History
Saint-Aubin's hamlet of Gamay is guarded by a medieval fortified house, listed as a historic monument. The Burgundy wine board suggests the hamlet may have given its name to the Gamay grape. If so, history has a twist. In 1395 Duke Philip the Bold ordered Gamay out of Burgundy's vineyards in favour of Pinot Noir, and Saint-Aubin went on to build its name on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The Saint-Aubin appellation was created on 31 July 1937 for red and white wines, and 30 climats are now classified premier cru. They lie on the best-exposed slopes above the village and on either side of Gamay, in the immediate neighbourhood of Montrachet. White wine dominates today, from about 140 hectares against 24 for red. In January 2014 Saint-Aubin hosted the Saint-Vincent tournante for the first time, welcoming tens of thousands of visitors.
Well-known premiers crusEn Remilly · Les Murgers des Dents de Chien · Les Frionnes · La Chatenière · Sur Gamay · Les Combes
What to see
Hamlet of Gamay
Across the vines from the village, this hamlet keeps a medieval fortified house, listed as a historic monument in 1991. It is privately owned, so view it from the lane.
The premier cru slopes
Walk up from the village into premier cru climats such as En Remilly and Les Murgers des Dents de Chien for wide views over Saint-Aubin and the hamlet of Gamay.
Tips for your visit
Allow about an hour. Saint-Aubin sits between Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet and the castle of La Rochepot, so it slips easily into a southern loop. Comparing its whites with those of Puligny is a rewarding exercise.
Around here
What to combine with Saint-Aubin on the same day, nearest first.
Chassagne-Montrachet
2 km awayBlagny
3 km awayPuligny-Montrachet
3 km away
- Nature and viewpoint
Mont de Sène (Hill of the Three Crosses) Mont de Sène (Montagne des Trois Croix)
5 km away
Guides about Saint-Aubin
Questions
Saint-Aubin is about 22 min from Beaune by road (18 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €85 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? About three quarters of Saint-Aubin's vineyard area is classified premier cru. In 2022 that meant roughly 121 of 164 hectares in production, according to Burgundy wine board figures.
Sources
Saint-Aubin with a private driver
Half-day wine tour from Beaune: €290 for the car, up to 4 guests