Auxey-Duresses Les Duresses Wine

Les Duresses is one of the largest Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru sites, in the Côte de Beaune sub-region of Burgundy. It is planted mainly to Pinot Noir, though a couple of Chardonnay wines are also made from fruit grown here.

In fact only a 7.92 hectare (19.57 acre) section of the Les Duresses vineyard lies within the Auxey-Duresses zone. The northern section (6.72ha / 16.61 acres) is a Premier Cru for neighboring Monthélie. Furthermore, acrossa minor road to the east of the former lies the Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru Bas des Duresses.

All Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru sites are located on the slopes of the Montagne de Bourdon hillside. Those overlooking the village of Auxey-Duresses are more directly south facing. Les Duresses is further around the hill, and faces more to the southeast. This helps explain why Les Duresses wines tend to be a little lighter than the other Auxey-Duresses Premier Crus.

Like the other Premier Cru sites Les Duresses has a loose scree topsoil. However, along with its neighbor Reugne, it is steeper than its counterparts and more proe to soil erosion.