Perhaps the only straightforward thing that can be said about white wines from Burgundy is that they are all made with chardonnay (technically, that’s not even true; there is one other authorized white grape, aligoté, two, if you include the minuscule amount of pinot blanc planted, but you’re likely to rarely come across them—though aligoté does have its adherents—so most treat them as though they don’t exist).

Few regions in the wine world are as worshiped, and at the same time misunderstood, as Burgundy. The wines, Chardonnay for the whites and Pinot Noir for the reds, are certifiably wonderful, more so now than at any other time in the region’s long winemaking history.