In particular, Lelañea embraced their rusticity, saying she loved the spice and pepper flavors of the wines, while Bernie and Florence both thought the wines showed well across the board. It’s worth noting that for people who associate pinot noir with exuberantly fruity California wines, these bottles may seem austere at first, their fruit subdued. But if you give them time, their lightness will come to seem a virtue, suggesting the Burgundian ideal of intensity without weight.

Our favorite came from Domaine Ninot, a Rully producer that was unknown to me. The cuvée, La Chaponnière, was easygoing and graceful, yet with a lip-smacking deliciousness that would seem to make a bottle go down very easily. Right behind, at No. 2, was a Rully from Domaine Vincent Dureuil-Janthial, one of the best producers in the Côte Chalonnaise year in and year out. This Rully showed the kind of finesse and nuance you don’t expect in an entry-level wine, along with plenty of spicy red fruit. Both of these bottles cost $28, yet even though we ranked the Ninot slightly higher, I picked the Dureuil-Janthial as the best value, as I think it will be less difficult to find.

In addition to their domaine, Vincent Dureuil and his wife, Céline, run a small négociant business. Their Rully Vauvry, our No. 9 bottle, was light, balanced and refreshing, a delicious wine though it lacked the extra dimension we found in their domaine bottle. Paradoxically, the Vauvry cost more, $31, because it came from a premier cru vineyard, but we thought the village Rully was better.

We also very much enjoyed the savory, complex Les Grands Prétans, a premier cru Givry from Domaine Besson; the dense and spicy Les Champs Martins, a premier cru Mercurey from Domaine Michel Juillot, another top name; and the graceful, harmonious Mercurey Les Montots from Domaine A. & P. de Villaine. Aubert de Villaine, the proprietor with his wife, Pamela, also happens to be the co-director of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, the storied Côte d’Or estate whose wines are among those out of the price range of mere mortals. At $60, their Mercurey was one of two most expensive wines in our tasting, along with the Mercurey La Plante Chassey from Catherine & Dominique Derain, a substantial wine but currently a bit closed.

A $60 price tag on a bottle of wine is steep for anybody. It may especially seem high for a bottle that can be perceived as off-brand Burgundy. Two things to keep in mind: First, that’s simply the reality of buying Burgundy today. Second, the wines of the Côte Chalonnaise are far from poor substitutes. They are delicious in their own right.

Recipe: Chicken Cutlets With Mushroom Dressing

TASTING REPORT

Domaine Ninot Rully La Chaponnière 2012 ★★★1/2

Lip-smacking, balanced and graceful, with plenty of substance. (Cynthia Hurley French Wines, West Newton, Mass.) $28