Côte Chalonnaise lies between the Cote de Beaune to the north and the Mâconnais to the south. Côte Chalonnaise is made up of five communes, from north to south these are Bouzeron, Rully, Mercurey, Givry and Montagny. The Mâconnais is centred around the town of Mâcon and has a warmer climate which is largely due to the hilly topography which leads to lower levels of rainfall but also due to its position south of the Cote d`Or, both of which help ripening conditions in the vineyards and give the richer style found in the Cote Chalonnaise. As is the case across Burgundy, the presence of limestone in the Chalonnaise is vital. The increased minerality it creates in the wines is highly valued and the best vineyard plots are often those with a high content of limestone.