The highest hill above Beaune, known locally as the montagne, overlooks the whole town from a height of 359 metres. Orchards and woods are interspersed with vineyards, and a few houses enjoy a breathtaking panorama over the Saône valley, the Jura and the
The name “Les Pierres Blanches” (white stones) refers to the calcareous laves, flat slabs once used for roofing, and still employed today to cap the walls of enclosed vineyards. On the sun-drenched “mountain”, these white limestone slabs are further bleached by continuous exposure. The first traces of the name can be found in 1258 in the Martyrology of Beaune: In Monte Lapidi albi (on the white-stoned hill).
The Côte de Beaune communal appellation is comprised of only reds and whites from 52 hectares within the Beaune appellation. The name of the climat is allowed to follow the words Côte de Beaune. This AOC should not be confused with another commune appellation, Côte de Beaune-Villages, which (apart from a few Premiers Crus) extends across the Côte de Beaune from Ladoix to Les Maranges and only contains red wines.