Gevrey Chambertin
Gevrey-Chambertin is the largest wine-producing village in Burgundy’s Côte d'Or. Located in the far north of the Côtes de Nuits, the classic style is typically deeper in colour, firmer in body and more tannic in structure than most red Burgundy. While in the past there have been myriad underperformers here, the overall quality is now higher than ever and the best can develop into the most complete and long-lived Pinot Noir in the world.
Learn more about Gevrey Chambertin
Gevrey-Chambertin is the largest wine-producing village in Burgundy’s Côte d'Or, with its vineyards spilling over into the next door commune of Brochon.
Located in the far north of the Côtes de Nuits above Morey-St Denis, classic Gevrey-Chambertin is typically deeper in colour, firmer in body and more tannic in structure than most red Burgundy. The best can develop into the richest, most complete and long-lived Pinot Noir in the world. This is largely thanks to the iron-rich clay soils, though much depends on whether the vineyard is located on either the steeper slopes (Evocelles, Clos St Jacques) or the flatter, richer soils (Clos Prieur, Combottes).
Whereas in the past there have been numerous underperformers in Gevrey-Chambertin exploiting the reputation of this famous village and its iconic Grands Crus, today there are many fine sources to choose from, and overall quality is higher than ever.
Gevrey-Chambertin’s greatest Grand Cru is named after the field of the monk Bertin (Champ de Bertin). In 1847, Gevrey appended the name of this illustrious vineyard, Chambertin, setting a trend for the other principle villages to follow. Le Chambertin may not be quite as sumptuous as Musigny or Richebourg, or as divinely elegant as La Tâche or Romanée-St Vivant, but it is matched only by the legendary Romanée-Conti for completeness and luscious intensity.
In all, Gevrey boasts an impressive nine Grands Crus, with the name of Chambertin retaining a regal omnipresence throughout its finest vineyard names. The other truly great Grand Cru is Chambertin-Clos de Bèze which has the right to sell its wines simply as ‘Chambertin’, and is the only wine allowed to put the Chambertin name before, rather than after, its own. Situated slightly further up the hill, the wines are fractionally less powerful yet full of sensual charm and finesse.
Quality-wise the next best are generally acknowledged to be Mazis-Chambertin and Latricières-Chambertin. The former is incredibly concentrated and very fine, but its structure is a little less firm than Le Chambertin. Latricières is less about power (although it can be explosively fruity) and more about an entrancing silkiness.
Situated slightly higher up the slope, Ruchottes-Chambertin is impressively rich, stylish and slightly angular. The tiny Griottes-Chambertin, which owes its name to the grill-pan shape of the vineyard rather than the wine’s griotte cherry aroma, is lower down the slope and boasts a velvety texture and rich fruit reminiscent of Chambertin itself. It is generally better than the lighter, although wonderfully fragrant Chapelle-Chambertin and Gevrey’s largest Grand Cru, the pure and seductive (if variable) Charmes-Chambertin.
Gevrey also has some outstanding Premier Crus on the south-east-facing slopes above the town. Les Cazetiers and especially Clos St Jacques produce some exceptional wines. Indeed Armand Rousseau, who pioneered domaine bottling here in the 1930s and is still one of the region’s very best producers, often sells his Clos St Jacques for more than several of his Grand Crus.
Drinking dates for these wines vary, but Grand Crus are generally best from at least 10 to 25 years, Premier Crus from eight to 20 years, and village wines from five to 12 years.
- 315 hectares of village Gevrey Chambertin
- 84 hectares of Premier Cru vineyards (20 in all). The foremost vineyards include Clos St Jacques, Lavaux St Jacques, Combottes, Corbeaux, Cherbaudes, Cazetiers.
- 55 hectares of Grand Cru vineyards: Chambertin, Chambertin Clos de Bèze, Latricières-Chambertin, Ruchottes-Chambertin, Mazis-Chambertin, Charmes-Chambertin, Mazoyères-Chambertin, Chapelle-Chambertin, Griottes-Chambertin..
- Recommended producers: Bachelet, Dugat, Esmonin, Mortet, Rossignol Trapet, Rousseau, Serafin, Bernstein
- Recommended restaurants : Chez Guy (good wine list), Rôtisserie du Chambertin (and Bistro)
Prices:
Bottle
£37.50
Bottle 6 x 75cl16cs
The good thing about having a domaine shared between Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits is that you are unlikely to sustain hail damage in every vineyard in any given vintage. The bad thing is that your Côte de Beaune vineyards will have suffered three years in a row. So this year we concentrate on Gevrey-Chambertin, where Louis’s results are excellent in 2014.
Bottle
£37.50
Bottle 6 x 75cl55cs
Our jovial friend Jérôme Castagnier has excelled himself this year. The promise we picked up on last year has really been delivered in 2014. He says that the wines have lovely flesh but also a beautiful freshness, and notes some similarities to 2010. His generic Burgundies (available on www.bbr.com/burgundy2014) are also excellent.
Bottle
£37.50
Bottle 6 x 75cl7cs
Nicolas and David Rossignol began the harvest on 22nd September, picking over eight days. Yields were up, the grapes were ripe, but some sorting was necessary after a little hail in Beaune and some Suzukiengendered rot in the lower vineyards of Gevrey-Chambertin. They are very pleased with their new Pellenc de-stemmer which leaves the berries intact, while continuing to use a percentage of whole bunches as well.
Bottle
£37.50
Bottle 6 x 75cl37cs
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer
After lengthy negotiations, we have secured a good allocation of these top class 2013s from Jérôme Castagnier. We fell just as much in love with the generic wines as with those further up the scale. Jérôme began on 1st October, taking pains to verify the ripeness of each vineyard before deciding the picking date. The grapes were all de-stemmed.
Bottle
£39.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl29cs
Bottle
£39.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl46cs
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer
It was difficult at the start and difficult at the end but OK in between”, says Nicolas, who began harvesting on 6th October. Younger vines flowered better, giving more volume than 2012, and only the Beaune vineyards were hailed on. There were no grave problems with rot, and they avoided heavy extraction as the colour came easily enough. Nicolas noted that cool vintages such as 2013 are best for terroir definition, and certainly the hallmark of his wines this year is elegance, and precision.
Bottle
£39.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl47cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer
David Croix picked relatively late for his reds, from October 3rd to 16th, but he wisely took the whites in first from 29th September to 2nd October. Overall he has been able to source more wine than for the pitifully small 2012 crop. These are beautiful wines, a marvellous expression of Pinot Noir, suited for medium term keeping.
Bottle
£39.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl5cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
This year Jean-Luc and Eric Burguet purchased some additional vineyards from another member of the family: an additional 0.75ha each in the two village Gevrey cuvées. We may also get a small allocation of Gevrey-Chambertin, Champeaux, 1er Cru and a new wine, Gevrey-Chambertin, Lavaux St Jacques, 1er Cru. They found that 2014 produced decent yields, with picking beginning on 18th September.
Bottle
£39.95
Bottle 12 x 75cl45cs
“This is definitely the best vintage I have made in white,” says Benjamin. “The wines have great vineyard definition; I would just have loved to have made more. It is my style of vintage.” His reds, too, have gorgeous layers of ripe fruit, so 2014 is clearly a significant success all round for Benjamin.
Further cuvées are available from Benjamin and can be found at www.bbr. com/burgundy2014. Note – all the white wines will be bottled under top-quality screwcaps, StelvinLux Plus.
Bottle
£43.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl19cs
Bottle
£43.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl102cs
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director
Alain Burguet’s sons now have their own names on the label. The style at this excellent domaine has been evolving in recent years, away from firmly extracted wines towards a lighter touch. The vineyards are organic (without certification) and biodynamic from 2012, and they are trying out different barrel makers now.
Bottle
£45.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl10cs
Anne McHale MW - Wine Education Specialist
Bottle
£45.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl78cs
Bottle
£45.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl47cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl2cs
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer
The 2013 harvest is the latest ever recorded at Burguet, starting 9th October, in the cold more than the rain – there was even some frost one morning. They have three separate sorting stations, though rot varied by sector. Vinification was normal, a long time in tank but a gentle approach. The 2013 is particularly, and consistently, successful chez Burguet.
Bottle
£45.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl29cs
Though we still have the pleasure of tasting with Christian Sérafin, it is now his niece, Frédérique who is solely responsible for winemaking. Christian describes 2014 as being all about elegance and balance, with neither too much acidity nor tannin. The Sérafin wines always repay patience.
Bottle
£45.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl36cs
Bottle
£45.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl16cs
This year Jean-Luc and Eric Burguet purchased some additional vineyards from another member of the family: an additional 0.75ha each in the two village Gevrey cuvées. We may also get a small allocation of Gevrey-Chambertin, Champeaux, 1er Cru and a new wine, Gevrey-Chambertin, Lavaux St Jacques, 1er Cru. They found that 2014 produced decent yields, with picking beginning on 18th September.
Bottle
£45.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl27cs
“This is definitely the best vintage I have made in white,” says Benjamin. “The wines have great vineyard definition; I would just have loved to have made more. It is my style of vintage.” His reds, too, have gorgeous layers of ripe fruit, so 2014 is clearly a significant success all round for Benjamin.
Further cuvées are available from Benjamin and can be found at www.bbr. com/burgundy2014. Note – all the white wines will be bottled under top-quality screwcaps, StelvinLux Plus.
Bottle
£45.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl48cs
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director
As far as supply is concerned it’s a topsy turvy position in 2012. Overall, Ben has made plenty of wine but some cuvées are missing this year. The best volumes are with the Chassagne-Montrachet Premiers Crus, which are always a strong point chez Benjamin. From a standing start in 2007 Benjamin has made truly exciting progress, and has grown his business a little more quickly than expected as great opportunities have come his way. Yet each year he still doesn’t seem to have quite enough wine to satisfy demand.
Bottle
£47.50
Bottle 6 x 75cl42cs
Bottle
£47.50
Bottle 6 x 75cl28cs
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer
It was difficult at the start and difficult at the end but OK in between”, says Nicolas, who began harvesting on 6th October. Younger vines flowered better, giving more volume than 2012, and only the Beaune vineyards were hailed on. There were no grave problems with rot, and they avoided heavy extraction as the colour came easily enough. Nicolas noted that cool vintages such as 2013 are best for terroir definition, and certainly the hallmark of his wines this year is elegance, and precision.
Bottle
£48.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl3cs
Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate. 30th October 2015.
Bottle
£48.50
Jasper Morris MW - Burgundy Wine Director
Bottle
£48.50
Bottle 6 x 75cl73cs
Bottle
£48.75
Bottle 6 x 75cl8cs
Bottle
£49.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl34cs
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer
The 2013 harvest is the latest ever recorded at Burguet, starting 9th October, in the cold more than the rain – there was even some frost one morning. They have three separate sorting stations, though rot varied by sector. Vinification was normal, a long time in tank but a gentle approach. The 2013 is particularly, and consistently, successful chez Burguet.
Bottle
£49.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl79cs
Thibault has made a fine and elegant range of 2014s, with little sign of the reduction which has sometimes prevailed here in the past. He has employed a fair proportion of whole-bunch fermentation, sending a crack team of pickers into the vineyards ahead of the rest to select the healthiest bunches. Another interest at the moment lies in finding the perfect toasting for his barrels, often choosing a minimal approach. We shall also be making a separate offer of Thibault’s brilliant 2014s from his Moulin à Vent estate.
Bottle
£49.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl17cs
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer
Christian Sérafin is very happy with how 2013 worked out in the end, though yields were once again 25% below normal, even if a touch more than in 2012. The team removed rot and unripe bunches in the vineyard, then waited to pick until after the wet weekend which helped both sugar and acidity.
Bottle
£49.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl10cs
Bottle
£49.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl43cs
Bottle
£49.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl7cs
A bright colour, and though the nose is quite backward, the palate reveals a huge wealth of vibrant strawberry and raspberry fruit. This matches very well the structure of fine-grained tannins.
Bottle
£49.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl46cs
Bronze medal winner at the 2016 Decanter World Wine Awards
Glorious purple, the nose is layered with deliciously rich cherries, more fruit than stems. There is an appealing structure to this, dancing heady fruit and good freshness. A fine vineyard, well interpreted.
The domaine has developed its white wine holdings, with four new cuvées this year, arising out of Boisset’s purchase of Vincent Girardin’s business. Girardin had farming arrangements in Puligny- Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet Champ Gain Premier Cru, Bienvenues-Bâtard- Montrachet Grand Cru and a tiny holding of Chevalier-Montrachet: Monsieur Boisset has now bought these vineyards. As well as these excellent whites, Pierre Vincent considers 2014 to be one of his best red wine vintages, with something in common with 2006 and 2010.
Bottle
£49.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl24cs
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer
The harvest began with whites on 26th September, before the rain, then the reds were brought in during less good weather, with sorting necessary. The stems were ripe enough to allow for whole bunch vinification, and Pierre has chosen the soft pedal in 2013: not much punching down, more an infusion approach, less new wood and perhaps a shorter time in barrel. Pierre can see some elements of 2008 but with more weight, more flattering wines overall.
Bottle
£49.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl28cs
88/90 Neal Martin eRobertParker.com #222 Dec 2015