Les Champeaux

Glowing purple, this wine is all fruit on the nose with lovely deep plum and dark cherry notes. Concentrated dark cherry, blueberry and black fruit dominate on the palate with exceptional intensity in the mouth, and great weight behind. It is suave and concentrated at the same time, while the oak adds a touch of creaminess but in no way distracts from the lovely crunchy coolness of the fruit. 
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

 

Champeaux, the name of this 6.67 hectare vineyard comes from the French for ‘little fields’. It is located at mid slope towards the northern end of the Côte St-Jacques, where the easterly exposition begins to modify a fraction towards the north. The soil is quite jumbled up: a mix of red and brown earth with the mother rock quite close to the surface. In 2012 Olivier Bernstein was able to acquire the small plot where he had previously purchased the grapes.

The vines are 55-years-old. Rich bright purple in colour, the stylish and polished bouquet harnesses a delicious explosion of fruit. The fruit on the palate has a sensual component up front then kicks on beautifully to a fine, long, ripe finish. The wine is defined by tremendous length and class, including a fine acid balance as well as notably dense tannins which will ensure longevity.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

The wines of Burgundy – perhaps more than any other region – are a product both of place but also of people. With individual vineyard plots often split amongst countless producers, the terroir expressed in a wine can be unusually specific; equally the style of the winemaker can be readily discerned when tasted against his neighbours.
Back in 2007, Jasper Morris MW – Berry Bros. & Rudd’s Burgundy buyer, who lives in the region for most of the year – heard whispers about a new producer, whose wines were said to be universally impressive. Jasper duly sought out Olivier Bernstein and tasted his portfolio: “It was terrifically exciting to come across a brand-new quality producer in the Burgundy market, and to taste wines of such class from his very first vintage,” says Morris.

“Now, five years on, Olivier has matured into a confident player with his Premiers and Grands Crus wines of the Côte de Nuits.” Since Berry Bros. & Rudd first offered Bernstein’s wines with the 2007 vintage, Olivier’s reputation in the UK and worldwide markets has steadily grown. We are delighted that the 2012 vintage – unquestionably Bernstein’s most refined and well-composed offering to date – will be available to the UK market exclusively through Berry Bros. & Rudd.