Gevrey-Chambertin

One of the iconic villages in Burgundy, Gevrey-Chambertin is in some ways an outlier. Its placement at the far north of the appellation makes it somewhat remote from the cluster of villages to the south. And its wines are usually Burgundy’s most powerful, muscular, deep-bodied and longest-lived. Its vineyards are populated by the Côte d’Or’s greatest concentration of old vines, which buttress the concentration and depth already brought forward by the high preponderance of clay in these soils.

No doubt, it’s the character of these wines - potent, physical, serious - that led to the designation of nine Grand Cru vineyards here, the largest number of any Burgundian village. However, some are questioning if all the vineyards are worthy of this mighty status. No one doubts the might vineyard of Chambertin, center of them all, nor Clos de Bèze, to its immediate right. But the rest of the Grand Cru don’t always convince they’ve earned their lofty designation and price.

Ironically, the region boasts a great number of powerful Premier Crus. These huddle together on the other side of the village, far from the cluster of Grand Cru, and climb high into the famous Combe Lavaux, which provides cool air and southerly exposures. The Premier Crus here are top notch: Combe de Laval, Lavaux St-Jacques, and the celebrated Clos St-Jacques. For these Premier Cru, in cool vintages, you may lack the heat to achieve optimal ripeness, but in warm years like 2009 and 2015, the wines are beautiful and meaty, with fine tannins and abundant fruit. On the other, southern end of the village, a Premier Cru sits next to the Grand Cru cluster: Aux Combottes. The microclimate here again makes it cooler than the Grand Crus, which aren’t exposed to the wind. Heavier soils have also deposited there, and the poorer drainage seems to affect ripening, so the wines are never quite as full-blown. In warm, dry vintages, though, Aux Combottes can be every bit as great as the others with a grace and suppleness to accompany potent cherry fruit.

tasting notes

Gevrey-Chambertin is often characterized by darker, more purple color and consequently, flavors along the darker fruit spectrum compared to villages like, say, Vosne-Romanée, which are more typically on the red fruit side. Gevrey’s darker fruits are often accompanied by deep savory flavors suggesting dried herbs, spices, and even a little gaminess. Structure is another big clue. At its most classic, Gevrey-Chambertin is a densely packed, tightly woven wine. Tannins may not be rough or jagged, but there will be a lot of them, making for a concentrated, chewy experience. Despite this, there’s usually good acidity, holding the wine’s powerful body up in a good posture

Grand cru

Chambertin, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, Chapelle-Chambertin, Charmes-Chambertin, Griotte-Chambertin, Latricières-Chambertin, Mazis-Chambertin, Mazoyères-Chambertin, Ruchotte-Chambertin

Premier cru

Aux Combottes, Combe de Laval, Clos St-Jacque, Lavaux St-Jacques

top producers

domaine armand rousseau

The top producer of Gevrey-Chambertin, Rousseau is incomparable - one of France’s greatest producers, period. Rousseau’s wines fall in the middle of the red-black fruit spectrum that characterizes some villages. They’re red in color and sometimes in fruit. But at other times, they have the dark, savory earthiness that’s a hallmark of Gevrey. Nevertheless, these are wines of pleasure that equally satisfy the mind. These wines are renowned for their purity, honesty, and sincerity.

Domaine fourrier

Jean-Marie Fourrier is a very smart winemaker, a top producer, and also now a négociant. His wines tend to express the dark, savory side of Gevrey, but in a style that is texturally light for the village, avoiding the trap of heavy, dense wines other producers fall into.

Philippe pacalet

A Beaujolais native, and nephew of the late, great Marcel Lapierre, Pacalet is a natural wine producer, a négociant who farms and purchases grapes and makes them in a low-intervention style with no sulfur, bringing out their fruitiness and vitality (but perhaps compromising their fortitude for long-term aging). He could be listed in many villages, but he’s particularly strong in Gevrey, making beautiful vibrant versions of Gevrey-Chambertin village, Premier Crus Bel Air and Lavaux St-Jacques, and Grand Cru Ruchottes-Chambertin.

detailed map