Morey-St-Denis

To the south of Gevrey Chambertin, we come to the humble village of Morey-St-Denis, so named when the quaint town of Morey decided to attach its name to the greatest attraction in its vicinity, the Grand Cru vineyard of Clos St-Denis.

The irony of Morey-St-Denis is that despite the splendorous holdings of top-notch 5 Grand Crus - Clos St Denis, Clos de la Roche, Bonnes Mares, Clos des Lambrays and Clos de Tart - it’s not really well known as a village, crammed between two more famous vaillages in Gevrey and Chambolle-Musigny. Also, previously, there weren’t a preponderance of great producers in the village outside of megastars Domaine Dujac and Domaine Ponsot, but that seems to be changing now, as few other names are coming into the picture. As a village, there’s certainly room to grow further.

Vineyard-wise, Morey is a neat and orderly place. All the Grand crus lie mid-slope above the town, in one line. Just beneath them dwell most of the Premier Crus, with the exception of a few perched high on the slope. Situated between Chambolle and Gevrey, Morey makes wines that are similarly located between the styles of its neighbors - elegant, if not as ethereal as Chambolle, yet not as structured and brawny as Gevrey. Of the Grand Crus, Clos de la Roche is the most famous and the most suave, with an ever-pleasing lushness that never goes over the top, but also never becomes too hard and dense. Its personality doesn’t fade over time. Clos St-Denis, the title town, makes a lovely wine itself, often with a cloud of earthy perfume and a supple texture, though rarely as robust or memorable as Clos de la Roche.

Tasting NoteS

When comparing Clos de la Roche and Clos St-Denis, both wines channel the spice and warm fruit of Morey-St-Denis, but there are crucial differences. The soils and position of the slope are fairly similar. Morey-St-Denis has a very small combe, but it empties out right in the middle of the appellation, and Clos St-Denis is just in its path on the favored northern side. Clos de la Roche typically displays more structure, firmer tannins, muscle, and a strong mineral core. On the other hand, Clos St-Denis, perhaps because of the gentle cooling air, shows silkier tannins and a lighter, more elegant touch. In a way, Clos de la Roche is a spicier, warmer wine compared to Clos St-Denis’s cool, floral elegance.

grand cru

Bonnes Mares, Clos des Lambrays, Clos de la Roche, Clos St Denis, Clos de Tart

top producers

DOMAINE DUJAC

Founded only fifty years ago, thanks to brilliant insight, commitment, and great taste in choosing vineyards, Dujac has ascended to the top tier of domaines in France as fast as could ever be imagined. Based in Morey, their holdings extend from Vosne to Gevrey, with exceptional results everywhere. The style here trends toward finesse and purity with a mind toward an ability to age well.

DOMAINE PONSOT

This famous domaine has long stood for quality at extreme levels. It is reliably one of the last to pick in all of Burgundy, and uses no oak in creating dense, powerful, and expensive wines. However, in 2017, its leader and winemaker Laurent Ponsot abruptly stepped down, so we shall see what becomes of this profound estate.

domaine des lambrays

The domaine and the vineyard share the same name. Long acclaimed as one of the great sites of Burgundy, Clos des Lambrays sadly underperformed for some decades under less-than-stellar management. Now under new ownership, this historic domaine is back to producing wonderful wine in its poised, somewhat austere, and mineral-driven style that blossoms with bottle age.

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