Exploring the grands crus of Gevrey-Chambertin

Chambertin Grand Cru has enjoyed a preeminent place in the world of fine wine for several hundred years. Dr Denis Morelot, writing in 1831, notes ‘all the wines of this slope…can be considered as holding the first rank among those of the Côte d’Or.’

Part of the credit goes to Napoleon Bonaparte, who was reputed to drink a bottle of Chambertin every day.

Travelling down the Côte d’Or from Dijon, the grands crus of Gevrey-Chambertin are the first a thirsty traveller will encounter. There are nine in total, more than in any other village of the Côte de Nuits, located in a single block south of the village.

Chambertin and Clos de Bèze form the central nucleus, surrounded by their satellites. Moving clockwise, these include Ruchottes-Chambertin, Mazis-Chambertin, Chapelle-Chambertin, Griotte-Chambertin, Mazoyères-Chambertin, Charmes-Chambertin, and Latricières-Chambertin.

Despite their proximity, each has a markedly different character, making Gevrey a fascinating place to explore.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for Charles Curtis MW’s top Gevrey-Chambertin grand cru wines

The grands crus of Gevrey-Chambertin:

Chambertin 12.9ha

Chambertin-Clos de Bèze 15.4ha

Ruchottes-Chambertin 3.3ha

Mazis-Chambertin 9.1ha

Chapelle-Chambertin 5.49ha

Griotte-Chambertin 2.69ha

Mazoyères-Chambertin 18.59ha

Charmes-Chambertin 12.25ha

Latricières-Chambertin 7.35ha 

Chambertin-Clos-de-Bèze – 15.4ha

Clos de Bèze is among the most venerable vineyards in Burgundy. The vineyard was donated by Duke Amalgaire to the monastery of St-Pierre de Bèze in 630 AD, and according to Dr Lavalle, an important figure in the classification of Burgundian vineyards, was already planted to vines. 

The establishment of the vineyard was completed by the monks, who constructed a winery and surrounded it with walls. They remained the owners for nearly 600 years until they sold it (along with neighbouring property) in 1219 to the Cathedral of Langres.

This site lies at the centre of the slope south of the village of Gevrey, between two valleys, the Combe Lavaux and the Combe Grisard. 

The Clos de Bèze is just slightly steeper than Chambertin. According to Burgundy expert Jacky Rigaux, the thin topsoil is primarily white marl near the top of the slope, while further down, the brown soils have a high calcium content and more limestone pebbles near the bottom of the slope.

Beneath this lies crinoidal limestone from the middle Jurassic (a period known as Bajocien in French).

The best wines of Clos de Bèze excel with a voluptuous sensuality, with a character that is often approachable even when young. The wines do not lack substance or structure, yet it is the approachable nature that comes to the fore.

The largest proprietor in Clos de Bèze is Pierre Damoy, with 5.3ha, which makes up one-third of the entire appellation. His youngest vines are 21 years old and the oldest are 101, split between two parcels. 

He picks late and is looking for a wine that is ‘dense, with shoulders’, a style that is serious and structured. He will vinify the old vines separately in some years to make a ‘reserve’ bottling.

The next largest owner in Clos de Bèze is Rousseau, with 1.42ha in three parcels. The maceration is long here, but the extraction is very gentle, and the style is superbly elegant.

Nuits-St-Georges-based Joseph Faiveley is not far behind with 1.2ha, spread over four parcels. Three of the parcels are blended together, while a fourth parcel of old vines, known as Ouvrées Rodin, is bottled separately. 

Another essential source for delicious wines in Clos de Bèze is Bruno Clair, who has nearly a hectare that stretches from the top of the slope to the bottom. Two-thirds of the vines were planted in 1912 and give a wine of great concentration.

Chambertin – 12.9ha

Chambertin is located immediately south of Clos de Bèze. Although the history is not documented as thoroughly as that of Clos de Bèze, it appears that this was also first planted in the seventh century. 

By the time Clos de Bèze was sold to the Cathedral of Langres, the monks owned both vineyards. Today, wine from Clos de Bèze can be labelled as Chambertin, but the opposite is not true.

The two vineyards are similar in terms of soil composition, but the slope of Chambertin is less steep than that of Clos de Bèze, and the former is further south and thus closer to the Combe Grisard.

The combe brings cool air down from the Hautes Côtes, making Chambertin slightly cooler than Clos de Bèze. Eric Rousseau, at Domaine Armand Rousseau, is the largest owner of Chambertin vineyards, with 2.15ha spread over four parcels.

Rousseau feels that Chambertin is a cooler terroir and thus better in warmer years, while Clos de Bèze is a slightly warmer terroir and therefore preferable in cooler years. The distinction, however, is a personal matter. 

His daughter Cyrielle will not come down either way, but seemed to prefer Clos de Bèze in many vintages, saying it showed best in its youth. 

What is certain is that the best Chambertins shows all the elements of the Côte de Nuits – there is abundantly perfumed cherry fruit but also notes of violets and a mineral note on the nose. The palate is firm, even strict in its youth. Usually there is an impressive tannic charge, lots of substance, and remarkable persistence on the finish.

It would be impossible to leave Chambertin without talking about the Trapet family. Arthur Trapet started buying vines in Chambertin in 1920, and his son Louis and grandson Jean continued to amass property there.

By 1990, the estate owned 3.8ha of Chambertin, which was split between Jean’s son Jean-Louis and daughter Mado. Jean-Louis took over Domaine Jean Trapet, while his sister and her husband Jacques Rossignol created Rossignol-Trapet.

Both estates work biodynamically, and Jean-Louis Trapet is one of the vintners here who is going back to planting vines on stakes (en échalas) to increase the density of plantation and the concentration of the wine.

The wines of both estates are superb in quality, if very different, in their velvety richness, from the classical purity of the Rousseau wines.

The Trapet vines, now split between the two estates, occupy a large chunk of the centre of the Clos de Bèze vineyard, bordered to the north by vines belonging to Meursault-based Jacques Prieur and to the south by vines owned by Domaine Camus.

Prieur owns 0.83ha spread over four parcels, while Domaine Camus owns 1.69ha in two large parcels. The Prieur wines are well made in a traditional style, but the Domaine Camus wines sometimes fall short of the quality of the vineyard sites.

Ruchottes-Chambertin – 3.3ha

Among the satellite appellations of Chambertin, Ruchottes-Chambertin is the furthest north. It is located at the very top of the slope on soils of thin white marl directly over the limestone.

The name comes from roche, French for rock, as the exposed limestone of the Côte is never far.

Despite being only 3.3ha in size, Ruchottes-Chambertin is composed of two lieux-dits, Ruchottes du Dessus and Ruchottes du Bas.

Within the former, which is also the upper part, is Clos des Ruchottes, a monopole of 1.1ha that belongs entirely to Domaine Armand Rousseau. 

Ruchottes-Chambertin in its entirety is shared between eight owners. In the past, the biggest landholder was the Thomas-Bassot estate which sold its holding to three separate buyers in a single transaction in 1976; Rousseau acquired the monopole of the Clos, Dr Georges Mugneret (Mugneret-Gibourg) acquired two-thirds of a hectare in Ruchottes du Bas, and an investor named Michel Bonnefond purchased just over half a hectare in Ruchottes du Dessus. Bonnefond’s parcel is farmed by Christophe Roumier under a metayage agreement. 

All three of these wines are superb and are noted for their minerality and finesse.

In a typical Ruchottes-Chambertin there is plenty of perfume and fruit, but less power than Chambertin and less velvety lushness than Clos de Bèze.

Mazis-Chambertin – 9.1ha

Mazis-Chambertin is also located at the northern end of this collection of grands crus, just down the slope from Ruchottes-Chambertin.

The name derives from the Latin word mansus, ‘farm or country house’, according to professor Marie-Hélène Landrieu-Lussigny.

As with its neighbour, Mazis (sometimes spelled Mazy) is divided into two lieux-dits: Les Mazis-Haut and Les Mazis-Bas.

The Thomas-Collignon family were once the largest owners of Mazis-Chambertin. Their holdings were the source of the 1.75ha donation to the Hospices de Beaune, used to produce the Cuvée Madeleine Collignon.

In the past these vines had been the source for the Maison Leroy bottlings, and the family sold a parcel of Mazis-Chambertin to Lalou Bize-Leroy for the Domaine d’Auvenay.

In Mazis-Chambertin, the upper part of the vineyard is considered superior to the lower part; Dr Lavalle ranked this section higher, just as he ranked Ruchottes du Dessus above Ruchottes du Bas. The Thomas-Collignon holdings were located in Mazis-Haut. 

Faiveley also owns a parcel of 1.56ha located in Mazis-Haut. Most of this part of the vineyard borders Clos de Bèze on the north side and is surrounded by grands crus.

A small bit of Mazis-Bas is just downslope from the lower part of Clos de Bèze, and it borders the premier cru band. This lower part of Mazis is where Rousseau’s vines are located, planted in slightly deeper soils on the scree that has come through the Combe Lavaux.

A third significant owner in the appellation is Henri Rebourseau, who owns nearly a hectare in the centre of Mazis. Rebourseau formerly seemed to lag behind its peers, but since a 2018 investment by the Bouygues family they seem to have taken on renewed vigour.

Chapelle-Chambertin – 5.49ha

There are two grands crus downslope from Clos de Bèze, on the eastern side of the Route des Grands Crus as it slopes into the plain.

To the north lies Chapelle-Chambertin in two lieux-dits: Les Gémeaux, 1.79ha, and En La Chapelle, 3.69ha.

The soil is deeper, and the wines can be rich, soft and lacking the firm grip and structure of the wines further up the slope.

The largest proprietor here is Pierre Damoy, with 2.2ha. Damoy opines that ‘Chapelle-Chambertin is the Musigny of Gevrey. It gives a wine of exceptional delicacy. The soil is thin, however, and the vines suffer in a hot year such as 2020.’

Other significant owners include Domaine Ponsot with 0.7ha, and Trapet Père et Fils and Rossignol-Trapet with just over half a hectare each.

Griotte-Chambertin – 2.73ha

Griotte-Chambertin is the smallest of the Chambertin satellites, at just 2.69ha. It lies just south of Chapelle-Chambertin. Many believe that the name refers to the sweet, tart cherries of the same name, but Professor Landieu-Lussigny suggests it derives from crais, or pebbles.

The largest owner of Griotte-Chambertin is the Mercier family of Domaine des Chézeaux, and the 1.6ha of vines are divided between Laurent Ponsot (who farms 0.9ha) and René Leclerc (0.68ha).

Griotte is one of Ponsot’s favourite sites—he has referred to it as ‘the Lolita of grands crus’—and tasting his wine, one can see why he loves it.

Another compelling example comes from the old vines of the Domanie Fourrier holding, where Jean-Marie is turning in inspiring work. The best have marvellously sweet fruit which the French call sucrosité.

Charmes-Chambertin 12.15ha & Mazoyères-Chambertin 18.59ha

Charmes- and Mazoyères-Chambertin are adjoining vineyards also on the far side of the Route des Grands Crus. The soils here are also somewhat denser, the slope is flatter, and the vineyards do not enjoy the same reputation as their more famous neighbours.

It is often said that Charmes-Chambertin is the ‘most disappointing’ of the grands crus. However, wine lovers who say this without tasting the wines risk repeating a truism with little basis in fact. The truth is that there are many delicious wines produced in Charmes, although there are some disappointing ones as well – even from growers of the highest calibre.

Some point to the size of the appellation as the cause of its variability. In total it stretches to 30.83ha. There are two lieux-dits in the appellation: Aux Charmes (12.25ha) lies under Chambertin, and Mazoyères (18.59ha) is down the slope from Latricières.

Mazoyères continues all the way to the Route Nationale 74, the only grand cru besides the Clos de Vougeot to extend this far. Despite this location, growers have been allowed to sell Mazoyères under the name of Charmes since the 19th century.

The largest owner in Charmes is Domaine Camus, with more than 3ha each in Aux Charmes and Mazoyères, followed by Perrot-Minot, with nearly a hectare in Charmes and almost three-quarters of a hectare in Mazoyères. This estate, currently directed by Christophe Perrot-Minot, does a top-notch job in these appellations. Curiously, Christophe Perrot-Minot suggests that his holding in Mazoyères is better than the one in Charmes, in contrast to the commonly received wisdom about the two.

He explains that although the topsoil is deeper in Mazoyères, there are more limestone pebbles to provide drainage here. The same appears to be true at Dugat-Py, where Loïc Dugat-Py explains that the wine from Mazoyères is consistently superior, and it is shown after the Charmes when tasting.

At Rousseau, the two are blended together, and are generally shown fairly early in a tasting. The logical conclusion must be that the location within the lieu-dit is the most important consideration and it is impossible to say that one is innately superior to the other.

Latricières-Chambertin – 7.35ha

We finish our look at the grands crus of Gevrey with Latricières-Chambertin, which is the southern continuation of Chambertin, up the slope from Mazoyères.

Here the soil is generally similar to Chambertin, with a relatively thin layer of topsoil directly over the hard limestone subsoil.

The appellation is also more significantly influenced by the cool air of the Combe Grisard, yet the fruit generally tends to ripen well.

There are two lieux-dits: 6.91ha of Latricières and 0.45ha of Premier Cru Aux Combottes, giving a total of 7.35ha.

Aux Combottes is at the southern end of Latricières, in the portion owned by Domaine Camus. Just to the north are the vines belonging to Trapet and Rossignol-Trapet (who each own approximately three-quarters of a hectare), followed by those belonging to Faively (1.21ha).

Throughout the appellation, the cooling influence of the combe can help give these wines structure.

Impressive variety to be found

From this overview, one can see a remarkable range of influences within this compact and relatively cohesive block of vineyards. Even more surprising, however, is the variety of styles of wine found here. 

Much of this is down to the techniques employed in the winery by these very different vignerons. Understanding the differences in terroir and style is key to appreciating these beautiful wines to the fullest.

See tasting notes and scores for Charles Curtis MW’s top Gevrey-Chambertin grand cru wines

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