Winemaker Notes
Gevrey-Chambertin is a wine with a beautiful, bright ruby color. Intensely fruity on the nose, the aromas are reminiscent of black cherry, wild blackberry and licorice. The woody character is subtle and marries delicately with the other aromas. As the wine evolves, there are more complex notes, such as mild spice, nutmeg and leather. Later still, mushroom and damp earth nuances make their appearance. Although present on the palate, tannin is never astringent but blends itself harmoniously with the natural freshness and "gras" (velvety texture) of the wine. The same aromas encountered earlier on the nose are found again in the aftertaste.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Dark berries and ripe strawberries on the nose, but there’s also freshness and light spice, such as cloves. Violets, as well. Medium-bodied with a beautiful texture and finesse. So creamy and velvety, yet always reserved and pretty. Needs two or three years, but already a joy to taste.
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Vinous
With grapes sourced from several growers, the 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Village has a delightful, pure bouquet with perfumed red cherry and crushed strawberry aromas. The palate is very pure with fine tannins, crisp acidity and gentle grip toward the refreshing finish. If I am being honest, I was expecting this to be so good!
Barrel Sample: 90-92 -
Jasper Morris
A glowing crimson purple. A little spicy touch to the nose. Bright fruit, with just a touch of the earthiness in the texture, very mild. A fine long finish on pure raspberry/strawberry fruit. Barrel Sample: 88-90
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
This small village is home to the Grands Crus in the farthest northerly stretches of Côte de Nuits and is famous for some of the deepest and firmest Burgundian Pinot Noir.
Gevrey boasts nine Grands Crus, the best of which are arguably Le Chambertin and Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. As with all of the fragmented vineyards of Burgundy, it isn’t easy to differentiate between the two, which are situated adjacent with Clos de Bèze slightly further up the hill than Le Chambertin. Clos de Bèze has a shallower soil and if you’re really counting, may produce wines less intense but more likely to charm. Some compare Le Chambertin in both power and plentitude only to the prized Romanée-Conti Grand Cru farther south in Vosne-Romanée.
Two other Grands Crus vineyards, Mazis-Chambertin (also written Mazy-) and Latricières-Chambertin command almost as much regard as Le Chambertin and Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. The upper part of Mazy, called Les Mazis Haut is the best and Latricières-Chambertin offers an abundance of juicy fruit and a silky texture in the warmer vintages.
Other Grands Crus are Ruchottes-Chambertin, Charmes-Chambertin, Mazoyères-Chambertin, Griotte-Chambertin and Chapelle-Chambertin.
The most respected Pinot Noir wines from Gevrey-Chambertin are robust and powerful but at the same time, velvety and expressive: black fruit, black liquorice and chocolate come into play. After some time in the bottle, the wines are harmonious with bright and sometimes candied fruit, and aromas of musk, truffle and forest floor. These have staying power.