Wine Berserkers Weekly Burgundy Appellation Tasting Series ( New Article posted by Ray Walker)

There has been a new article or blog post on Wine Berserkers titled ‘Wine Berserkers Weekly Burgundy Appellation Tasting Series’ by Ray Walker

Click http://wineberserkers.com/content/?p=1086 to view the entire article. The full text is also incuded below.


Hello everyone and welcome to Week Two of the Wine Berserkers Weekly Burgundy Appellation Tasting Series. This week, we are in Gevrey-Chambertin (and including any wines from vines planted in Brochon as is allowed). This week, there are many videos to add and tons of photos.





Clos de Bèze by maisonilan

Hello everyone and welcome to Week Two of the Wine Berserkers Weekly Burgundy Appellation Tasting Series. This week, we are in Gevrey-Chambertin (and including any wines from vines planted in Brochon as is allowed). This week, there are many videos to add and tons of photos. So, please be patient as this first post will be edited over and over … over the next few days.

Grands Crus: Chambertin; Chambertin, Clos-de-Bèze; Chapelle-Chambertin; Charmes-Chambertin; Mazoyères; Mazis-Chambertin; Griotte-Chambertin; Latricières-Chambertin; Ruchottes-Chambertin.


26 1er Crus: La Bossière, La Romanée, Poissenot, Estournelles-Saint-Jacques, Clos des Varoilles, Lavaut Saint-Jacques, Les Cazetiers, Clos du Chapitre, Clos Saint-Jacques, Champeaux, Petits Cazetiers, Combe au Moine, Les Goulots, Aux Combottes, Bel Air, Cherbaudes, Petite Chapelle, En Ergot, Clos Prieur, La Perrière, Au Closeau, Issarts, Les Corbeaux, Craipillot, Fonteny, Champonnet.

Gevrey-Chambertin is the first commune we will visit in this series with Grands Crus associated with it. The history here goes back a long way. In fact, just a few years back, an ancient vineyard was discovered in the lower, flatlands of Gevrey-Chambertin dating back the first century AD. This backs up the writings of Pligny the Elder mentioning Gevrey as the first areas of plantation in the region. (Marsannay is thought to have followed suit shortly thereafter). http://translate.google.com/translate?u … =&ie=UTF-8

Gevrey (later Gevrey-Chambertin) was the first village granted permission by King Louis-Philippe to append the name of it’s village (1847) to the most renowned vineyard in its area. Other followed, producing names such as Chambolle-Musigny, Nuits-Saint-Georges and Morey Saint Denis.

Gevrey-Chambertin is the only village appellation which has vines on the East side of the Route Nationale 74 which produce grapes which are allowed to be classified under the same region as an appellation on the West side.

A portion of vines located in the commune of Brochon to the North produce grapes which are allowed to be included in the Gevrey-Chambertin Village AOC.

I will be back shortly with photos, videos, etc

The following are notes translated from Jules Lavalle’s Histoire de la Vigne et des Grands Vins de la Côte d’Or written in 1855

Gevrey-Chambertin (copied from 2010s Series)

-387ha 59a planted to vines in Gevrey, though there are areas in the flatlands which have not been included in this calculation which would surely increase the figure to above 400ha planted.
-The half of the vines (give or take) planted at the base of the slope and in the flatlands are planted exclusively to gamet (gamay) which generally yields between 45 and 50 hl/ha
-The other half, situated on the slope and in the best exposition is planted to pinot noir, though in some locations a bit of pinot blanc without other grape types planted.
-The general distinctive character of the wines of Gevrey is the firmness or the body, and it is this which is searched for in the market.

  • When with a wine of Chambertin, it is close to unnecessary to speak since it is one whose fame is the most popular and widespread in the two worlds (Old World and New World), but since the word is more practiced thing and there are many people that know without doubting, that this celebrated cru possesses at the highest degree all the qualities that constitute the perfect wine: body; color; bouquet; finesse. It is comparable in quality the greatest wines of the Côte d’Or. Though, no other has this particular signature that makes it distinguishable even to amateurs, though La Romanée excells in finesse, Le CLos Vougeot by it’s bouquet, Le Chambertin by it’s body and color, yet with all of their qualities together, all three share the prize and all three sell would sell at the same price, if they were owned in totality by one owner. Mnsr Ouvrard owns each, though not each as monopoles
    -Between 1651 and 1761, the price of a queue (456 litres - the size of two standard Burgundy barrels) Chambertin went from 30 livres to between 700-800 livres.This is largely credited to the reputation that Mnsr Claude Jobert (later changing his name to Mnsr Claude Jobert-Chambertin.

Lavalle’s 1855 Classification of the Vines of Gevrey::

Tête de Cuvée

Chambertin (Clos de Bèze included) 27ha

Première Cuvée
Saint-Jacques and Clos Saint Jacques 6ha 52a
Fouchère 1ha
Chapelle (upper) 3ha 89a
Mazy (upper) 4ha 21a
Ruchotte (above) 2ha
Charmes (upper) 3ha
Grillotte (upper) 2ha 90a
Veroilles (old section) 4ha
Etournelles 1ha 96a
Castiers (upper) 7ha 98a

Deuxième Cuvée

Mazy (low) 4ha 38a
Chapelle (small) 4ha 1a
Ruchotte (lower) 1ha 40a
Gemeaux 2ha
Charmes (low) 9ha
Mazoyères 18ha 36a
Latricières 6ha 93a
Echèzeaux 3ha 31a
Lavaut (upper)

Troisième Cuvée

Meixvelle 1ha 87a
Meix-Des-Ouches 1ha 9a
Craipillot 2ha 86a
Champonet 3ha 16a
Fonteny 3ha 5a
Corbeaux 3ha 60a
Clos-Prieur (upper) 2ha 27a
Cherbaude 2ha 20a
Pallut 3ha 37
Carrougeot 5ha 43a
Combe-Du-Dessus 6ha 43a
Combe-Au-Moine 2ha 20a
Ensonge 3ha 60a
Vellées 1ha 16a
Motrot 3ha 50a
Marchais 5ha 56a
Champs 9ha 67a
Champerrier (upper) 2ha 36a
Champeaux 6ha 48a
Cherreux 5ha 79a
Crais-Du-Dessus 5ha

Lavalle makes it clear that there are sections with similar names producing different levels of quality. He expresses his opinion of quality by specifying whether the subject vines are in an upper, lower or older section while having the same official name.

He adds that some locations are classed lower than what the terroir’s potential suggests, noting that it is clearly understood that younger vines produce wines that are very ordinary, showing no characteristics of great wines. Generally, the average production in the vines of Gevrey are between 20 and 22 hl/ha.

Thank you again for your participation!


Ici Tout Commence by maisonilan


Vines at Chambertin by maisonilan


Mist over Le Chambertin by maisonilan


Le Clos Saint-Jacques by maisonilan


Latricières-Chambertin by maisonilan


Vines at Mazy-Chambertin by maisonilan


Clusters at Le Chambertin by maisonilan


Chambertin Soil by maisonilan


Le Chambertin Slope by maisonilan


Corbeaux by maisonilan


Old Vines at Corbeaux by maisonilan


Les Corbeaux and Mazis Chambertin (to left) by maisonilan


Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru “Aux Charmes” (Hauts) by maisonilan


Charmes-Chambertin “Aux Charmes” (Hauts) by maisonilan



Link to article: http://wineberserkers.com/content/?p=1086