Burgundies from the Cote de Nuits are at the top of my list of favorite wines.  Among those, Gevrey-Chambertin, along with Morey-Saint-Denis and Vosne-Romanee are my favorite appellations.  Coming down from the north, many years ago, I discovered Gevrey-Chambertin first, so it holds a special place.

 Like the other two appellations mentioned, Gevrey-Chambertin exclusively produces red wines from the pinot noir grape.  It only has a little over 400 hectares under production, but these produce 26 premier cru climats and 9 grand crus. The premier crus occupy the higher elevations of the Cote de Nuits, facing east and south-east, and grow in shallow brown limestone soils.  The wines from these appellations tend to be bold, dry, medium- to full-bodied, and a little acidic, but elegant and smooth.  They are known to age wonderfully.  Of the 26 premier crus, Les Cazetiers ranks as my favorite. 

Though I’m sure some people would disagree, I prefer burgundy to California pinot noir, which are lighter, but much more fruit forward.  I find burgundy to be bolder and dryer, but more complicated and elegant.

I recently opened a bottle of the 1999 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru ‘Les Cazetiers’ from the vineyards of Henri Magnien et Fils. I was happy, though not surprised, to discover It had aged well over more than two decades.  In the glass, it had the carmine/russet color of an aged wine and a light, earthy, and leathery bouquet with what I thought was a touch of black currant.  On the palate, it appeared to have mellowed some, compared to what I remembered, but it was very smooth and elegant, with a mix of red and dark fruit.  It was crisp and leaned towards the dry side, but was not too acidic.  All in all, a wonderful wine – and perfect with venison!

You don’t have to wait more than two decades to enjoy a good wine from Gevrey-Chambertin, but you also will not be disappointed if you do.