In the first flush of youth their color is a bright ruby, turning to deep carmine or dark cerise with age. Strawberry, mulberry, violet, mignonette, and rose allhelp to make up their bouquet of spontaneous aromas. More maturity brings out liquorice, leather and fur, with gamey notes and hints of underbrush. On the palate, they impress by their firm structure, velvety tannins and delicate texture. These wines are everything a great burgundy should be: full-bodied, powerful, rich, and meaty. They have both body and spirit. Pleasant when drunk young “on the fruit,” they are nevertheless first and foremost wines for aging, often for long periods. As such, they make an excellent basis for comparing different vintages.

Variety : Pinot Noir

Color : Red

Appelation : Gevrey-Chambertin Les Champeaux

Maturation : Between 10-20 years

Serving suggestions : Massive, yet velvet-smooth, the tannins of Gevrey-Chambertin confer power and solidity to the build and contribute to its great longevity. This is a wine for meat-eaters, its gamey notes giving it a particular affinity for game, whetherfurred or feathered, especially when the wine is more fully evolved. It also goes superbly with rib steak, lamb (braised or in brown sauce), and all musky, solidly fibrous meats, that need time in the mouth to extract all their savor. Some gourmets will even serve it with a fillet of pikeperch or tuna in red-wine sauce. It is at ease with all strong cow-milk cheeses, in particular Époisses, Ami du Chambertin (a local specialty) or Cîteaux (a near neighbor). Serving temperature : 15 to 16 °C.

Vinification : After a rigorous selection process, the grapes are put in fermenting tanks without pumping. The “cuvaison” is fairly long – between 18-21 days – during which the wine is pumped over or has the cap punched down at least twice daily to extract color, tannins and aromas. After pressing, the wine is cooled and allowed to settle for 3-4 days. It is put in small oak barrels – of which a quarter are new – by gravity, with a fair amount of fine lies to feed the wine during maturation. After maturing for 18-20 months, the wine is carefully racked off and assembled for bottling without fining or filtration.