Chambertin Clos de Bèze is regarded as one of the most prestigious and finest grands crus in Burgundy. Its median position on a gently sloping, slightly cool, and windy hillside gives it an inimitable textural quality. At the heart of this land, a deep substratum is delicately layered with limestone scree and silt, deposited over millennia and patiently blended through meticulous centuries-old cultivation. Herein lies the subtle distinction between Clos de Bèze and Chambertin, dictated by the unique composition of Bajocian limestone and marl beds, a dance of mineral elements that evokes a rare geological heritage. Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, perched at an altitude of 270 to 280 metres, features a slightly steeper incline than its neighbouring Chambertin. These two adjacent terroirs, bathed in light, are positioned mid-slope, swept by northerly winds and shielded from rain-bearing westerly winds. The extreme finesse and aromatic richness, coupled with a distinctly floral bouquet, characterise the wines from this plot.
Winemaker notes
2018: Crushed strawberries, white pepper, cinnamon, and blackcurrant create a remarkably enticing aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine is vibrant and refreshing, with a defined structure and a noble finish. The volume is impressive, and the overall harmony is striking.
2011
Burghound 93: A gorgeously spicy and beautifully layered nose offers up notably ripe aromas of violets, plum, cassis and warm earth. There is impressive volume to the full-bodied and opulently rich flavors that are blessed with an abundance of mouth coating sap that imparts a velvety mouth feel and pushes the very firm tannic spine to the background on the strikingly long and suave finish where a subtle touch of minerality surfaces. This is also a markedly ripe wine for the vintage and it should both repay extended cellaring but drink well young too.
Vinous 94+: (50% vendange entier): Full ruby-red. Discreet spicy aromas of blackberry, licorice and cocoa powder, with hints of minerals and peony. Extremely intense but very backward, showing an almost youthfully bitter quality to the black fruit, liquorice and mint flavours.
2014
Burghound 92-95: Once again the highly expressive nose can be aptly described as ultra-floral with a huge range of spice elements on the airy and cool aromas of red and dark berry liqueur scents. There is that beguiling sense of underlying tension to the firmly stony and beautifully well-detailed broad-shouldered flavors that deliver superb length on the seamlessly well-balanced finale. This will need to develop more depth to merit the top of the range but the underlying material is certainly present such that it could occur.
Vinous 96: Bright, dark red. Much more closed on the nose than the Mazoyères-Chambertin, offering aromas of dried rose petal and smoky minerality. Less demonstrative on the palate as well, but aeration brings up wonderfully intense, penetrating flavors of red berries, brown spices, peony, pepper and smoky minerality. Conveys a powerful impression of dry extract in a very silky, subtly sweet package. Finishes very long, with noble tannins, repeating red fruits and a vibrant spiciness that perks up the salivary glands. This knockout wine is fresher in bottle that it was from barrel in late 2015, when it was more dominated by lower-toned soil components.
2018
Burghound 91-93: A slightly riper and definitely more expressive nose of cassis, poached plum and violet are decidedly spicy. There is a really lovely sense of underlying tension to the racy and beautifully well-detailed large-scaled flavors that are not quite as mineral driven but they are slightly more complex on the exquisitely long finish.
Vinous 96-98: The 2018 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru has a supremely well-defined, stony, intense bouquet that is just as detailed as the Chambertin, if not more so. This has fathomless depth. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins, taut and linear at first then fanning out beautifully toward the finish. Immense grace and grandeur combine to make an utterly compelling Clos-de-Bèze.
On Sale
