Site: located in the north of the Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin is world-famous, not only for its superlative Grand Crus, but also for all its other vineyards.The Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru wines are produced on small vineyards, too small to be harvested and vinified separately. They are put together. The name given to this wine is therefore Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru (since the components of this "cuvée" are all Premier Crus).History & tradition: Gevrey is of course the village where the Grand Cru vineyard Chambertin is located. Vines have been cultivated here since 630AD, when a certain Bertin decided to emulate the monks, his neighbors. The wine he made turned out to be spectacular - and the rest is history!Soil: lean and chalky, with a red-brown cover layer of clayey marl.
Viticulture
Plantation density: 10,000 vinestocks/ha in order to extract as much as possible from the terroir and limit the production of each vine stock.Pruning: Guyot.Yield: 44 hl/ha - purposely low, in order for the grapes to reveal every nuance of the terroir.Grape Supply: grapes and wines provided by regular supply partners.
Vinification
- Maceration and vinification take 2 to 3 weeks- Indigenous yeasts- Maceration and fermentation temperatures under total control.Joseph Drouhin seeks total control of the process of extraction; extraction gives colour and substance but should never be detrimental to the finesse and typical character of the wine.
Ageing
Type: in barrels (20% in new oak).Length: 14 to 18 months.Origin of the wood: French oak forests.Weathering of the wood: Joseph Drouhin insists on total control of the weathering for a period of 3 years, one of the contributing elements to the elegance of the wine.Throughout the ageing process, decisions are taken only after careful tasting evaluation, barrel by barrel. The data obtained is then completed through technical analysis. As with every other Joseph Drouhin wine, absolute priority is given to the true expression of terroir and character of the vintage.
Tasting note by Véronique Boss-Drouhin
"Beautiful, bright ruby colour. The fruity aromas (black cherry, blackberry) mingle with hints of liquorice. The nose reveals notes of spices and nutmeg evolving towards scents of mushroom. The tannin is present but not too strong. Great aftertaste".
Serving
Temperature: 16°C (61-62°F).Cellaring: 5 to 20 years.