Appellations
Grand Cru · Côte de Nuits
Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
Gevrey-Chambertin · red · 15
The older of the two, a monastic gift of the seventh century, and by most accounts the finer.
Under the vines
As Chambertin, slightly stonier towards the top of the parcel.
In the glass
Marginally more aromatic and less brooding than Chambertin, with the same tannic frame under it.
Why it sits here
Its owners may legally sell the wine as Chambertin. Almost none now do, because the name commands as much or more.
Commonly misread
That the right to sell it as Chambertin implies inferiority. It records seniority: Clos de Bèze predates its neighbour by two centuries.
Names worth knowing
Armand Rousseau, Bruno Clair, Faiveley, Drouhin-Laroze, Prieuré Roch