Le Chambertin

Le Chambertin is the most illustrious of the nine Gevrey Grands Crus, and produces some of the most profoundly complex and long-lived Pinot Noirs in the world. The story goes that the vineyard took its present form in the 12th century. This is when a certain Monsieur Bertin, seeking to imitate the success of the monks of L’Abbaye du Bèze, who owned the neighbouring Clos de Bèze, first planted vines on the site (‘champ de Bertin’, or ‘field of Bertin’ was eventually contracted to ‘Chambertin’).

Le Chambertin is often referred to as the ‘King of Wines’ and is reputed to have been the favourite of Emperor Napoleon. Its soil and microclimate typically yielding Pinots with deeper colour and denser tannic structure than most other appellations of Burgundy. As is often the case in Burgundy, over the years Le Chambertin has come under a multitude of different owners. Currently some of Burgundy's most celebrated domaines, including Rousseau, Leroy and Dugat-Py, boast holdings here.