In 2021, Charles van Canneyt – of Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat – bought the little-known Domaine des Chézeaux. Forward of the discharge of his first classic, we dive into the backstory of this Gevrey-Chambertin property – one that’s set to be one of many Côte de Nuits’s most fun new addresses
When Alain Hudelot retired in 2008, it was his grandson who stepped as much as take over the household property, Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat. Charles van Canneyt – then simply 20 years outdated and contemporary from his wine research – all of the sudden discovered himself managing 10 hectares of vines and working a vineyard. However he wasn’t any 20-year-old.
Step by step modernizing the property’s tools and tweaking the winemaking (notably firming down the extraction), he remodeled the repute of the domaine. Quickly he turned generally known as one in all Burgundy’s rising stars, with Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat quickly among the many area’s most revered names. Not one to be complacent, he began a négoce label in 2012 – providing one other avenue for Burgundy-lovers to get entry to his winemaking expertise.
Now he has – alongside along with his spouse Anne-Sophie – taken on a brand new problem, having bought a brand new property: Domaine des Chézeaux. It’s unlikely you’ll know the title of this Gevrey-Chambertin property, however you’ll virtually definitely know its vineyards.
This historical past of Domaine des Chézeaux
Domaine des Chézeaux was created by François Mercier in 1982, though the household has had vines within the village of Gevrey-Chambertin since 1928. The property’s title comes from the Clos des Chézeaux, the walled winery subsequent to the domaine. The household have been land-owners fairly than winemakers, so all their vines have been leased out – en métayage – to different producers. This association is widespread in Burgundy: the vignerons renting the vineyards handle them year-round and make the wine, giving a portion of their manufacturing (typically round a 3rd) to the vineyard-owner by the use of hire.
This historic property grew from its unique holdings and – as of 1994 – consisted of round 4 hectares. The vines have been cut up between three producers: Domaine Ponsot (and later Laurent Ponsot), René Leclerc and Domaine Berthaut (later Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet).
Ponsot rented the property’s unique 0.89-hectare plot of Griotte-Chambertin, in addition to Domaine des Chézeaux’s parcels of Clos Saint-Denis*, Chambertin and Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Charmes. Domaine Berthaut leased the 2 Gevrey-Chambertin Premiers Crus (Les Cazetiers and Lavaux-Saint-Jacques) in addition to the property’s village parcels, together with the Clos des Chézaux. Whereas technically the latter is a monopole, as a result of Berthaut didn’t personal the land it couldn’t be known as as such.
Forward of the 1994 classic, the Mercier household bought one other parcel of Griotte-Chambertin, a further 0.68 hectares that had been owned by Suzanne Thomas of Thomas Bassot, giving them the most important holding of this Grand Cru. The Esmonin household had been farming the vines on this parcel, promoting some fruit to Jadot, and the Mercier household then leased it to René Leclerc (though the Esmonin household additionally continued to bottle the wine, with vintages of Frédéric Esmonin Griotte-Chambertin as much as and together with 1999 out there).
A portion of every of the completed wines was bottled below the Domaine des Chézeaux label, however was an identical to that below the Ponsot, Leclerc or Berthaut labels – typically at a fraction of the value.
High of web page: Charles van Canneyt. Above: Domaine des Chézeaux’s most prized holding is its parcel of Griotte-Chambertin
Domaine des Chézeaux right this moment
In 2021, Charles van Canneyt managed to purchase the property and its enviable winery holdings. With all of the vines below métayage contracts, the subsequent problem was to reclaim the vines – negotiating with every producer. By 2022 he had secured the monopole Clos des Chézeaux and Premier Cru Les Cazetiers, however offered the fruit. In 2023, having regained a parcel of Griotte-Chambertin, he made his first wines from the property.
By the point 2024 got here round, he had managed to get better all of the vineyards – including Chambertin, Clos Saint-Denis and Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Charmes. As a part of the in depth negotiations, the Lavaux-Saint-Jacques parcel, some Gevrey-Chambertin village vines and two small sections of Griotte-Chambertin have been offered.
The vines are usually outdated throughout the property, and the farming and winemaking is an identical to that at Hudelot-Noëllat, with the fruit solely de-stemmed and seeing very light extraction. The primary vintages have been vinified at Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat (however are being aged within the cellars at Domaine des Chézeaux), and work has began on a brand new vineyard that’s set to be completed later this yr (2025). Curiously Van Canneyt has already seen the wines maturing in a different way at Chézeaux, with the notably cool, humid cellar which means the wines develop extra slowly throughout élevage and wish topping up much less. He due to this fact anticipates ageing the wines barely longer than these of Hudelot-Noëllat.
The property is retaining its historic title, however with new labels – serving to differentiate from older bottlings made previous to Van Canneyt’s arrival. The title has the identical origin as Echezeaux: chesaux – plural of chesal (which comes from the Latin, casellum or casalis) – which means a stone home or constructing.
The brand new Domaine des Chézeaux labels
The Domaine des Chézeaux holdings
The property now has round three hectares of vines, over half of which is Grand Cru, unfold throughout six appellations:
- Gevrey-Chambertin Clos des Chézeaux: This monopole winery covers half a hectare, with a few of the vines virtually 100 years in age (planted in 1929). Mid-slope and dealing with southeast, the village website has deep, clay-rich soils with gravel, sitting slightly below Premier Cru Cazetiers and neighbouring one other monopole village website, Clos du Château, farmed and produced by Armand Rousseau.
- Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Les Cazetiers: Chézeaux has 0.216 hectares of this Premier Cru cut up over two parcels: one in all 0.1615 hectares within the northern part and 0.045 hectares within the south.
- Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Charmes: Van Canneyt farms round 0.6 hectares on this Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru, which he additionally has a parcel of below Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat.
- Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru: There’s a plot of 0.3776 hectares in Clos Saint-Denis, which is able to briefly be showing within the vary for 2024 (with only one barrel), however is now being replanted and out of motion till 2029 at the least.
- Chambertin Grand Cru: A parcel (combining one tiny plot that sits subsequent to their important plot) within the coronary heart of this Grand Cru represents 0.143 hectares.
- Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru: Chézeaux is the most important winery holder on this Grand Cru, with a formidable 1.264 hectares of vines, a parcel within the coronary heart of this tiny appellation.
Domaine des Chézeaux’s parcel in Les Cazetiers and the monopole Clos des Chézeaux
Highlight on Griotte-Chambertin
Griotte-Chambertin, also referred to as En Griotte, is the smallest of the Chambertin Grands Crus, totalling 2.69 hectares (and is among the many smallest Grands Crus within the Côte d’Or, together with La Romanée, La Romanée-Conti and La Grande Rue for Pinot Noir).
It sits beneath Clos de Bèze on the slope, slightly below the Route des Grands Crus and sandwiched between Chapelle-Chambertin and Charmes-Chambertin, dealing with northeast. This side is necessary, permitting the vines right here to ripen extra slowly, not receiving as a lot morning solar. The wines made right here are typically extra delicate, fragrant and perfumed, much less muscular than is maybe typical for the village of Gevrey-Chambertin, and due to this fact extremely prized. Pebble-rich, chalky topsoil sits over deep, limestone bedrock, with extra clay the additional down the slope you go.
Domaine des Chézeaux is the most important proprietor of the location, with 1.246 hectares – virtually half of the winery. Different producers who personal vines listed here are: Joseph Drouhin (0.53 hectares), Fourrier (0.26 hectares), Claude Dugat (0.15 hectares), Marchand Frères (0.13 hectares), Joseph Roty (0.08 hectares) and Duroché (0.02 hectares), in addition to now Laurent Ponsot (0.11 hectares) and an investor who has leased his small portion of the Grand Cru to Cécile Tremblay (circa 0.2 hectares).
The origin of the winery’s title is disputed. Some argue that it comes immediately from “griotte”, the phrase for morello cherry – tied both to bushes that have been as soon as planted within the website, or as a reference to the character of wine it usually produces. Most, nevertheless, now counsel it comes from “criotte”, the diminutive of “crais”, referring to the chalky pebbles which can be present in its soils.
The Grand Cru of Griotte-Chambertin
Insider data: Domaine des Chézeaux Griotte-Chambertin
Historic bottlings of Domaine des Chézeaux Griotte-Chambertin have been one thing of an insider’s secret, as some are Ponsot Griotte-Chambertin below a special label. Some have been the wine made by René Leclerc, and it’s not all the time attainable to know which.
- 1982 to 1993 vintages inclusive: Domaine des Chézeaux solely had their unique parcel of Griotte-Chambertin throughout this time, and it was leased to Domaine Ponsot
- 1994: Reportedly, just one wine was produced below the Domaine des Chézeaux label in 1994 – the primary classic by which Chézeaux had their second parcel of Griotte, which was leased to René Leclerc. The wine from each parcels was blended collectively for the Domaine des Chézeaux bottling.
- 1995 to 2001 vintages inclusive: Two an identical Domaine des Chézeaux bottlings of Griotte-Chambertin have been produced throughout these years, with nothing on the label to point which producer made them.
- 2002 onwards: The producer of the Griotte-Chambertin is detailed on the Domaine des Chézeaux labels from the 2002 classic. Whereas there continued to be two bottlings as much as and together with 2004, from 2005 onwards, René Leclerc’s Griotte was solely often bottled by Domaine des Chézeaux, with the wine extra typically offered off in bulk. (The 2010 and 2011 vintages are the exception, with the Leclerc bottling returning to the Chézeaux line-up, however with the producer title detailed on the label nonetheless.)
The Ponsot wines even have the Ponsot title embossed on the underside of the bottles. Laurent Ponsot retained the lease for the winery when he left the household domaine, 2017 onwards.
The way forward for Domaine des Chézeaux
Whereas Domaine des Chézeaux has a surprisingly deep historical past for such a contemporary property, it’s absolutely solely the start. With a proficient vigneron like Charles van Canneyt on the helm and such enviable winery holdings, high quality at this deal with is just going in a single path – and we’ve little question the wines will quickly be as exhausting to safe as anything he produces.
Domaine des Chézeaux’s 2023s
2023 Gevrey-Chambertin, Clos des Chézeaux: This monopole winery covers half a hectare, with a few of the vines virtually 100 years in age (planted in 1929). Mid-slope and dealing with southeast, the village website has deep, clay-rich soils with gravel, sitting slightly below Premier Cru Cazetiers and neighbouring one other monopole village website, Clos du Château, farmed and produced by Armand Rousseau. Charles van Canneyt famous how managing the encompassing woodland (specifically eradicating some bushes) had completely modified the location – bringing higher airflow and extra daylight to the winery. His first classic is scented, with brilliant and plush darkish red-berry fruit, alongside iris and violet florals. The palate is vibrant and juicy, however with a fine-grained grip – nubuck-like tannins that body the fruit, whereas there’s a savoury, saline word on the lengthy end.
2023 Gevrey-Chambertin, Premier Cru, Les Cazetiers: The vines within the Domaine des Chézeaux parcel of Cazetiers are very outdated, lending further depth to this good Premier Cru. The wine is delicate, with chalky minerality and delicate floral fragrance that entices on the nostril. The palate has an earthy minerality, however that’s complemented by fantastically clear darkish berry fruit. It’s agency in texture, with savoury mineral tannins that steadiness the wine’s pure juiciness. Effortlessly balanced, lengthy and spectacular. 5 barrels have been produced in 2023.
2023 Griotte-Chambertin, Grand Cru: Griotte-Chambertin is the jewel in Domaine des Chézeaux’s crown, with the most important holding of this small Grand Cru website – famend for producing gloriously fragrant and chic wines. Charles van Canneyt’s first classic is seductive, with candy spice and simply the lightest contact of toast sitting alongside waves of supple crimson cherry fruit. The wine is brilliant – providing an prompt depth and fullness, plush and voluptuous, but with easy magnificence. It’s tight at this nascent stage, however you’ll be able to see how way more it has to supply, with a construction that deserves time. Smoky tones linger on the lengthy end. An excellent début.
*This wine is famously the one which received fraudster Rudy Kurniawan caught, after he was discovered promoting older vintages of Domaine Ponsot Clos Saint-Denis, though the property didn’t produce the Grand Cru previous to taking over the Chézeaux holding in 1982.
Preserve an eye fixed out for the primary wines from the brand new Domaine des Chézeaux, which shall be launched quickly; within the meantime, learn extra about Burgundy
– Sophie Thorpe
