Spotlight on - Le Chambertin, Grand Cru

• Dubbed the 'king' of Burgundy Grand Crus, Le Chambertin is the most prestigious vineyard in Gevrey-Chambertin, and some would say anywhere in Burgundy.
• 9 separate Chambertin vineyards, which could label the wines as Chambertin. This includes Chambertin Clos de Beze.
• The main Chambertin vineyard is c. 35 acres in size and except for Charmes-Chambertin it is the most productive and largest of all Chambertin vineyards.
• Uniquely, the vineyard is set on a flat area which is off-set by the high concentration of clay and limestone in the soil. Typically most grand cru vineyards on the Côte de Nuits are located on a slope. Because of this, Chambertin wines are characterised by a deep and layered style.
• Chambertin as a wine demonstrates remarkable complexity, and whilst come producers may find it difficult to refine, there is certainly no other Pinot Noir in the world capable of producing such complex flavours.
• Best cellared for a few years, to allow the wines’ indomitable flavours to become more coherent, the best Chambertin will age beautifully for 20-25 years.
• There is a large number of producers bottling Chambertin Grand Cru, which can result in some varying degrees of quality. But at the top end, producers make Chambertin one of the most worthwhile appellations in Burgundy.

Top Producers:

Graph above (courtesy of Liv-ex) shows the price appreciation of Armand Rousseau, Chambertin Grand Cru, 1999 which has seen growth of 138.1% over the past 5 years.

Similarly the 2001 vintage from Domaine Trapet Pere et Fils, who have the second largest holding of the Chambertin vineryard in our list above, has increased in price from c. £600 per case in 2009 to over £1,500 in 2014 (174.8% growth in 5 years).

MAP OF THE Chambertin Vineyard, located next door to the Grand Cru (Clos de Beze) in the village of Gevrey-Chambertin