Gevrey-Chambertin marks the true northern limit of the Côte d’Or

September 4, 2011

About Wines from Gevrey-Chambertin, Burgundy of France
Best wine supplier in Philippines discusses wine related topics

Gevrey-Chambertin BURGUNDY VIEW MAP
Domaine Armand Rousseau Domaine Fourrier Domaine Louis Trapet
For many, Gevrey-Chambertin marks the true northern limit of the Côte d’Or. With its 9 Grands Crus, it is by far the largest commune in the Côte de Nuits and very much its flagship.

The village, recorded as Gabriacus in 640, belonged to the Abbots of Béze whose monks were largely responsible for clearing the ground and pioneering the original vine plantations. In 1257, the Abbot of Cluny decided that fortifications were desirable and started the construction of a Château, the remains of which can still be seen at the top of the village.
Nothing momentous happened thereafter until 1553-58 when the plague struck with devastating effect and massive infestations of insects laid waste the vines for over a century. In 1847 a Royal decree granted the commune the right to add the name of its most renowned Grand Cru to its designation; thus was Gevrey-Chambertin born.

Gevrey is really a small town. Its 2,600 inhabitants benefit from shops, a wine-bar, a bistro, a hotel and a couple of prestigious restaurants, reflecting expansion, especially on the eastern side of the RN 74.

The vineyards extend to 532 ha; 9 Grands Crus account for 87ha, 26 Premiers Crus for 86ha, leaving 359 ha of Village appellation, includ-ing 11 climats from Brochon which are enti-tled to call their wine Gevrey-Chambertin.

The Village vines extend on both sides of the Dijon Beaune road, mainly to the east and north of the village centre. The Premiers Crus lie in two bands, one to the south and the other, larger, section to the west towards the Combe de Lavaux. This latter, generally regarded as the first division of Premiers Crus, includes Les Cazetiers, La Combe aux Moines, Le Clos St.-Jacques, Lavaux St.-Jacques and Etournelles St.-Jacques.

The Grands Crus are sited south of the vil-lage on a magnificent swathe of east-facing, gently sloping hillside at a height of 260-320m protected from wind-chill by the forest above. The commune has taken the unusually extrovert step – for Burgundy – of identifying each Grand Cru with a prominent sign for the benefit of its numerous visitors.

Micro-climates are particularly important here, since the Combe de Lavaux, a steep-sided valley behind the village, acts as a fun-nel for bad weather, especially for hail. Fortunately the higher ground is inimical to frost, which, like water runs off to the flatter land near the main road. In 1985, whilst more than 80 ha of village vineyards were destroyed by frost, the Premiers and Grands Crus escaped virtually unscathed. The rela-tive coolness of the upper slopes slows down the ripening process, making these vineyards less successful in marginal vintages or when bad weather necessitates an early harvest.

For centuries Chambertin’s combination of “grace and vigour, firmness and strength, finesse and delicacy … the summit of Burgundy’s potential” has inspired writers to exotic prose. Together with its neighbour Clos de Bèze, Chambertin is widely consid-ered as primus inter pares among the Grand Crus. Administrative idiosyncrasy permits wine from Clos de Bèze to be labelled Chambertin but not vice versa.

Gevrey’s soils exhibit wide diversity. The Grands Crus are planted on a base of com-pacted limestone – its substratum is clearly visible from an incision marking the site of a disused quarry on the left of the Route des Grands Crus entering Gevrey from Morey-St.-Denis. Topsoils are more or less rich in clay particles – less in Griotte-Chambertin and Chapelle-Chambertin more in Mazoyeres, which is altogether more fecund arable soil, with a 30-35 cm outcrop of well-drained gravel. Another administrative oddity permits wine from the Mazoyeres-Chambertin climat to be called Charmes-Chambertin but not vice versa.

Latricières – and Ruchottes – Chambertin are on higher ground, with a topsoil of white marl; a highish limestone content tends to give the wines a more marked dimension of hardness and tannin than the other Grand Crus.

Griotte-Chambertin, the smallest of the Grand Crus takes its name not from any cherry-tree planted there, nor from the sup-posed whiff of cherry in its wine, but rather from its shape, a concave bowl which trapped the sun so much in summer that it was like a little grill or ‘grillotte’.

Elsewhere in the commune, soil depths vary; topsoils are frequently thin with clearly visible rock outcrops. The flat land on either side of the road, where Village and Regional appellations are concentrated have more clay in their composition, giving breadth and body, but less finesse.

Such a large commune – some 110 grow-ers in Gevrey itself – is inevitably home to a wide variety of quality and styles. A Chambertin from Jean Trapet, emphasising delicacy and finesse, will have little in com-mon with Charles Rousseau’s denser, more structured version. Whilst Gevreys are broadly characterised by power and muscle, tending to start compact and needing time to unpack the best do not lack finesse. Premiers and Grands Crus from top vintages can develop well over 30 years or more.

Recent years have seen the emergence of a number of excellent “new” Domaines – some of which are profiled here. Many are long-established family enterprises which are now – usually under the aegis of a new generation – Domaine bottling, rather than selling everything in bulk, whilst others have emerged from divisions of vineyards between different members of the family. Elsewhere, poorly-performing Domaines have been transformed with the arrival of a new hand on the tiller.

Apart from the obvious stars, there are a number of estates which have all the ingredi-ents for stardom but lack the consistency of the best. Lamentably, there are also too many Domaines which continue to underperform. Common faults are excessive yields, sloppy vinification, keeping wine too long in cask and evisceratingly harsh filtra-tion – often incompetence masquerading as ‘tradition’. This is doubly inexcusable, as it both damages the reputation of the appellations produced and denies abler winemakers, who could do a much better job, access to scarce land. The shortage might just tempt someone to a charitable experiment!

Source: http://www.greatdomaines.co.za/gevrey_text.html

Although wines are widely available in most Asian countries, especially in Hong Kong which has eliminated import tariff on wines altogether, the availability of fine vintage wines is still very scarce. Most wine merchants offer big names, young vintages and cheaper wines for everyday consumption. Wine lovers and connoisseurs looking for something special often travel to Clark Pampanga Philippines to do their shopping at this Wine Shop in Manila.

At Yats Wine Cellars we believe that a little bit of knowledge in wine goes a long way to developing expectations in the wines we choose to buy or drink. Without expectation, it is difficult to really enjoy wine to its fullest. With this in mind, efforts are made by Yats Wine Cellars to make it as easy and enjoyable as possible for our clients to learn more about wine.

Birthday wine gifts is one of the most popular birthday gifts to give someone living in the Philippines. Fine Vintage wine from Yats Wine Cellars is a sure winner and it does not have to cost a great deal to send someone a bottle in Philippines

To avail of wine catering service of Yats Wine Cellars, just contact this wine supplier in Manila or Angeles Clark Philippines for a meeting to design a theme for the event. The venue for a wine event can be in the privacy of a home, the convenience of an office in Manila for example or in a clubhouse of a subdivision. Wine glasses and accessories necessary for wine service are included in the wine catering service. Moreover, interesting wine notes accompany the wine to help participants enjoy the event even more by learning a little bit about wine while enjoying the party. A wine steward will be present to serve the wine.

There is also an exciting collection of white wine from Burgundy at this wine shop in Clark Pampanga such as Meursault, Chablis, Chassagne Montrachet, Puligny Montrachet, Corton-Charlemagne and St. Aubin. Red wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux and Rhone are also available with a good depth of back vintages too. Visitors buy wine in Manila and Pampanga should not miss stopping at this wine shop for a few bottles of fine vintage wines to bring home.

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila
Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.

Clark Wine Center
Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023
(045) 841 4006 / 0922-870-5173 / 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)

Wine@Yats-International.com

YATS Wine Cellars
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 ask for Rea or Chay

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.

Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:

http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com

While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com

YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.yatsleisure.com

Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:

http://www.LondonPubClark.com

http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com

http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com

http://www.YatsWineCellars.com

Yats Restaurant is the best restaurant for special dinner, best restaurant for dinner with friends near Manila, also the best place to celebrate special events.

Famous Restaurant in Pampanga, a place to dine with friends in Clark, cozy restaurant with a nice ambience, a nice function place for special occasions

Are you looking for an attractive restaurant or a nice place to eat with friends in Clark, Angeles City Pampanga? Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar is a restaurant with good food and good wines for dinner located at Clark Angeles City Pampanga. Perfect for exclusive dinner venues for groups, recommended for private dinner in Philippines. A Restaurant in Clark for business dinner meeting. Private dinner place or dinner restaurant in Clark Subic Near Manila Angeles City Pampanga. Yats Restaurant is one of the Good Restaurant in Pampanga Angeles City Clark near Manila.

www.YatsRestaurant.com
Looking for interesting hotels near Manila Subic Clark Angeles City Pampanga?
Trouble free hotels and well recognized hotels in Subic Clark Angeles City Pampanga
Clearwater Resort and Country Club offers a good place to stay in Subic Clark Angeles City Pampanga. In offers nice place to have rest in Subic Pampanga outside Manila.
One of the Philippines top hotels in north Luzon.

Where to go in Clark? Hotel Clark Philippines is a De Luxe Hotel in Clark and Subic, a risk free place to stay, cozy and nice ambience, a nice function place for special occassion

www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com