The iconic village of Gevrey-Chambertin is synonymous with structured, masculine, long-lived Pinot Noir that has induced connoisseurs to build cellars for centuries. As such, prices for this village’s wines have skyrocketed across the world; high-quality examples under $50 are increasingly rare.
Although a relative newcomer to making wine from Gevrey, Domaine Charles Audoin’s rise to prominence stemmed from a dedication to quality that was partly responsible for Marsannay achieving AOC classification in 1987. What they have accomplished with their small parcels in Gevrey-Chambertin is nothing short of spectacular. They have captured the intense structure and power of the region yet retained a magical perfume and bright finesse; it’s incredible now but will also reveal additional complexity in a few years.
The singular village of Gevrey-Chambertin is nestled along the Côte de Nuits famed Combe de Lavaux between the villages of Fixin to the north and Morey-Saint-Denis to the south. The clay, limestone soils in this grand pocket of Burgundy are home to some of the most masculine, structured and long-lived wines, although this example from Domaine Charles Audoin is something of a renaissance man – the stuffing and power of classic Gevrey with the finesse and perfume of villages known for more finesse. Domaine Charles Audoin may be fairly new to Gevrey-Chambertin, but their history in Marsannay has proven them to be one of the most serious producers of the rapidly evolving village. Just a short drive north of Gevrey-Chambertin, in the entrance to Burgundy’s Côte de Nuits, Marsannay only received appellation status in 1987, thanks in part to the efforts of this serious, quality-driven producer. Charles Audoin and his oenologist wife, Marie-Francoise, armed with four generations of wine knowledge and a hefty dose of foresight, founded Domaine Charles Audoin in 1972 fifteen years before the village was classified. As the name Marsannay has risen once again, so has the Audoin family and their efforts in Gevrey-Chambertin reveals a serious wine that hits the sweet spot in the famed village’s expression of Pinot Noir.
Domaine Charles Audoin began with only three hectares and has since grown to over fourteen hectares. In 2000, Charles and Marie-Francoise placed the reins of the family business in the capable hands of their son, Cyril, who has increasingly focused on vineyard health and heaping ample care on the family’s vineyards. After enology school and years of hands-on experience around the world, this fifth-generation vigneron returned to the family, armed with experience, passion and focus toward single-vineyard production. Their collective vines average almost 50 years of age. This 2013 Gevrey-Chambertin is derived from two lieux-dit, Les Crais and La Croix des Champs, which together offer depth and power as well as finesse and perfumed elegance. The wine is aged in very little new oak and is bottled without fining or filtration, which reveals a pure, unadulterated snapshot of Gevrey.
The 2013 Gevrey-Chambertin displays a concentrated, dark ruby core with slight garnet reflections on the rim. The nose reveals black plum, black cherry and a touch of pomegranate over aromas of black tea, wild fennel, wet roses, violets, tree bark, wet herbs, a touch of grape stems, crushed dark clay and an exotic spiciness along with an overarching perfume that is simultaneously powerful Gevrey yet finessed and nuanced. The palate is incredibly dense with medium-plus body, soft yet structured tannins and a touch more lift and brightness than many examples of the famous village. Black cherry, black plum and a hint of pomegranate are layered with flavors of forest floor, damp bark, leather, black tea, wild herbs and fresh black earth, which winds around the core of beautiful fruit for an incredibly long, mineral-driven finish. After three years in the bottle, this wine is softening into quite a beauty, but will see its most profound years between 2020 and 2030. If you choose to enjoy a bottle now, and you should, pull the cork three hours prior or decant for 30-45 minutes and serve in Burgundy stems between 60-65 degrees. The first sip of this wine begs for a classic Boeuf Bourguignon to catapult the density and majesty of this red Burgundy to a whole new level. As always,
Julia Child’s definitive recipe will make you wonder why you ever prepared this dish any other way.
