Not only is Chambertin-Clos de Bèze considered one of the top Grand Crus of Burgundy, many consider the best bottlings from this cherished site to be among the finest in the world. Enter Bruno Clair, who spins supernatural Pinot Noir from these ancient soils. This microscopic 2014 release—a classic vintage and one of my all-time favorites—is akin to catching one of Burgundy’s great white whales.
With less than one hectare to his name, Bruno Clair naturally farms his gnarled, 100+-year-old Clos de Bèze vines; treats his wine with judicious French oak, and allows for a long, undisturbed
élevage. When he finally does release his tiny Grand Cru batch to the market, they are snatched up at once and buried deep in the cellars of investors. A serious wine calls for serious buyers who are trained in patience—a vital attribute for this rare gem—because even at five years old, this needs another five before the grandeur of Chambertin begins revealing itself. So, if it’s realistic and you’re not compelled to rush a masterpiece in the making (e.g. Brahms’ First Symphony took nearly 20 years to perfect), make sure this divine Grand Cru gets in your hands—and do it fast because we only lucked into a few bottles.
In terms of history and pedigree, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze and Chambertin are the two heavyweight Grand Crus of Gevrey-Chambertin, outweighing the seven others that surround them. The origins of Clos de Bèze can be traced to 640 AD when the Abbey of Bèze was provided the land and the monks set about planting vines. Over a millennium later, during the late 1700s, parcels of land in both vineyards were fetching some of the highest prices in the region. By 1937, when Clos de Bèze was officially declared a Grand Cru, it was all but cemented into the annals of wine history as one of the most revered sites in the world.
Bruno’s grandfather, Joseph, established the historically renowned, now-defunct Domaine Clair-Daü in Marsannay just after the First World War. In the ’80s, family quarrels caused the estate to be split into four parts, but Bruno ultimately came out the victor. Today, he runs over half of the original Clair-Daü estate, which includes prime parcels in Bonnes-Mares and today’s Chambertin-Clos de Bèze! Bruno himself is a viticulturist first and foremost, known for detailed, arduous work in his vineyards (he works organically, but hasn’t gotten certified). He farms the entirety of his vines here—the majority of which were planted in 1912—without chemical fertilizers. He composts and plows the soils, maintains low yields and seemingly knows the health of each vine on his estate.
After the hand-harvested fruit is meticulously sorted, Bruno works closely with longtime enologist/right hand Philippe Brun to craft wines traditionally with the ultimate respect for vintage and site. In the exceptional 2014 vintage, the wine was fermented in open-topped vats with ambient yeasts and a percentage of whole grape clusters included to lend backbone and spice. The wine was transferred into oak where it underwent malolactic fermentation in the spring. It was then racked and continued to age in French oak, never more than 50% new, for at least 18 months.
In a world of heavy-handed, modern-styled wines, Bruno Clair’s offerings capture the subtlety, finesse and sense of place that only the greatest Burgundies achieve. His wines are not crafted to ‘pop and pour’—they are rare expressions of classic Burgundy that are meant to be aged and pondered on the most special of occasions. His sleek, subtly robust Chambertin-Clos de Bèze is a wine that perfectly harnesses grace and power, resulting in a palate filled with immense concentration and layered flavors. The 2014 a flawlessly pretty wine that slowly comes out of its shell as hours float by. It evokes basketfuls of tightly-coiled red fruit tinged with baking spice, followed by underbrush, black plum, black raspberry, rose petal, crushed violets, and turned earth. Remember, these aromas will only deepen and become more pronounced over the years. Wondering when to open it? There’s never a wrong time, but a good rule of thumb would be the longer you wait, the better it will be. This is one of the greatest treasures in the world of wine, so treat it as such with the finest stemware, company, and food.
