Domaine Gallois possess history and lineage reaching back well over a hundred years. In 1901 the holdings of Domaine Gallois once stretched from Gevrey all the way down to Volnay when Monsieur Bizot built what is still considered one of the coldest cellars in the village. Due to Napoleonic Law, the original land has slowly been splintered through inheritance among the now-extended family members. By the time Dominique Gallois began bottling his inheritance in 1989, the portion of his land had been whittled down to a precious 2.5 hectares along with the family’s historic cellars. He has acquired land along the way and now owns and bottles 4 hectares of vines that include Premier and Grand Cru parcels in and around Gevrey-Chambertin. With a philosophy that places the greatest emphasis on the health of the vineyards through Lutte Raisonnèe farming practices, Dominique takes each vintage as it comes and lets the terroir and growing season speak for itself.

Today’s wine is nourished in distinct limestone, loam and marl soils in four separate parcels. Two parcels rest just below the village of Gevrey-Chambertin while the remaining two plots are adjacent to the Gevrey boundary in the appellation of Fixin just to the north. Domaine Gallois meticulously sorts the hand-harvested Pinot Noir prior to a 2-5 day cold soak. The pristine fruit is fermented with only native yeast and is aged for sixteen months in neutral oak, which delivers an unadulterated snapshot of the terroir. From premium Bourgogne Rouge vineyards that boast vines between 15 and 30 years of age and crafted in the capable hands of Dominique Gallois, this wine outperforms many examples from up the coveted slope at an incredible value.

This 2013 Bourgogne Rouge exhibits a concentrated, dark garnet red core with slight pink reflections on the rim. The clean and perfumed nose is floral and earth-driven with a bouquet of wild herbs, wet wildflowers, black tea, forest floor and tree bark intertwined with fresh fruit aromas of black cherry, redcurrant, red plum and a touch of spice. The medium-bodied palate is structured, showing the wine’s lineage from around the village of Gevrey-Chambertin, and offers flavors similar to the nose with notes of crunchy red plum, red cherry, tea leaf, forest floor, mushroom and crushed rocks. This beauty is delicious at the moment, although it has years of life ahead of it and should peak in 2-3 years. If drinking now, I would advise decanting this wine for 30 minutes prior to serving in Burgundy stems at just above cellar temperature. There is a reason why classic dishes of Coq Au Vin and Boeuf Bourguignon go so well with red wines of the region as the protein and richness of the dish seems to perfect any youthful Pinot Noir. For a classic pairing, prepare Julia Child’s Coq Au Vin from Mastering the Art of French Cooking and invite over some good friends an upcoming winter night. It will surely be a night to remember.