Lesson 7: Gevrey-Chambertin

Question 1

How many miles long is the Cote De Nuits?

Answer 1

13 miles long

Question 2

How many cases are Produced in the Cote De Nuits?

Answer 2

862,400 cases

close to a million

Question 3

What % of Pinot Noir is produced in the Cote De Nuits?

Answer 3

97%

The most famous area for Pinot Noir in the world

Question 4

How many of the 33 Burgundy Grand Crus are in the Cote De Nuits?

Answer 4

24

Question 5

Cote De Nuits Soils

Answer 5

All are of Jurassic origin

Jurassic Soil Layers (old to younger) that will be encountered in the Cote De Nuits

Calcaire a entroques

Ostrea acuminata

Premeaux Limestone

White oolites

Comblanchien Limestone

Dalle Nacree

Question 6

Cote De-Nuits Terroir:

Cap Rock: ?

Bed Rock: Higher on the slope..?
Lower on Slope..?

Answer 6

Cote De-Nuits Terroir:

Cap Rock: Comblanchien Limestone (normally)

Bed Rock: Depending on where the vineyard is on the slope
Higher is usually Premeaux Limestone
Lower is usually Calcaire a entroques

In between: White Oolite (calcium pellets), usually on top of the Premeaux Limestone
Ostrea acuminata marl (tiny oysters in clay), usually on top of Calcaire a entroques

Question 7

Marsannay: Early History

Answer 7

Wine produced since 658 AD

• Early vineyards were owned by the Duke of Burgundy and the monks at St-Benigne
• In 1648, Chenove (just a hamlet N of Marsannay) wine sold at higher prices than those of Gevrey-Chambertin

Question 8

Marsannay Terroir

Answer 8

Mostly on gentle slopes

Mixture of Bathonian (higher up on the slope) and Bajocian layers (lower on the slope) with a lot of stone and clay and pebbles on top of it. Kind of slope wash. Also, some alluvial soil. Quite a complex soil to work with.
A cover of gravel and silt, and sand and clay.

Nice protection from the wind by the trees left planted on top of the Comblanchien cap rock. Serves as a break against the wind.

Question 9

Marsannay: 20th Century Developments

After WW1:

1919:

1935:

1982:

1987:

Answer 9

After WWI: Econimics were terrible and vineyards were in disrepair and hurting.

1919: Joseph Clair “invents” Marsannay Rose wine, it becomes extremely popular and fashionable in all the cafes in Dijon, and saved the appellation in that period.
1935: When AOCs were handed out, Marsannay wasn’t included (though Fixin was). Depression of sorts sat in and by
1982: vineyard acreage was about 47.
1987: Marsannay receives village AOC. Since then vineyard plantings have gone up 10 Xs (over 500 acres now).

Investment by Cote d’Or producers elevates image of wines (esp. Loius Jadot) helped them to get to where they are today and the situation is better than it’s been in a long time.

Question 10

When was the Marsannay Village AOC established?

What does it include?

They were authorized to produce what type of wine?

Answer 10

1987

Marsannay, Couchey (to S) and Chenove (to N)

Red, Rose and white

Question 11

What is the only Village AOC in Burgundy Authorized to produce Red, White & Rose wines?

Answer 11

Marsannay

Question 12

Does Marsannay have any Premier Cru Vineyards?

Answer 12

No

Question 13

What is the highest Appellation of wine that Marsannay has?

Answer 13

Village

Question 14

What has been a modern day issue for Marsannay?

Answer 14

Encroaching residential developments spreading out of Dijon.

Question 15

Marsannay Wine Production (Pitiot 2008)

Red & Rose
Acres = ?
Cases = ?
% of Rose = ?

White:
Acres = ?
Cases = ?

This represents what % of Dote de Nuits white wine production?

Total Acreage and Production = ?

Answer 15

Red & Rose
Acres = 475
Cases = 98,333
% of Rose = 20%

White:

Acres = 85.9
Cases  = 17,777

52% (Cote de Nuit is not normally a white wine producing region)

Total: 560.9 Acres
116,110 Cases

Question 16

Describe Calcaire a entroques

Answer 16

Calcaire a entroques: aka Crinoidal Limestone CdN bedrock (Bajocian Age (Older part of the middle Jurassic period 170 million yrs ago.
Will see this alot as the bedrock, certainly on the lower slope. Due to earthquakes and faluting it’s cracked, and it holds moisture, and b/c of the cracking, the roots of the vines can penetrate through it to find the moisture. But, in order to do that, the vines have to be old. That’s why having old vines is very important in Burgundy, and specifically the Cote De Nuit

Question 17

Describe Ostrea acuminata:

Answer 17

Ostrea acuminata: CdN (Bajocian), but a little younger than the Clacaire a entroques.
This is actually a Marl ( a mixture of Limestone and Clay) filled with tiny oysters, that you can still see the shells of. Serves to fatten the soil and thicken it, and makes it very good for the vines.

Question 18

Describe Premeaux Limestone:

Answer 18

Premeaux Limestone:
CdN bedrock (From the Bathonian Age) Approx 150 million yrs ago
Found on the higher slopes of the bedrock, and it too is cracked.

Question 19

Describe White oolites:

Answer 19

White oolites: Which are calcium pellets, which are commonly found in the Cote de Nuits vineyards at the higher elevation, usually on a bedrock of Premeaux Limestone

Question 20

Describe Comblanchien Limestone:

Answer 20

Comblanchien Limestone: hard stone. Vineyards are not often planted on this b/c it’s so hard. But, you do find trees and other types of vegetation. It is usually the caprock that ones sees in the Cote De Nuits.

Question 21

Describe Dalle Nacree:

Answer 21

Dalle Nacree: Won’t see this in the Cote De Nuits, but will in the Cote de Beaune which has younger layers of the Jurassic period.

Question 22

Marsannay Wine Styles

Reds:

Answer 22

Reds: Stylish, fruit forward, supple, earthy charm.
A wine of early charm. Very stylish red. Very fruit forward personality. The tannins are there, but fairly well integrated and supple.

Rose: Very racy, poised, lively, very refreshing, crisp.

White: Beautiful fresh fruit, peachy-apple, crsip and lean. Not a complex wine, very straight forwrad.
Very pleasant with lite foods. Lighter than Fixin wines.

Question 23

Selected Marsannay Producers

Answer 23

Bruno Clair (21.25 Ha): Probably best known of the Domaines, and make excellents wines

Huguenot Pere et Fils (25 Ha)

Olivier Guyot (14 Ha)

Sylvain Pataille (12 Ha)

Question 24

Fixin Fast Facts

Answer 24

• Officially, the beginning of the Cote De Nuits (got its AOC in 1935, and Marsannay didn’t until 1987).
• Important history in viticulture since the middle ages.
• Has the same geologic strata package as the Grand Cru Chambertine (so very good terroir)
• Has 6 Premiers Crus

Question 25

Fixin Napoleon Connection

Answer 25

Claude Noisot: An officer who served with Napoleon, and was with him when he was imprisoned on the island of Elba. He came back to Burgundy, his homestead where he had property, and created a piece of a Premiere Cru vineyard as Clos Napoleon. He loved Napolean was with Napoleon, and
Built a museum in Fixin to him, as well as commissioned a bronze sculpture of him that’s in the Village.

Clos Napoleon Vineyard (1.83 Ha). Premier Cru. Small property, that today is a monopole owned by Domaine Pierre Gelin.

Parc Noisot, Museum, & Sculpture.

Question 26

Top Fixin Premiers Crus

The most Famous is

Answer 26

They’re clustered on the Southern, upper slope of the Village.

Clos de la Perriere (6.7 Ha), monopole of Philippe Joliet,

Clos du Chap