Chambertin-Clos de Bèze 2019 from Olivier Bernstein. It is made in tiny quantities from two small parcels, and the 2019 combines the vintage's ripeness with a firm, long-lived structure.
About This Wine
Clos de Bèze lies beside Chambertin on the Gevrey slope and has the right to be sold under the Chambertin name. Bernstein's fruit comes from two parcels totalling about 0.3 hectares, cropped at very low yields. In the hot 2019 season his old vines held their balance, and early tasters found red and blue fruit, rose, pepper and a savoury, earthy side, with a tight frame clearly aimed at long ageing.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Red and blue berries, rose petal, red pepper, gunpowder and wet earth.
- Palate: Pure and energetic, with sweet fruit, dried herbs and fine, tight tannin.
- Finish: Long and taut, with a slight dry edge that should soften with time.
Serving & Food
Keep it cellared for now; this is a wine for the next decade and beyond. When opened, decant for two to three hours and serve at 16 to 17°C. Pair with roast venison loin, coq au vin, or a mature Brillat-Savarin.
How to Enjoy
Long-term cellaring and a landmark dinner some years from now.
Product Details
Producer: Olivier Bernstein
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
Appellation: Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
Vintage: 2019
Grape: Pinot Noir
Volume: 750mL
About the Maison
When Olivier Bernstein started in 2007 he owned no vines and had no grape contracts. His answer was to rent individual rows from growers, pay them what they would have earned selling the fruit, and take over the vineyard work himself. That gave him control over pruning, yields and picking dates on sites he could never have bought.
His right-hand man since the first vintage is Richard Séguin, who runs the vineyard side. The model moved on in 2012, when Bernstein bought his first parcels, in Mazis-Chambertin and Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Champeaux.