The 2020 is Prieuré Roch's first vintage from the Clos des Varoilles, a 6-hectare Gevrey-Chambertin premier cru monopole the domaine took over that year. The site is known for keeping its freshness in hot summers.
About This Wine
The Clos des Varoilles sits on the Côte Saint-Jacques hillside, where the slope turns into the Combe Lavaux behind Gevrey-Chambertin. At 6 hectares it is, by the domaine's count, the fifth-largest monopole on the Côte. Cool air from the combe keeps the vines fresh during heatwaves, and the domaine calls this an asset in the present run of hot years. It describes the wine as having the power and elegance of the top Gevreys with a freshness that comes from the plot's position. 2020 was warm and dry, but cool nights kept acidity high.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Cherry and raspberry, with liquorice, rosehip and a note of cool forest floor.
- Palate: Medium to full, with crunchy red fruit, fine tannins and lively acidity.
- Finish: Mineral and lasting, with spice and red fruit.
Serving & Food
Decant for 45 minutes and serve at 15 to 16°C in a Burgundy glass. It will open up from around 2026 and keep until the late 2030s. Roast pigeon, beef carpaccio with truffle oil, or pan-fried duck breast with plum sauce all work well.
How to Enjoy
Following a new chapter at Prieuré Roch from its first year, and those who prefer freshness over weight in Gevrey.
Product Details
Producer: Domaine Prieuré Roch
Country: France
Region: Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
Appellation: Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Clos des Varoilles Monopole
Vineyard: 6 ha monopole, Combe Lavaux
Vintage: 2020 (first vintage at the domaine)
Grape: Pinot Noir
Volume: 750mL
About the Domaine
Prieuré Roch has kept adding vineyards. The Clos des Argillières arrived in 2009, Dessus les Gollardes in Savigny-lès-Beaune in 2018, the year Henry-Frédéric Roch died, and the Clos des Varoilles in 2020, which brought a third monopole to the estate.
Yannick Champ, who worked alongside Roch for years, leads the domaine and has kept the founder's approach unchanged: whole-bunch fermentation, native yeasts, organic farming and a light hand in the cellar. The range now runs from easy Coteaux Bourguignons to two grands crus.