Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru "Les Corbeaux" Vieilles Vignes AOC 2022

A Pinot Noir of translucent clarity: dark cherry and violet, backed by herbal spice, undergrowth and a smoky note. "I'm not looking for colour or tannin," says Bruno Clavelier; what he seeks is transparency and finesse, and that is exactly what this Premier Cru delivers.

Les Corbeaux lies at the heart of Gevrey-Chambertin, at the foot of the Grand Cru slopes. The vines root deep in limestone subsoil and date from the 1930s and 1940s, when Joseph Brosson, Clavelier's maternal grandfather, rebuilt the estate plot by plot from 1935 onward, after phylloxera and the world wars. The oldest vines are now over 80 years old and naturally yield little.

Pure Pinot Noir, almost exclusively the traditional Burgundian clone Pinot Noir Fin. Fermented in open, conical oak vats with indigenous yeasts, with up to 30 percent whole clusters and hand punch-downs rather than mechanical extraction, over about three weeks; malolactic fermentation follows in spring. Then aged 16 to 18 months in barrels from Tronçais and Allier, only a third of them new. Neither fined nor filtered, low sulphur, bottled under protective gas.

Dense and refined, with ripe, fine-grained tannin and juicy dark fruit. The finish stays long and carries mineral spice. At 13.0% ABV, the wine retains its freshness.

Duck breast with cherries, saddle of venison with mushrooms, partridge with lentils or boeuf bourguignon. It also pairs well with a mature Époisses or a simple mushroom risotto.

The estate farms 6.5 hectares in the Côte de Nuits, vinifies each climat separately and works biodynamically. All wines carry the designation "Vieilles Vignes" and are sought after by collectors worldwide.