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Gevrey-Chambertin is the northernmost of the great communes of the Côte de Nuits; it covers 1,315.75 acres and produces an average 16,411 hectolitres (182,351 cases) of wine annually, all of which is red. There are 26 premiers crus in Gevrey occupying a total of 211 acres, and eight grands crus lying on a contiguous strip of 215 acres. The remaining 889 acres, 125 of which lie in the adjoining commune of Brochon, produce the village wines of Gevrey-Chambertin. The village of Gevrey is very old; in 630 it still bore the Latin name "Gibriacus," a derivative of "grabos." The meaning of this word is unclear, but seems to be related to "beard", either a bearded man or animal, i.e., a goat. "Chambertin", from "Campus Bertini", later "Champ de Bertin", or "Bertin's field", immortalizes the peasant who first planted this greatest vineyard of the commune. In 1847, the commune of Gevrey became Gevrey- Chambertin by decree of King Louis-Philippe. The Clos-de-Bèze vineyard is the oldest of Gevrey's vineyards, planted by the monks of the Abbey of Bèze after its bequest to them, in 630, by Duke Amalgaire of Burgundy. In the 1200s it was sold intact to the order of the Cathedral of Langres, who leased it out in parcels until the 1700s, when both Le Chambertin and Clos- de-Bèze were acquired, nearly in their entirety, by Claude Jobert. Since Jobert's ownership, Clos-de-Bèze has become divided, as of 1985, among eighteen proprietors. The Clos-de-Bèze occupies a rectangular 38-acre plot in the center of Gevrey's grand cru slope just north of Le Chambertin. Clos-de-Bèze may take the Le Chambertin appellation, but not vice-versa, an indication of its slightly superior quality. Indeed, though Clos-de-Bèze is nearly seven acres larger than Le Chambertin, its average annual production is approximately six percent less. Domaine Louis Jadot controls 2.04 acres in Clos-de-Bèze of which half were acquired in 1985 through the purchase of Domaine Clair Daü, with the balance under long-term contract. The majestic wine it yields is a quintessential Clos-de-Bèze: rich, sumptuous and with an extraordinary balance of power, elegance and delicacy. The brilliant, brocaded texture finishes in long, lingering notes of berries and oak.
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