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Morey-Saint-Denis is a commune of 370 acres situated south of Gevrey-Chambertin and north of Chambolle- Musigny. With 158 acres of village vineyards, 109 acres divided among 22 premiers crus and 102 acres in five grands crus vineyards, Morey-Saint-Denis enjoys an unusually high proportion of great vineyards, which, despite their quality, are among Burgundy's less familiar, a result of the commune's small production. The grands crus, four of which lie within Morey-Saint-Denis, are the best known: Clos Saint-Denis (16.4 acres); Clos de la Roche (41.8 acres); Clos de Tart (18.6 acres) and Clos des Lambrays, elevated to grand cru in 1981 (21.8 acres). The fifth, Bonne-Mares, is shared with Chambolle-Musigny; 3.7 of its total 37.2 acres lie in Morey-Saint-Denis. The village and premier cru vineyards may produce both white and red wines, though yield is only 27 hectolitres (300 cases) of white, as opposed to 3,323 hectolitres (36,920 cases) of red in an average year. The grand cru vineyards produce red wine only. Morey-Saint-Denis' origins can be placed at least as early as the Gallo-Roman era, evidenced by coins from that period found in a number of its vineyards. The name "Morey" is thought to be derived from the Latin "moriacum," denoting a Moorish estate. The first known owner of the village and its vineyards was the Barony of Vergy; they later passed into the hands of the Abbey of Cîteaux. After the village burned in 1636, during the Thirty Years' War, it recuperated only slowly, and it was not until the 1950s, after World War II, that it was able to rebuild its viticultural importance. Until that time, the wines were often sold as Gevrey- Chambertin or Chambolle-Musigny, and the premiers crus were blended across vineyards and labelled "Morey-Saint-Denis, Premier Cru" rather than under an individual vineyard name. The Clos-Saint-Denis lies just outside the northern walls of the village of Morey on an easterly exposed slope above the Route des Grands Crus. It consists of four adjoining parcels: Calouère, with 3.25 acres; Les Chaffots, with 3.3 acres; Maison Brûlée, with 4.55 acres; and Clos-Saint-Denis proper, with 5.3 acres. This smallest of Morey's grands crus is one of its lesser-known even though it shares its name with the commune. André Gagey is proprietor of .42 acres in the center of Clos-Saint-Denis, the finest part of the Clos, acquired in 1992. The vines are of a fine, small clone of Pinot Noir of 30 years' age which have been maintained with great care. It yields 75 cases of wine marked by the great completeness, finesse and silkiness of Morey-Saint- Denis, with elegant Pinot fruit offset by notes of earthiness in a firm structure.
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