2020 Domaine Marchand Freres Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes Rouge

'Vieilles Vignes', old vines, have the advantage that crop yields remain naturally low. And low crop yields mean 'concentration'. Here we get that concentration in a Gevrey-Chambertin 'village' made of two contiguous 'lieux dits' (Pressonniers and Fourneaux) that are below the line of the Grand Cru west of the Combe Lavaux. We are talking about a classic Gevrey village, similar to the 'Aux Etelois' vineyard which is just across the road. This is Gevrey-Chambertin as we love to see it.

The Domaine Marchand Freres has existed since 1813 for seven generations, and for most of that time it was based in Morey-St. Dennis. However, in 1983, the estate bought a winemaker's house in the center of Gevrey-Chambertin, supposedly because of the beautiful working cellars underneath. But Gevrey gradually became the headquarters of the company and today Denis Marchand lives in the beautifully restored house and receives guests in the cellars below.

The domain has small plots in some very important vineyards in Chambolle-Musigny, Morey-Saint-Denis and Gevrey-Chambertin, including premier cru 'Les Sentiers' in Chambolle, 'Le Clos des Ormes' in Morey and 'Les Combottes' in Gevrey . They also have interests in Grand Cru Clos de la Roche, Griottes-Chambertin and Charmes Chambertin. But production is small, 1000 cases here, a few hundred there, only dozens in the Grands Crus. Marchand Freres is the Burgundian domain par excellence: small production, high quality.