Gevrey-Chambertin:9 grands crus on the Côte de Nuits

In short: Gevrey-Chambertin holds the Côte de Nuits record with 9 Grands Crus across 550 hectares of vineyards. Chambertin, the most famous of them, was the favourite wine of Napoleon I, who demanded a glass at every meal, even on campaign. The village also boasts the Château de Vergy, the oldest wine-producing castle in Burgundy, and cellars hewn in the 12th century by the monks of Cluny Abbey.

Gevrey-Chambertin is a name that carries weight in the wine world. When a connoisseur utters this word, they are not just naming a village in the Côte de Nuits - they are evoking the tannic power, length on the palate and ageability of the greatest Burgundian pinot noirs. It is the northern apex of the Route des Grands Crus, 12 kilometres south of Dijon, and the first true grand cru village coming from the north.

Nine Grands Crus, a Côte de Nuits record

No other village in Burgundy can claim nine Grand Cru appellations on its territory alone. These nine climats line the hillside overlooking the village, facing the Saône plain, benefiting from an east-south-east exposure and Middle Jurassic limestone soils. From north to south: Chambertin, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, Chapelle-Chambertin, Charmes-Chambertin, Mazis-Chambertin, Griotte-Chambertin, Latricières-Chambertin, Mazoyères-Chambertin and Ruchottes-Chambertin.

Chambertin and Clos de Bèze, the icons

Chambertin is the oldest and most renowned. Its 13.57 hectares produce a wine that Napoleon had brought to his battlefields - legend has it that Marshal Lefebvre, owner of Clos de Bèze, offered a cask of his wine to the Emperor, who never drank another. The adjacent Clos de Bèze (15.40 ha) is considered its qualitative equal by connoisseurs: it was planted as early as the 7th century by the monks of Bèze Abbey, making it one of the oldest vineyard plots still in production in France.

The other Grands Crus

The other Grands Crus complete this historic core. Charmes-Chambertin is the largest (30.84 ha) and often the most affordable. Griotte-Chambertin (2.73 ha) is the rarest, with only 12,000 bottles produced annually. Chapelle-Chambertin is known for aromatic finesse, while Mazis-Chambertin produces structured wines that excel after ten years of ageing. Latricières-Chambertin stands out for its mineral austerity, Mazoyères-Chambertin is often blended with Charmes (the two are contiguous), and Ruchottes-Chambertin surprises with the power its 3.31 stony hectares can produce.

History: when Gevrey became Gevrey-Chambertin

Until 1847, the village was simply called Gevrey. That year, by royal decree, the municipal council obtained permission to add the name of its most prestigious cru - a common practice in Burgundy at the time (Nuits-Saint-Georges, Vosne-Romanée and Puligny-Montrachet followed suit). This officialised the already international fame of Chambertin, which European courts had been vying for since the 18th century.

This fame is no accident. The Cistercian monks of Cîteaux Abbey, followed by the Dukes of Burgundy, structured the vineyard as early as the early Middle Ages. Archives show that Clos de Bèze was already mentioned in 630 in a donation to Bèze Abbey, making it one of the oldest continuously farmed vineyard plots in France.

The UNESCO climats

Since 4 July 2015, the climats of the Burgundy vineyard have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Gevrey-Chambertin is one of the most represented villages in this classification, with its 9 Grands Crus and numerous Premier Crus contributing to what the nomination dossier called “a living evolving cultural landscape.”

A climat, in Burgundy, is a precisely delimited vineyard plot with its own name, history and soil type. At Gevrey, the geological diversity is particularly striking: Chambertin rests on Middle Jurassic limestone, while the lower plots, classified as Premier Crus or village appellation, blend clay and limestone pebbles. This mosaic of soils, combined with the hillside’s exposure and microclimate, creates the unique conditions that justify the UNESCO listing.

The Grands Crus trail, waymarked over 7 kilometres between Gevrey and Morey-Saint-Denis, lets you explore this diversity on foot with interpretive panels telling the story of each climat. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours for the full walk.

Key domaines

Gevrey-Chambertin counts about forty producing domaines. Among the most internationally renowned: Domaine Armand Rousseau, which owns parcels in eight of the nine Grands Crus and whose bottles regularly fetch several hundred euros on the market. Domaine Denis Bachelet, smaller (5 ha) but equally sought-after, and Domaine Claude Dugat, which produces one of the most secret and most expensive Chambertins. For those seeking more accessible wines, domaines such as Rossignol-Trapet, Fourrier or Bruno Clair offer excellent value on their Premier Crus and village appellations.

Tasting and visiting

Several cellars welcome the public in Gevrey-Chambertin. The Château de Gevrey-Chambertin cellar, in the heart of the village, offers tastings of its production. The Comptoir des Grands Crus, rue de l’Église, is a wine shop that lets you compare several neighbouring appellations without travelling from village to village.

The village itself is worth a stroll. The church of Saint-Aignan, from the 13th century, houses a listed statue of the Virgin and Child. The lanes of the old centre retain 17th and 18th-century winemakers’ houses, with their characteristic arched wine-cellar doors. The town hall, place de la Mairie, occupies an 18th-century mansion.

The Château de Vergy

Three kilometres southwest of the village, perched on the motte that dominates the combe de Lavaux, the Château de Vergy is considered the oldest wine-producing castle in Burgundy. Its first fortifications date from the 11th century. It was the seat of one of the most powerful noble families in the region, the Lords of Vergy, whose lineage goes back to the 9th century.

The castle’s cellars, carved into the limestone, now host tastings and guided tours. The view from the terrace encompasses the entire Gevrey vineyard and, on clear days, Mont Blanc. The estate itself produces several cuvées from classified Gevrey-Chambertin parcels.

Practical information

Gevrey-Chambertin is 12 km south of Dijon, accessible via the D974 (the former RN74) which runs along the vineyard. The village is served by bus line 60 (Dijon-Beaune, Gevrey-Chambertin centre stop) and by TER train at Gevrey-Chambertin station, with connections to Dijon (15 min) and Beaune (20 min). Parking is free on the place de la Mairie and around the church.

The best time to visit runs from spring to autumn: the vines in bloom in May-June, the harvest in September-October. The Saint-Vincent Tournante, the winemakers’ patronal festival, draws tens of thousands of visitors when held in Gevrey (most recently in 2022).