1979 Pierre Bouree Fils Clos de la Roche

Domaine Pierre Bouree Fils in Gevrey-Chambertin is owned and operated by brothers Bernard and Jean-Christophe Valet. They are descended from the founder of the domaine, Pierre Bouree, who in the mid-19th century founded a wine business and acquired a vineyard. The domaine consists of 12 acres with Grand Cru and Premier Cru parcels in Charmes Chambertin, as well as villages wines and a monopole in Clos-de-la-Justice. The domaine also has a Beaune Premier Cru parcel, Les Epenottes. The enterprise is also a negociant, and buys grapes for a large portfolio of red and white Burgundies.

Clos de la Roche is a 41-acre Grand Cru vineyard in the Morey St.-Denis appellation in the Cotes de Nuits, in northern Burgundy. The tiny village of Morey St.-Denis is just south of Gevrey-Chambertin and Clos de Roche is considered the appellation’s most superior Grand Cru. The vineyard’s elevation ranges from 270 to 300 meters, and its soil is extremely rocky with excellent drainage. The soil is largely limestone, and in some places it is barely a foot deep. Writer Clive Coates calls Clos de Roche “the classiest of the Morey Grand Crus.” The largest landholders are Ponsot with 8.35 acres; Dujac, 4.88 acres; and Armand Rousseau, 3.7 acres.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.