1964 Domaine Clair-Dau Chambertin Clos de Beze

Domaine Clair-Dau was a historic estate in Marsannay, a village that was elevated to an appellation controlee in 1987. It was founded in the first part of the 20th century when Joseph Clair returned from WWI and married Marguerite Dau, who inherited Marsannay vineyards. Joseph died in 1971 and the domaine was divided among his children and a significant part of it eventually was sold or leased to Louis Jadot. Today Joseph’s grandson Bruno Clair makes wines under his name on some of the property that once made up Domaine Clair-Dau.

Chambertin Clos-de-Beze is a Grand Cru vineyard in Gevrey-Chambertin, and its history goes back to the 7th century when it was owned by the monks of the Abbey of Beze. After the French Revolution the Catholic Church was forced to divide the vineyard among peasants. Today it is a 38-acre vineyard, making it slightly larger than Chambertin. Chambertin and Chambertin Clos-de-Beze are adjacent and share similar limestone, clay and gravel soils. Of the 18 proprietors, the largest by acreage are Pierre Damoy, 13.4 acres; Armand Rousseau, 3.5 acres; and Drouhin-Laroze, 3.48 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.