2013 Olivier Jouan Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes

Olivier Jouan is a sixth generation vigneron who decided to break out on his own in 2000, bucking the family tradition of selling grapes to negociants. He organically farms his 23 acres, which include parcels of Premier Cru in Morey-St.-Denis and Grand Cru Charmes Chambertin. His La Riotte parcel is planted with 40-year-old vines. He ages his wines in a 17th century cellar for a year and uses aged and new French oak barrels for vinification.

Charmes-Chambertin is a 78-acre Grand Cru vineyard in Gevrey-Chambertin that traditionally includes the acreage of nearby Mazoyeres-Chambertin. For nearly 200 years the growers of Mazoyeres have been legally allowed to sell their wines under the more famous name of Charmes-Chambertin, and virtually all of them do. Charmes-Chambertin is the largest of the Gevrey-Chambertin Grand Crus, and it generally has an excellent reputation. The slope of the vineyard is gentle and the surface soil poor. But producers including Joseph Roty, Christian Serafin, Domaine Dujac, Faiveley and Joseph Drouhin are acclaimed for their Charmes Chambertin. Principal landholders are Camus, with 14.75 acres; Perrot-Minot, 4 acres; and Armand Rousseau, 3.5 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.