2014 Chanzy Morey Saint Denis Les Herbuottes

Domaine Chanzy was purchased in 2012 by Olma, a Paris-based private equity firm that plans to turn the domaine’s wines into a luxury brand. The 80-acre estate includes vineyards in Bouzeran, Rully, Mercurey, Puligny-Montrachet and Santenay. The parcels include a Bouzeron monopole, Clos de Fortune. Chief Operating Officer and Director of Vinification is Jean-Baptiste Jessiaume, whose family has been in wine production for more than 150 years. Domaine Chanzy makes a large portfolio of Grand Cru and Premier Cru wines. Domaine Chanzy was in bankruptcy when the Olma group acquired it, and since then the Olma group has publically discussed the possibility of selling shares in the domain.

Côte de Nuits is the northern part of the Côte d’Or and it includes the most famous vineyards and wine communes in the world. There are more Grand Cru appellations in the Côte de Nuits than anywhere else in Burgundy. Of the fourteen communes, or villages in the Côte de Nuits, six produce Grand Cru wines. They are Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St.-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Flagey-Échezeaux and Vosne-Romanee. Some of the vineyards within the Côte de Nuits are tiny, which adds to their prestige. The fabled Grand Cru vineyard La Romanee is barely two square acres. Altogether there are twenty-four Grand Cru vineyards. The region takes its name from the village of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Côtes de Nuits produces mostly reds from Pinot Noir, and the wines have been in demand for centuries. During the 18th century King Louis XIV’s physician recommended that for his health the king only drink wines from Nuits-Saint-Georges. Like most of Burgundy, the soils of the Côte de Nuit can vary greatly from one vineyard to another, though most are a base soil of limestone mixed with clay, gravel and sand.

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.