2009 Jean-Michel Guillon Gevrey Chambertin La Petit Chapelle

Domaine Jean-Michel Guillon was started in 1980 when Jean-Michel, whose background was in aeronautics, decided to move to Gevrey-Chambertin and become a winemaker. He slowly acquired vineyards and winemaking skills and today owns or leases 32 acres. He works with his eldest son, Alexis, and he also has two younger sons, which is why his recent vintages carry the label Domaine J-M Guillon et Fils. The domaine has Grand Cru parcels in Clos de Vougeot and Mazis-Chambertin, and Premier Crus in Gevrey-Chambertin and Morey-Saint-Denis. There are also village wines. Guide Hachette, one of France’s leading wine reviews, has noted that Guillon pere et fils “produce wines which are regularly mentioned in the Guide Hachette, often in the top few.”

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.