1961 Alexis Lichine & Pierre Damoy Chambertin Clos de Beze

Alexis Lichine was a larger-than-life figure who was born in Moscow in 1913 and died in Bordeaux in 1989. During his life he was an indefatigable salesman and promoter, as well as the winner of numerous military honors in WWII. He began his wine career as a wine writer and an expert on French and California wines and in 1951 purchased Chateau Prieure-Lichine. He also started a negociant business in New York and set up a wine shipping company in Bordeaux. Wines with the Lichine label are associated with his negociant/exporting firms.

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.