2009 Jessiaume Mazis-Chambertin

Jessiaume has been a Santenay domaine since 1850, when the Jessiaume family started making wine there. The 37-acre estate includes important Premier Cru parcels in Les Gravières; the Beaune Premier Cru Les Cent Vignes; the Volnay Premier Cru Les Brouillards; and the Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru Les Ecusseaux. The estate is today owned by David Murray, a Scottish entrepreneur and former owner of the Rangers Football Club. Under Murray’s leadership Jessiaume in 2008 also became a negociant. As a negociant, Maison Jessiaume produces Grand Crus from Chambertin, Mazis-Chambertin, Clos de Vougeot and Echezeaux, among other appellations. Village wines are also made. Wine Advocate’s reviewer wrote that several Grand Crus are “worth seeking out,” and a couple of the Premier Crus “punch above their weight. I have a feeling that this is a producer that has more to offer in the future….”

Mazis-Chambertin is a 22.4 acre Grand Cru vineyard near the village of Gevrey-Chambertin. The name Mazis is sometimes spelled with a “y” or without the final “s.” The soil is shallow and somewhat rocky, and the wine made from this vineyard is considered excellent. The legendary Lalou Bize of Maison Leroy is one of the smaller landholders with about .6 of an acre. There are some 30 proprietors with parcels in Mazis-Chambertin. The largest are Hospices de Beaune, with 4.38 acres; Bernard Dugat-Py, with 3.05 acres; and Joseph Faiveley, with 3 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.