1979 Dupont-Tisserandot Mazis-Chambertin

Domaine Dupont-Tisserandot is a 50-acre estate in Gevrey-Chambertin that was founded in 1954 when Bernard Dupont married Gisele Tisserandot, whose family owned land. In the late 1990s the couple’s daughter Patricia and her husband Didier Chevillon took over management. Clive Coates has written that Patricia and Didier made many improvements in the cellars and in the vineyards, and significantly improved the wines. The estate has Grand Cru parcels in Charmes-Chambertin and Mazis-Chambertin, as well as Premier Crus and AOC wines. In 2013 the estate was sold to Domaine Faiveley, and Didier Chevillon retired.

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.