1983 Robert Groffier Chambertin Clos de Beze

Domaine Robert Groffier is a 17-acre estate in Morey St.-Denis, in the Cotes de Nuits, Burgundy. Until 1972 the estate’s wines were all sold to negociants, but in the nearly 40 years since then the domaine has earned a reputation for, in the words of Robert M. Parker Jr., being “in the top echelon of Burgundy producers.” The estate is owned and operated by Robert Groffier and his son Serge and it includes the Grands Crus Bonnes Mares and Chambertin Clos de Beze. Parker has called the estate’s wines “explosive, powerful…finely etched, yet lush…”

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.