Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru "Clos Saint Jacques" AOC 2022
The Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru "Clos Saint Jacques" 2022 by Bruno Clair presents itself as a cool, taut Pinot Noir from one of the finest vineyard sites in the Côte de Nuits. With its precise length and silky texture, it ranks among the estate’s most profound, slenderly built red wines.
Deep, luminous ruby red with violet reflections at the rim.
Nose
Ripe dark berry fruit, fine herbal spice and a subtle mineral note reminiscent of cool slate.
Palate
Slender and profound with silky tannins, succulent fruit and a taut, saline line that leads into a long, precise finish.
Character
A wine of noble restraint – cool, structured and profound, gaining complexity with maturity and shining at the table.
Pairing
Ideal with roasted duck breast with red wine jus, game dishes such as saddle of venison, or mature hard cheese.
Notes
From the cool Premier Cru site Clos Saint-Jacques, with vines from the historic heritage of Domaine Clair-Daü; vinified with spontaneous fermentation and 20–50% whole bunches, aged for 18–20 months in barriques with a moderate proportion of new wood.
Tasting note
Character
A cool, taut Pinot Noir of noble provenance. In Bruno Clair’s interpretation, Clos Saint Jacques is slender in build yet profound, with silky tannins and a long mineral drive. Clear, succulent fruit meets refined bitterness – an unshowy wine that shines at the table and gains depth with age.
Terroir & Origin
Clos Saint Jacques ranks among the most significant Premier Crus of Gevrey-Chambertin on the Côte de Nuits. Bruno Clair, grandson of the founder of Clair-Daü, carefully built up his estate founded in 1979 in Marsannay-la-Côte – today the family cultivates 27 hectares across eight villages of the Côte d’Or. The vineyard site feels cooler than its neighbours, with a tighter line and more pronounced length.
Grape Variety & Vinification
Pinot Noir in its purest Burgundian expression. In the cellar, the philosophy is: as much as necessary, as little as possible. Spontaneous fermentation is standard, and extraction remains gentle. For the red wines, 20 to 50 per cent whole bunches go into the fermentation vat – a technique that enhances freshness and aromatic complexity. Maturation takes place for 18 to 20 months in barriques, with new oak ranging between 20 and 50 per cent. Time handles clarification: the wines rest long enough to be bottled transparent and without artifice.
Food Pairings
The taut structure and saline line of this Gevrey-Chambertin call for dishes of similar nobility. Ideal with pan-roasted duck breast with cherries, saddle of venison with juniper jus, or pan-fried turbot with black truffles. Also a choice of quiet elegance alongside ripe Époisses or Comté.
