Chambertin AOC, Burgundy: Taste, 10 Best Wines, Food Pairing

Le Chambertin is a French appellation in the Gevrey Chambertin region of Côte de Nuits.

Chambertin houses some of Burgundy's finest producers who craft elegant and age-worthy Pinot Noir wines. 

In fact, Gevrey Chambertin wine was Napoleon’s favorite - he would combine it with water and drink it every day, even on his foreign escapades. No wonder it was called the “king of wines!”

Let’s explore everything about Chambertin wine, how it tastes, the top 10 bottles, whether it’s investment-worthy, some scrumptious food pairings, and a brief history.

Chambertin: Taste And Characteristics

Chambertin wines are made from the Pinot Noir grape and range from deep ruby-red to black-cherry.

They’re typically intense and rich Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines with incredible finesse and elegance. 

Expect perfumed aromas of strawberry and blackcurrant, a medium-bodied palate with complex flavors of sappy fruit, and 13% alcohol content.

Some of Chambertin’s most famous producers include:

• Domaine Armand Rousseau
• Domaine Joseph Drouhin
• Domaine Thierry Mortet
• Clos Saint Jacques
• Les Cazetiers
• Domaine Fourrier
• Clos de Bèze

And here are some of their best wines you can try.

10 Spectacular Chambertin Bottles To Buy In 2022

These prestigious wines are a must have in your collection:

• 2001 Domaine Leroy Chambertin Grand Cru 
• 1991 Domaine Armand Rousseau Pere et Fils Chambertin Grand Cru 
• 2017 Domaine Dujac Chambertin Grand Cru 
• 2015 Domaine Dugat-Py Chambertin Grand Cru 
• 2015 Domaine Denis Mortet Chambertin Grand Cru 
• 2015 Olivier Bernstein Chambertin Grand Cru 
• 2019 Domaine Perrot-Minot Chambertin Grand Cru Vieilles Vignes 
• 1990 Domaine Ponsot Chambertin Grand Cru 
• 2004 Charles Noellat Chambertin Grand Cru 
• 2012 Maison Ilan Le Chambertin Grand Cru 

1. 2001 Domaine Leroy Chambertin Grand Cru ($29,515)

This red wine has a dazzling aroma of earth, spice, and licorice on the nose. The palate has firm tannins with complicated notes of mocha, truffle, and menthol.

2. 1991 Domaine Armand Rousseau Pere et Fils Chambertin Grand Cru ($10,672)

Here’s a Pinot Noir wine with a raspberry, cherry, and floral aroma on the nose. It has a full body with toasty oak and ripe fruit flavor with a long finish.

3. 2017 Domaine Dujac Chambertin Grand Cru ($5,804)

The bouquet of this wine offers scents of red cherries, black plums, and complex soils. Asian spice, savory fruit flavors, and sappy tannins beguile the palate.

4. 2015 Domaine Dugat-Py Chambertin Grand Cru ($4,236)

This red wine has red cherry, earth, and spice aromas on the nose. The palate is full-bodied with powerful blackberry and pepper flavor.

5. 2015 Domaine Denis Mortet Chambertin Grand Cru ($2,930)

Dark fruit, oak, and spice dominate the nose of this Pinot Noir wine. It has a dense mouthfeel with smooth tannins and a succulent white pepper finish.

6. 2015 Olivier Bernstein Chambertin Grand Cru ($1,339)

Here’s a wine with a flamboyant black cherry and charred oak aroma on the nose. The palate offers chocolatey nuances with a velvety mouthfeel and a long finish.

7. 2019 Domaine Perrot-Minot Chambertin Grand Cru Vieilles Vignes ($1,447)

With wild strawberry fruit and black cherry scents on the nose, this red wine presents a medium body with supple tannins, black pepper flavor, and a spicy finish.

8. 1990 Domaine Ponsot Chambertin Grand Cru ($2,484)

Here’s a 1990 vintage wine with mature aromas of forest floor and honeycomb on the nose. It’s a medium-bodied wine with sappy plum and macerated prune flavors on the palate.

9. 2004 Charles Noellat Chambertin Grand Cru ($158)

Smoky meat and dark fruit aromas dominate the nose of this red wine. The palate offers red cherry and herb flavors with bright acidity.

10. 2012 Maison Ilan Le Chambertin Grand Cru ($108)

This Pinot Noir wine has oak and fresh flower aromas on the nose with bold cherry and pomegranate flavors on the palate. It’s a medium-bodied wine with bright acidity and a long finish.

Investing In Chambertin Wine

Chambertin wines have incredible aging potential and, depending on the producer, can easily cellar for 10-12 years, while some exceptional vintages can last for 30 years.

These wines can also show tremendous price appreciations, for example:

• The 2001 Domaine Leroy Chambertin Grand Cru appreciated 146% between 2020 and 2022 when it rose from $10,423 to $25,663.

• Between 2020 and 2021, the 2015 Domaine Denis Mortet Chambertin rose from $1,110 to $2,955 - that’s a 166% increase!

Chambertin also steals the show at wine auctions:

• 3 bottles of 1993 Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin sold at the 2021 Straus Art auction for $8,234.

• In 2020, 12 bottles of 2009 Domaine Armand Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Bèze sold for $51,744 at a Christies auction. 

If you’re looking to invest in Chambertin, Italian wine, or any other fine wines, partner up with Vinovest for expert help with buying, storing, and selling rare and authentic wines from around the world.

Mouth-Watering Food Pairings With Chambertin Wine

Chambertin Grand Cru wine, like other Burgundy wines, pairs excellently with a variety of foods.

A Chambertin wine is a lovely accompaniment with poultry dishes like roast chicken and quail, a lovely Epoisses cheese, game meats, pan-seared sirloin, or roast beef.

Want to know more about Chambertin? Let’s discover its terroir and history.

The Charming Chambertin Vineyard

The Chambertin village lies alongside the Route des Grands Crus and the Morey Saint Denis vineyard.

The vineyard is flat and contains high concentrations of limestone, marl, and clay in its soils. 

The layered nature of its deep soils more than compensates for its lack of incline. This gives each vine the ability to produce wines with the same firmness and intensity as other Grand Crus.

A Brief History Of Chambertin

In the past, “Chambertin” referred to a much larger area than it does today and included its neighboring vineyard, Clos de Bèze. 

Legend has it that the Chambertin Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards housed Pinot Noir vine plantings in the 12th Century. They were planted by a Monsieur Bertin who thought he could make great wines using grapes from the Clos de Bèze vineyard.

Today, 9 vineyard sites incorporate “Chambertin” on their labels, but only Chambertin itself and Clos de Bèze (as Chambertin-Clos de Beze) are allowed to have only “Chambertin” on their labels.

The other 7, although considered Grand Crus, can only use “Chambertin” as a suffix, like Charmes Chambertin, Ruchottes Chambertin, and the Mazis Chambertin vineyard.

Get Your Hands On A Delicious Bottle Of Chambertin Wine Today

Easily one of the most prestigious vineyards in Cote dor, Chambertin is home to some of Burgundy’s most famous producers and is responsible for world-class Pinot Noirs with great investment potential. 

So get your hands on a delicious bottle of Chambertin today!

A trusted wine investment partner like Vinovest is here to help you effortlessly buy, store, and sell Chambertin and fine wines from around the world.