Domaine Drouhin-Laroze 2023 Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru 750ml

Chambertin-Clos de Bèze carries the longest documented commercial history of any vineyard in all of Burgundy — a parcel donated in the year 640 AD by Almagaire, Duke of Lower Burgundy, to the Abbey of Bèze, a Benedictine monastery north of Dijon, predating the Cistercian-era vineyard assembly of neighboring Burgundy sites by roughly 470 years. The 15.99-hectare Grand Cru sits immediately north of and adjacent to Le Chambertin itself, slightly further up the hill, on soil the domaine's own team describes with genuine precision: clayey limestone, with entrocs and marls of ostrea acuminata — fossilized oyster shell marl, a geological signature of this exact corner of the Côte de Nuits.

Domaine Drouhin-Laroze has worked this ground since 1850, when Jean-Baptiste Laroze began exploiting vineyards in Gevrey-Chambertin. In 1919, his granddaughter Suzanne married Alexandre Drouhin, who brought his own family's Chambolle-Musigny holdings into the estate, giving rise to the combined Drouhin-Laroze name that endures today. Philippe Drouhin took over from his father Bernard in 2001, and the quality of the domaine's wines has, by wide consensus, catapulted the estate into Burgundy's top flight in the years since; more recently, the fifth generation has passed the baton to the sixth, with Nicolas and Caroline Drouhin now carrying the family's 1850 legacy forward. The domaine's specific 1.50-hectare parcel of Chambertin-Clos de Bèze was planted in 1949, at 270 to 280 meters altitude with east-facing exposure, and the wine is vinified in the estate's own magnificent two-storey cellars — constructed in 1815 — where the top cellar's shallower depth allows useful seasonal temperature variation that aids the wine's maturation after it's run off into barrel.

Neal Martin scored the 2023 vintage 95-97 Points, and Jasper Morris scored it 94-97 Points — an unusually strong, closely aligned consensus from two of Burgundy's most respected critical voices, both suggesting a genuinely exceptional showing from this historic parcel. The house style across recent vintages has consistently shown an intense purple color, with fragrances of small red fruits and licorice carrying real aromatic majesty, a palate that's balanced, clear, sound, and rich, with melted, spicy, precise tannins offering roundness and lightness on the finish, touched throughout by a hint of rose and genuine sensuality. As the domaine's own philosophy holds — this is, unmistakably, a wine to be laid down.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Domaine Drouhin-Laroze traces its origins to 1850, when Jean-Baptiste Laroze began working vineyard plots in Gevrey-Chambertin. The estate remained in the Laroze family across subsequent generations until 1919, when Jean-Baptiste's granddaughter Suzanne married Alexandre Drouhin, whose own family held vineyards in Chambolle-Musigny — a union that combined both family holdings under the Drouhin-Laroze name that persists today. Philippe Drouhin assumed leadership from his father Bernard in 2001, a transition widely credited with elevating the domaine's overall quality considerably; the estate has since passed to a sixth generation, with Nicolas and Caroline Drouhin now continuing the family's work.

The domaine today farms roughly 11 hectares across some of the Côte de Nuits' most exalted sites, including 1.49 hectares of Bonnes Mares, a small parcel of Musigny, 1.50 hectares of Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, 1.02 hectares of Clos de Vougeot, 0.67 hectares of Latricières-Chambertin, and 0.51 hectares of Chapelle-Chambertin, alongside Premier Cru holdings in Lavaux Saint-Jacques and Clos Prieur, and village-level Gevrey-Chambertin. The Chambertin-Clos de Bèze parcel specifically was planted in 1949, situated at 270 to 280 meters altitude with east-facing exposure, on clayey limestone soil marked by entrocs and marls of ostrea acuminata. The vineyard itself — a 15.99-hectare Grand Cru — carries documented history dating to 640 AD, when it was donated by Almagaire, Duke of Lower Burgundy, to the Abbey of Bèze, making it the earliest documented vineyard transaction in all of Burgundy. Vinification takes place in the domaine's own two-storey cellars, built in 1815, whose shallower top level provides beneficial seasonal temperature variation for maturing the wine after it is run off into barrel. Recent vintages of the domaine's Grand Cru wines have used a portion of whole-bunch fermentation alongside a high proportion of new French oak.

Critics Reviews

Decanter 96 Points:"Expressive mulberry and plum aromas edged with earth and underscored with dark chocolate enliven the initial attack of the Bèze from Drouhin-Laroze. Although the wine initially seems approachable, the texture on the palate is massive with very firm tannins that drive the wine to a sustained finish. The grapes are from a 1.5 hectare parcel in the clos that runs from the bottom to the top; at the top there are very old vines and just 20-30 cm of earth; the lower slopes and younger vines give more flesh to the finished wine."

Jasper Morris — 94-97 Points: "A vigorous ruby purple. The bouquet is well structured. The fruit appears to be picked at the perfect moment. Their plot is along the route des grands crus which gives extra weight. A silky texture, alongside undoubted weight of fruit, this has everything in ideal balance, red and black fruit together, fine tannins and adequate acidity. Drink from 2032-2040. Tasted Nov 2024."

Neal Martin — 95-97 Points:"The 2023 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru has an exquisite bouquet with vivacious brambly red fruit. It is very refined and poised with great transparency, yet there is power here (unusual in this vintage). A little edgier and more tensile than the Clos de Vougeot, the palate is medium-bodied with finely spun tannins and a sapid finish. Long and tender, this is deeply impressive."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Intense purple color. Small red fruits and licorice carry real aromatic majesty, joined by dark fruits, earthy spices, and floral undertones typical of Clos de Bèze's complexity. A hint of rose adds delicate perfume beneath the darker fruit tones.

Palate
Balanced, clear, sound, and rich, with melted, spicy, precise tannins offering both roundness and lightness. Rich yet refined, with silky texture and a well-structured frame — ripe black cherry and blackberry carry the fruit core, joined by hints of genuine minerality.

Finish
Long and elegant, with the tannins' roundness and lightness carrying through to a close of real sensuality and grace. A finish that confirms this is, unmistakably, a wine built to be laid down and enjoyed only after patient cellaring.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Rabbit in mustard sauce
• Moussaka
• Ripened cheeses — Morbier
• Roast duck or game
• Classic Burgundian cuisine