Domaine Joseph Roty 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin "Clos Prieur Bas" 3.0L

The Rotys have been growing grapes and making wine in Gevrey-Chambertin since 1710 — more than three centuries of continuous family presence in one of Burgundy's most storied villages. Joseph Roty, who ran the domaine until his death in 2008, was a genuinely legendary figure in the region, celebrated as much for the extraordinary quality of his wines as for his famous reluctance to speak to journalists or reveal any specifics about his winemaking methods. That mystique has only deepened the domaine's cult following. Today the estate is run by Joseph's grandson, Pierre-Jean Roty, who has long overseen the vineyards and continues the family's understated, patient approach across twelve hectares of some of the finest terroir on the Côte d'Or.

Clos Prieur Bas sits at the lower, village-level portion of the Clos Prieur climat — "bas" meaning "low," distinguishing it from the higher section of the same site that carries Premier Cru status. Grown on the Côte de Nuits' characteristic clay-limestone and marl soils, the vines here consistently produce a wine that punches meaningfully above its village classification — a hallmark of the Roty style across the entire range, whose reputation for depth, structure, and genuine cellar-worthiness at every appellation level has made every bottle from this address highly sought after. Jasper Morris, tasting the 2018 for Inside Burgundy, found it "medium deep dark crimson, quite a strict nose, for them a real keeper. Firm, powerful, very dark fruit with a crispness to the tannins at the back. Thick skinned grapes here" — a wine built specifically for extended cellaring rather than early drinking.

Neal Martin, writing for The Wine Advocate, awarded 92+ Points. The confirmed house style for this cuvée across recent vintages: sweet berries and cherries mingled with warm spices, licorice, and peonies on the nose, developing medium to full-bodied on the palate with velvety, fleshy texture, powdery tannins, and an elegantly muscular profile that shows considerable promise for the cellar. This particular bottle arrives in the substantial 3.0-liter double magnum format — four bottles' worth of Roty's patient, terroir-driven Gevrey-Chambertin in a single vessel, aging more slowly and more gracefully than any standard bottle could, from a domaine whose wines have been quietly building one of Burgundy's most devoted followings for over three hundred years.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Domaine Joseph Roty has been producing wine in Gevrey-Chambertin since 1710, making it one of the longest continuously operating family estates in the Côte de Nuits. Joseph Roty, who led the domaine for decades until his death in 2008, built a reputation as one of the region's most respected and most mysterious winemakers — celebrated for the depth and consistency of his wines while remaining famously private about the specifics of his production. His son Philippe established a related but separate domaine across the road, farming additional parcels including holdings in Marsannay, before his own untimely death in 2015 at age 46. The combined operation is today managed by Joseph's widow and grandson Pierre-Jean Roty, who has long overseen the estate's twelve hectares of vines, producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay considered among the finest expressions on the entire Côte d'Or.

Clos Prieur Bas represents the village-level portion of the Clos Prieur climat in Gevrey-Chambertin — "bas," meaning low or lower, situated below the Premier Cru-classified upper section of the same site. The vines grow on clay-limestone and marl soils characteristic of the Côte de Nuits, where the domaine's patient, minimal-intervention approach and thick-skinned old-vine fruit combine to produce wine of genuine structural seriousness even at the village appellation level. Vinification follows the estate's traditional, understated method: aging in oak barrels, respecting natural cycles in pursuit of sober, unadulterated elegance rather than overt extraction or stylistic manipulation.

Critics Reviews

Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate — 92+ Points

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy (2018 vintage):
"Medium deep dark crimson, quite a strict nose, for them a real keeper. Firm, powerful, very dark fruit with a crispness to the tannins at the back. Thick skinned grapes here."

Wine Advocate (house style, 2019 vintage, for context):
"The 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Prieur Bas unwinds in the glass with aromas of sweet berries and cherries mingled with warm spices, licorice and peonies. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and fleshy, with powdery tannins and an elegantly muscular profile, it shows considerable promise for the cellar."

Vinous (house style, 2019 vintage, for context):
"The 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Prieur Bas displays a mixture of red and black fruit on the nose, touches of brown spice and espresso emerging with time."

Burgundy Report / Pierre-Jean Roty tasting session (2019 vintage, house style):
"A great nose — what dimension and depth — wow. Mouth-filling — super energy again, meltingly complex and so delicious. That's great villages."

Vins et Millesimes (house style, 2023 vintage, for context):
"Aromas of fresh black cherry, violet and liquorice, lifted by a hint of undergrowth and a subtle chalky salinity."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Medium deep dark crimson — a strict, reserved nose on release that reveals genuine depth with air and time. Sweet berries and cherries lead, mingled with warm spices, licorice, and peonies. Fresh black cherry and violet add layered fruit complexity, lifted by a hint of undergrowth and a subtle chalky salinity that speaks directly to the clay-limestone terroir.

Palate
Firm and powerful, with very dark fruit carrying real structural seriousness — thick-skinned grapes lending genuine grip and crispness to the tannins. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and fleshy, with powdery tannins and an elegantly muscular profile. Mouth-filling energy with meltingly complex layers of fruit, spice, and mineral.

Finish
Long and structured, showing considerable promise for extended cellaring. A real keeper, in Jasper Morris's own words — a finish built for patience rather than immediate gratification, with the chalky salinity and dark fruit carrying through to a genuinely age-worthy close.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Braised beef in red wine sauce with onions, mushrooms, carrots, celery and garlic
• Duck breast
• Matured cheese
• Roast game and venison
• Classic Burgundian cuisine