.png)
The place where mystery, intrigue, and wine all intersect is where we discovered our second 5-STAR Wine Experience of Burgundy at Philippe Leclerc in Gevrey-Chambertin! We were blown away by the hospitality of our host, Benjamin, during the entire tour and tasting experience, landing this winery in the Top 10% of our 165 visits. If you’re visiting Burgundy, we highly recommend a special trip to Philippe Leclerc.
The experience commenced with a self-guided discovery of Philippe Leclerc’s cellars, a labyrinth of underground rooms decorated with exciting and eclectic sculptures and artwork. There was so much to explore and take in during our wondering about the cellars. It was a refreshing change to have the ability to pace ourselves rather than being ushered through in a traditional cellar tour experience.
When we emerged topside, Benjamin prepared the table for the wine tasting. Our group had a wide range of wine backgrounds, from enthusiasts to professionals. Benjamin masterfully conveyed the story of the winery, wine production methods, the terroir of Burgundy, and tasting notes in a manner to satisfy all of our interests. We learned how Gevrey-Chambertin is one of the eight villages comprising the Côte de Nuits, the northern section of the entire region known as the Côte D'Or of Burgundy. Interestingly, one of Napoleon Bonaparte's favorite wines was Pinot Noir from Gevrey-Chambertin.
We tasted six wines from Philippe Leclerc during the seated wine tasting, including several Premier Cru wines. According to our host, Burgundy's vineyard classification system includes seven regional appellations, 44 village appellations such as Gevrey-Chambertin, 640 premier crus, and 33 grand crus. The premier cru and grand crus are particular vineyard plots with unique terroirs that distinguish them from other sites in Burgundy. As you can imagine, the further the wine goes up this pyramid, the more expensive it gets!
Our favorite wine from the lineup was the 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru (Premier cru) Les Champonnets. Consulting our map of all the vineyard plots in Burgundy, Les Champonnets lies just north of the famous Grand cru vineyard sites of Mazi-Chambertin and Clos de Beze. The mid-slope location of Les Champonnets on the "Golden Slope" of the Côte de Nuits and orientation towards the sun results in consistently ripe grapes each year. For this wine, Philippe Leclerc uses only new oak barrels to provide roundness to the body and impart oak-derived aromas such as caramel and chocolate to add further complexity. I found the wine to have pronounced aromas of red fruit, such as cherries and strawberries, and a very long finish — a fantastic wine at a competitive price.
500 Wineries sends a big THANK YOU to our host Benjamin for the lovely experience and to Philippe Leclerc for the fantastic wines and an outstanding cellar conveniently located in the village of Gevrey-Chambertin. Philippe Leclerc is open seven days a week!
Please check out the YouTube video of our experience here.
Experience Rating: 5 Stars!!!!
Brodi’s Rating: 1 Paw Up
Website: https://www.philippe-leclerc.com/
Pet-Friendly: Yes
Experience Vibe: Seated Tasting Experience, Self-Guided Cellar Tour
Reservations Needed: No, except for groups of 15 people or more
Comments