This Clos is one of the oldest in Burgundy, having been created by the Abbey of Bèze in the 7th century. Since the 2009 vintage, Bernstein has been able to offer Chambertin Clos de Bèze from vines that are 60 years old. Upper portion of the east-facing slope features deep, partly alluvial, partly scree soils; rocks are of Bathonian origin. Lower down the hill are clay-limestone soils in varying proportions; marls and limestones belong to the Bajocian period with numerous marine fossils on the surface.

In January, the weather was cold yet dry, the sun’s rays gave us courage during the 2017 pruning season. Despite a vigorous winter and a rainfall deficit, the vineyards were able to restore their reserves for the upcoming growth phase. The early warm spring-like temperatures initiated a noticeable advance in the vineyards. Our plot of Champeaux began to flower towards the end of the month of May: the 2017 vintage promised to be early. The emerging grapes were numerous. This year, Richard and our team did several «green harvests» in order to reduce the number of clusters and to concentrate the quality.

Summer was punctuated by several heat waves, but luckily the few rain showers came at the most opportune moments, allowing the maturation to continue at a steady pace. The 10th of July was a close call, a hailstorm just barely missed our Clos de la Roche!

After a last tasting of the berries from the vines, the harvest date was set for the 6th of September beginning with our plot of Mazis-Chambertin. The clusters were loose, the grapes magnificent, and the stems had begun to turn brown… everything was present for a superb vintage.

The beautiful maturity encouraged a short vatting (18 days) with a very delicate extraction. The 80% of whole-clusters harvest highlighted the fruity expression in our wines. After racking, we held a tasting with our cooper, Stéphane Chassin, in order to decide the best type of heating for our casks. We decided on a very light toasting to help bring out the suitability of the vintage. After several months in the barrel, the result surpassed our hopes. The wines offer a delicate and airy nose composed of diverse fresh fruits. On the palate, the balance is perfect: the tannins are fine and satiny and the length is impressive. This is truly elegance!