2012 Gevrey-Chambertin, Les Cazetiers, 1er Cru, Olivier Bernstein, Burgundy

Les Cazetiers (total 10.07ha) is well situated on a steep slope that drops from 360m to 300m above sea level. The vineyard is exposed due east, and is well supplied with the small stones that aid drainage and reflect heat. The make-up of the vineyard’s soil varies up and down the slope: whitish marl at the top, rock outcrops in the middle and more alluvial soil below. For the most part the Cazetiers topsoil is pale, though deepening to a reddish-brown in the lower part.

Olivier Bernstein works here with 80-year-old vines. The 2012 boasts a rich, full colour. The nose absolutely leaps out of the glass, with lush dark cherries and some glossy blackberry notes, supported by the perfect mineral thread of the vintage and this vineyard. The fruit is so concentrated that there is no sign of the oak. All this leads to a very suave succulent finish: in short, it’s gorgeous.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

The wines of Burgundy – perhaps more than any other region – are a product both of place but also of people. With individual vineyard plots often split amongst countless producers, the terroir expressed in a wine can be unusually specific; equally the style of the winemaker can be readily discerned when tasted against his neighbours.

Back in 2007, Jasper Morris MW – Berry Bros. & Rudd’s Burgundy buyer, who lives in the region for most of the year – heard whispers about a new producer, whose wines were said to be universally impressive. Jasper duly sought out Olivier Bernstein and tasted his portfolio: “It was terrifically exciting to come across a brand-new quality producer in the Burgundy market, and to taste wines of such class from his very first vintage,” says Morris.

“Now, five years on, Olivier has matured into a confident player with his Premiers and Grands Crus wines of the Côte de Nuits.” Since Berry Bros. & Rudd first o