Pierre Damoy 2014 Gevrey-Chambertin Rouge 750ml

Pierre Damoy took over his family's estate from his uncle Jacques in 1992, inheriting a holding first established by his great-great-grandfather Julien Damoy — one of the genuine jewels of the Côte d'Or, though one that had fallen into quiet mediocrity in the decades before Pierre arrived. What Pierre inherited on paper was extraordinary: 35% ownership of Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, one of Gevrey-Chambertin's two most exalted Grand Crus, 40% of Chapelle-Chambertin, and a full hectare of Le Chambertin itself — the vineyard so celebrated that serious critics compare it, in both power and plenitude, only to Romanée-Conti. What Pierre found in practice was an estate whose vineyards had been leased out for years, its reputation diminished despite sitting on some of the most prestigious ground in all of Burgundy.

He rebuilt it from the ground up — a state-of-the-art winery, earth-friendly vineyard practices the domaine describes as "durable viticulture," and a hands-on rigor that transformed Damoy from an afterthought into one of Gevrey's most closely watched producers. The proof arrived in 2007, when Damoy's Clos de Bèze was ranked equal-best in a blind tasting of English experts alongside Domaine Armand Rousseau's celebrated version of the same vineyard — a result that instantly elevated the estate to genuine super-star status in the eyes of the Burgundy trade.

This 2014 Gevrey-Chambertin is Damoy's village-level bottling, sourced from purchased fruit in Couchey and Fixin to supplement the domaine's own holdings — a wine built with the same technique the estate applies across its entire range: 30% whole cluster, cold-soaked for gentle extraction, fermented in small open vats with hand punchdowns during active fermentation. Wine Spectator awarded 91 Points: "this red offers cherry, currant, spice and smoky, charred oak flavors. Firms up on the finish, but shows intensity and fine length. Ends with a mineral note. Best from 2019 through 2030." Only fifteen cases were imported. A village Gevrey-Chambertin from a domaine whose Grand Cru bottlings sit among the most sought-after wines in all of Burgundy — the same hand, the same rigor, at the entry point of an extraordinary portfolio.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Domaine Pierre Damoy is an eleven-hectare estate in Gevrey-Chambertin, established by Pierre Damoy's great-great-grandfather Julien Damoy and passed down through the family ever since. Jacques Damoy managed the domaine from 1971 to 1992, at which point Pierre — holding a degree in agricultural research — took over. Almost three-quarters of the domaine's vines are classified Grand Cru: Pierre owns 35% of the magnificent Chambertin-Clos de Bèze (5.4 hectares, making him the largest single holder of this vineyard), 40% of Chapelle-Chambertin, and a full hectare of Le Chambertin itself, alongside the monopole Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Tamisot located directly behind the family residence. Many of the vines date back to plantings in the 1920s.

Since taking over, Pierre has reclaimed vineyard parcels as old rental agreements expired, instituting durable viticulture practices and a green harvest regime to further reduce the estate's already low cropping levels. Where the domaine is short of supply for lower appellations — Bourgogne Rouge, Marsannay Longeroies, and Gevrey-Chambertin bottlings like this one — Pierre purchases or trades for grapes from Couchey and Fixin. Across the range, Damoy employs a graduated new-oak regime: roughly 30% new wood for the Bourgogne, 50% for village Gevrey-Chambertin, 80% for the Premier and Grand Crus, and 100% for the Vieilles Vignes cuvée. Production follows a consistent house method: 30% whole cluster inclusion, cold soaking for gentle flavor extraction, fermentation in small open vats, with hand punchdowns (pigéage) performed during active fermentation to manage tannin extraction with precision.

Critics Reviews

Wine Spectator — 91 Points:
"This red offers cherry, currant, spice and smoky, charred oak flavors. Firms up on the finish, but shows intensity and fine length. Ends with a mineral note. Best from 2019 through 2030. 15 cases imported."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Bright ruby, deepening with the 50% new oak component that defines the estate's village-level bottlings. Cherry and currant lead the nose with vivid, classically Gevrey-Chambertin red fruit character. Spice and smoky, charred oak add structural depth — the 30% whole-cluster fermentation contributing genuine aromatic complexity beyond simple fruit.

Palate
Cherry and currant carry through from nose to palate, joined by spice and charred oak. The wine firms up through the mid-palate, showing genuine intensity and fine length — a structural seriousness that reflects the estate's broader Grand Cru pedigree even at the village level. The hand punchdown technique and cold-soak extraction contribute a texture with real grip.

Finish
Ends with a distinct mineral note — the Gevrey-Chambertin limestone and clay terroir's most direct contribution to the close. Firm, intense, and built for real cellaring: Wine Spectator specifically recommends the drinking window from 2019 through 2030.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Roast duck or squab
• Beef bourguignon
• Coq au vin
• Mushroom-forward dishes
• Aged Comté and other hard cheeses