Domaine Denis Bachelet

Domaine Denis Bachelet is based in Gevrey-Chambertin, at 3 Rue de la petite issue, in an anonymous building at the corner of the main street (the D974). The building was erected in 1740 and served for generations as the post office of Gevrey-Chambertin. The cellar is cool, and the malolactic fermentations there usually come late. It is not large enough to hold two vintages at once, so bottling of the 2013s was planned for around February or March, depending on the phase of the moon. Les Évocelles has been a cuvée of the domaine since 2011.

• Address: 3 Rue de la petite issue, 21220 Gevrey-Chambertin
• Building erected in 1740; for generations the post office of Gevrey-Chambertin
• The cellar cannot hold two vintages at once; bottling of the 2013s was planned for around February or March, by the phase of the moon
• Les Évocelles has been a cuvée since 2011

The domaine carries the name of Denis Bachelet. His son Nicolas was well established in the work by January 2017, and by January 2018, when the 2016 vintage was reviewed, he was celebrating his tenth year working with his father.

• Denis Bachelet: the domaine bears his name
• Nicolas Bachelet, Denis's son: in his tenth year working with his father as of January 2018

Gevrey-Chambertin is a village appellation of the Côte de Nuits for red wine from Pinot Noir only, produced in the communes of Gevrey-Chambertin and Brochon, with 26 climats classified as Premier Cru. The domaine's Charmes-Chambertin comes from two parcels in Aux Charmes totalling 0.43 hectares, with vines planted between 1907 and 1917; the site lies just opposite the mouth of the Combe Grisard at the limit of Griotte-Chambertin. Les Corbeaux, one of Gevrey's 26 Premier Cru climats, borders Les Mazis-Bas to the north in a midslope position; the domaine has 0.4 hectares there, originally planted in 1920 and partially replanted in 1961. The village Gevrey-Chambertin draws on 1.2 hectares spread over six lieux-dits at the foot of the slope on either side of the Route Nationale, all planted in the 1930s. Les Évocelles lies in Brochon on the northern side of Gevrey-Chambertin; it is classified village, on poor, stony soils only 50cm deep. The Côte de Nuits-Villages comes from six parcels of vines that were 70 years old at the 2020 vintage, on the Fixin side of Brochon, in the lieux-dits Queue de Hareng, Vignois and Créole, and the Bourgogne from two parcels totalling 0.6 hectares in the lieux-dits Pressonier and Grands Champs, on the far side of the Nationale in Gevrey.

• Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru: 0.43 hectares in two parcels in Aux Charmes, planted 1907 to 1917, opposite the mouth of the Combe Grisard
• Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Les Corbeaux: 0.4 hectares bordering Les Mazis-Bas, planted in 1920 and partially replanted in 1961
• Village Gevrey-Chambertin: 1.2 hectares over six lieux-dits, planted in the 1930s
• Les Évocelles: a village-classified site in Brochon with poor, stony soils 50cm deep
• Côte de Nuits-Villages: six parcels in Brochon (Queue de Hareng, Vignois, Créole) bordering Fixin
• Bourgogne: 0.6 hectares in Pressonier and Grands Champs, Gevrey

The range covers Bourgogne, Côte de Nuits-Villages, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes, Gevrey-Chambertin Les Évocelles, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Les Corbeaux and Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru. The 2018 Vieilles Vignes came from six different parcels across the village. Les Évocelles has been a cuvée since 2011, and the 2013 amounted to just three barrels. In 2020 the village Gevrey-Chambertin yielded 50% of a normal crop.

• Bourgogne
• Côte de Nuits-Villages
• Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
• Gevrey-Chambertin Les Évocelles (since 2011)
• Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Les Corbeaux
• Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

Every wine starts the same way: the fruit is fully destemmed and punched down daily during fermentation, and the 2015 report noted no whole bunches. The village Gevrey-Chambertin, Côte de Nuits-Villages and Bourgogne are fermented on native yeasts. New oak varies by wine and vintage. The Charmes-Chambertin saw 50% new wood in 2018, and Les Corbeaux 50% new casks in 2019 and 2020. Les Évocelles was aged with 60% new wood in 2018 and the Vieilles Vignes with 40% that year; the village Gevrey-Chambertin saw 20% new casks in 2020. The Côte de Nuits-Villages is aged over two winters in cask, one quarter new in 2019 and mostly used casks in 2020.

• Fully destemmed; daily punching down during fermentation
• Native-yeast fermentation for the village Gevrey-Chambertin, Côte de Nuits-Villages and Bourgogne
• New oak in recent vintages: 50% for the Charmes-Chambertin (2018) and Les Corbeaux (2019, 2020); 60% for Les Évocelles and 40% for the Vieilles Vignes (2018); 20% for the village Gevrey-Chambertin (2020)
• Côte de Nuits-Villages: two winters in cask, one quarter new in 2019

Reviewing the 2018 for Decanter at 97 points, Tim Atkin MW placed the Charmes-Chambertin 'among the best examples of what can be a distinctly variable Grand Cru.' Charles Curtis MW gave the 2019 Charmes-Chambertin 97 points and the 2020 98 points in Decanter. Jancis Robinson's team wrote of the 2015 vintage: 'Very fine, polished wines. A particularly lovely Charmes Chambertin, as chez Roumier.'

• Charmes-Chambertin 2018: 97 points, Tim Atkin MW, Decanter
• Charmes-Chambertin 2019: 97 points and 2020: 98 points, Charles Curtis MW, Decanter

Tim Atkin MW names 'the perfume and finesse that are hallmarks of the domaine's style' and observes that Denis Bachelet's Pinots are often deeply coloured in their youth.

Primary sources (appellation body): Bourgogne Wines (BIVB) Gevrey-Chambertin appellation sheet: https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/nos-vins-nos-terroirs/tous-les-bourgognes/gallery_files/site/321/402/29684/29718.pdf. Secondary sources: Burgundy Report (visit report posted 30 June 2014): https://www.burgundy-report.com/burgundy-report-extra/05-2014/denis-bachelet/; Jancis Robinson (Burgundy 2016, 5 January 2018): https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/burgundy-2016-babi and (Burgundy 2015, 7 January 2017): https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/burgundy-2015-ba-bi; Decanter wine reviews (Tim Atkin MW, Charles Curtis MW, William Kelley, 2017 to 2022): https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/burgundy/domaine-denis-bachelet-charmes-chambertin-grand-cru-2018-35738/, https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/burgundy/domaine-denis-bachelet-charmes-chambertin-grand-cru-2019-45258/, https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/burgundy/domaine-denis-bachelet-charmes-chambertin-grand-cru-2020-55023/, https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/burgundy/domaine-denis-bachelet-gevrey-chambertin-16239/, https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/burgundy/domaine-denis-bachelet-gevrey-chambertin-1er-cru-les-45326/, https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/burgundy/domaine-denis-bachelet-gevrey-chambertin-1er-cru-les-54927/, https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/burgundy/domaine-denis-bachelet-gevrey-chambertin-burgundy-2019-45437/, https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/burgundy/domaine-denis-bachelet-gevrey-chambertin-burgundy-2020-54892/, https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/burgundy/domaine-denis-bachelet-vieilles-vignes-gevrey-chambertin-35812/, https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/burgundy/domaine-denis-bachelet-les-evocelles-gevrey-chambertin-16380/, https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/burgundy/domaine-denis-bachelet-les-evocelles-gevrey-chambertin-35796/, https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/burgundy/domaine-denis-bachelet-cote-de-nuits-villages-2019-45593/, https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/burgundy/domaine-denis-bachelet-cote-de-nuits-villages-2020-58108/, https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/burgundy/domaine-denis-bachelet-bourgogne-burgundy-france-2020-55115/. Last verified 2026-10-19.