Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru

The name 'Latricières' is most commonly traced to 'La Tricière', an old term for poor or barren earth, reflecting the thin, demanding soils of the site. An alternative etymology connects it to the Latin 'latericium', meaning slope. The climat was known in the Middle Ages as 'Petite Merveille', or Little Wonder, and the earliest documented use of the word 'Latricières' dates to around 1507 to 1508. The vineyard is said to have been confused with, and sold as, neighbouring Chambertin until the middle of the 19th century. After the French Revolution, the major post-revolutionary owners were the Riembault and Savot families; their holdings passed over subsequent generations and transactions to the Camus, Trapet, Leroy, Duroché, and other families whose domaines define the appellation today. The AOC was formally established on 31 July 1937.

• The word 'Latricières' is first documented in sources from around 1507 to 1508
• In the Middle Ages the site was called 'Petite Merveille', meaning Little Wonder
• Post-revolutionary ownership concentrated in the Riembault and Savot families, whose vines passed to the Camus, Trapet, and Remy lines over the 19th and 20th centuries
• The AOC Latricières-Chambertin was formally created on 31 July 1937 alongside the other Gevrey-Chambertin Grand Crus

Latricières-Chambertin is the most southerly of Gevrey-Chambertin's Grand Crus, bordering Chambertin to the north and the Premier Cru Aux Combottes to the south. The Premier Cru Aux Combottes, in turn, separates Latricières from the Morey-Saint-Denis commune and the Grand Cru Clos de la Roche. Unlike most Côte d'Or Grand Crus, Latricières occupies a slight depression and is almost completely flat, meaning it lacks the ideally angled east-facing exposure of Chambertin and Clos de Bèze. The Combe de Grisard cuts into the hillside perpendicular to the vineyard at roughly its midpoint, funnelling cold air down and making Latricières the coolest of all Gevrey's Grand Crus. Harvests here consistently run 10 or more days later than in adjacent Premier Cru sites. The soils are thin, stony, and calcareous-clay over marls and Bajocian limestone, with hard rock outcropping in places at the lower slope and sandier, slightly cooler ground at the top near the treeline.

• Latricières is the most southerly Grand Cru of Gevrey-Chambertin, with Chambertin immediately to the north
• The vineyard is almost completely flat, occupying a slight depression rather than a well-angled slope
• The Combe de Grisard makes Latricières the coolest of Gevrey's Grand Crus, with harvests often 10 or more days later than adjacent sites
• Thin calcareous-clay soils overlie marls and Bajocian Jurassic limestone, with hard rock outcropping at the base of the slope

Pinot Noir is the primary grape variety for Latricières-Chambertin. AOC regulations technically permit up to 15 percent of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris as accessory varieties, but this provision is practically never used in any Burgundy Grand Cru. The wines are characterised by vivid ruby to deep cherry colour, and an aromatic profile of red and dark fruits, rose, violet, underbrush, and forest floor, evolving with age toward spice, leather, and truffle. Compared to the fuller, more powerful Chambertin to the north, Latricières tends toward a lighter, more perfumed, and racier style, reflecting its cooler microclimate. The minimum natural alcohol is 11.5 percent and the base yield is 37 hl/ha. Long aging potential is well established, with top producers recommending 10 to 20 or more years of cellaring.

• Pinot Noir is the sole grape used in practice; AOC regulations allow up to 15 percent white varieties but this is never applied
• Typically a lighter, more perfumed style than Chambertin, reflecting the cooler Combe de Grisard microclimate
• Aromatic profile ranges from red cherry, violet, and rose to forest floor, spice, and truffle with age
• Minimum natural alcohol 11.5 percent; base AOC yield 37 hl/ha; strong aging potential of 10 to 20-plus years

Latricières-Chambertin has approximately 12 owners, making it one of the more concentrated Grand Crus in terms of ownership. Domaine Camus Père et Fils holds the largest share at approximately 1.5 hectares in the southern end of the vineyard. Domaine Faiveley, based in Nuits-Saint-Georges and founded in 1825, is the second-largest holder with approximately 1.2 hectares. Domaine Leroy, whose biodynamic estate was built largely through acquisitions in the late 1980s, holds 0.57 hectares and produces wines considered among the finest of the appellation. The Trapet holdings, originally a single 1.5-hectare block acquired by Pierre Arthur Trapet in 1904, were divided equally in 1990 between Domaine Jean-Louis Trapet and Domaine Rossignol-Trapet, each holding around 0.75 hectares. Domaine Rossignol-Trapet has farmed its parcel biodynamically since 1997. Other respected producers include Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux, which acquired its plot in 2007, and Domaine Duroché.

• Domaine Camus Père et Fils: largest single holder at approximately 1.5 hectares in the vineyard's southern section
• Domaine Faiveley: second-largest holder at approximately 1.2 hectares, with a parcel acquired through the former Régnier négociant in 1934
• Domaine Leroy: 0.57 hectares, biodynamic estate formed through late-1980s acquisitions, producing highly sought-after wines
• Domaine Jean-Louis Trapet and Domaine Rossignol-Trapet: each hold approximately 0.75 hectares following the 1990 division of the original Trapet family plot; Rossignol-Trapet certified biodynamic since 1997

Latricières-Chambertin holds the highest classification tier in Burgundy's AOC hierarchy as a Grand Cru, with its own standalone AOC created on 31 July 1937. Gevrey-Chambertin is home to nine Grand Cru appellations, more than any other commune in Burgundy, and Latricières is one of the seven satellite Grands Crus that append 'Chambertin' to their own climat name. Unlike Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, Latricières wines may not be sold under the Chambertin AOC. AOC regulations mandate a base maximum yield of 37 hl/ha, a minimum natural alcohol of 11.5 percent, and the wine must be red. The regulations technically permit up to 15 percent of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris as accessory varieties, but this is not practiced. Labels must bear the words Grand Cru immediately below the appellation name in characters of identical size.

• AOC Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru established 31 July 1937 alongside the other Gevrey-Chambertin Grand Crus
• Gevrey-Chambertin has nine Grand Crus in total, the most of any commune in Burgundy
• Base AOC yield is 37 hl/ha with a minimum natural alcohol of 11.5 percent
• Wines must be red; labels must display 'Grand Cru' below the appellation name in equal-sized characters

Gevrey-Chambertin village sits at the northern end of the Route des Grands Crus in the Côte de Nuits, approximately 15 kilometres south of Dijon. The village added the name of its most famous vineyard to its own in 1847, a trend that spread across the Côte d'Or. The Grand Cru vineyards, including Latricières, form a compact belt on the slopes just south of the village, easily accessible on foot or by bicycle along the Véloroute de la Côte de Nuits. The local tourist office provides Grand Cru vineyard maps and tasting itineraries. Beaune, home to the Hospices de Beaune auction held each November, lies approximately 30 kilometres to the south and serves as the commercial centre of Burgundy wine culture.

• Gevrey-Chambertin village is on the Route des Grands Crus, approximately 15 kilometres south of Dijon
• The village appended 'Chambertin' to its name in 1847 in recognition of the vineyard's prestige
• The Grand Cru vineyards south of the village are accessible by bicycle via the Véloroute de la Côte de Nuits
• Beaune, home to the annual Hospices de Beaune auction each November, is approximately 30 kilometres south