Description
Domaine du Couvent, Chambolle-Musigny “Clos de l’Orme”
Mark my words: It’s only a matter of time until the world knows the name Domaine de Couvent. Officially founded in 2020, their Chambolle-Musigny “Clos de l’Orme” is the sort of sophisticated and stunningly perfumed Pinot that Burgundy reputations are built upon. While Couvent is technically a newcomer in this high-stakes scene, Burgundy diehards know that a bottle this profound could only come from a master’s hand.
The winemaking talent behind Couvent is Philippe Chéron, a local star who quietly bottled small batches under an eponymous label throughout the 2010s. Impressive as those previous vintages were, Chéron’s current output is downright spellbinding. Never mind that this is “just” a village-level lieu-dit bottling; “Clos de l’Orme” has the concentration, complexity, and cellar-worthiness to go toe-to-toe with many Premier Crus from this hallowed ground. Such masterful examples from a village famous for producing the world’s most aromatically haunting Pinot come around rarely, and practically never without a triple-digit price tag. Chambolle overachievers like “Clos de l’Orme” have a habit of quickly achieving cult status, essentially becoming unattainable from one year to the next. My advice for buyers here, the most competitive wine market in the world, is always the same—get in on the ground floor!
Despite being less than three years old, Domaine de Couvent has the history and talent suitable for a grand château of Bordeaux. Philippe Chéron’s family had run a négociant business in the Côtes de Nuits since 1930, eventually coming to own prime vineyard parcels in Nuits-Saint-Georges, Chambolle, and Vosne. Philippe took over the Chéron operation in 2010 and began to bottle a select few cuvées under his own name, all while running Domaine des Varoilles in Gevrey-Chambertin. In 2020, he decided to make his life easier by merging the two family estates into one, Domaine de Couvent, named for the literal convent in which the winery is now housed.
As a result of the merger, Philippe has the opportunity to work 10 hectares of some of the most coveted pockets in the Côte de Nuits, including three Gevrey monopoles (vineyards with sole ownership), and today’s 0.4-hectare parcel in Chambolle-Musigny. The lieu-dit “Clos de l’Orme” is a hidden gem positioned adjacent to one of the village’s most prized Premier Crus, “Charmes,” and it shares that site’s gravel-laden, alluvial soils. Combine those characteristics with vines up to 80 years old, planted on a wide variety of rootstocks, and you’ve got the recipe for one of the most dynamic and lush examples of Chambolle we’ve offered.
Philippe fermented the 2020 Chambolle-Musigny “Clos de l’Orme” with 30-50% whole cluster for some additional aromatic oomph and freshness, then aged it for 15 months in French oak. Poured into a Burgundy bowl, you’ll see a dense ruby core with purple highlights moving out to a magenta rim. This beauty bursts from the glass with textbook Chambolle allure: ripe Bing cherry, black raspberry, kirsch, wild strawberry, gardenia, fresh tobacco, vanilla, and woodsy spice. It’s a masterclass in texture, marrying its silken medium body to well-rounded tannin and invigorating acid. Served alongside richer poultry or lighter meat dishes, it’ll shine, but a wine of this breed and class will really start strutting its stuff after 3-5 years in your cellar. For now, we’ll consider this one of our favorite new Burgundy discoveries, but I promise it won’t remain a secret for much longer. Load up while you can!
