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Domaine Denis Bachelet is one of the most sought-after small addresses in Gevrey-Chambertin. On just under four hectares, Denis Bachelet — supported by his son Nicolas — crafts wines of fragrant elegance and exceptional depth. The Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru comes in part from vines more than a century old, the Vieilles Vignes from old parcels planted in the 1930s.
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The Domaine Denis Bachelet ranks among the most sought-after micro-domaines of the Côte de Nuits. On just under 4 hectares of vines in the heart of Gevrey-Chambertin, Denis Bachelet — supported since 2008 by his son Nicolas — vinifies a concentrated, allocation-only range of Pinot Noir. The core is formed by Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru (0.43 ha) from partly over-hundred-year-old vines, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Corbeaux (0.42 ha) and the cuvée Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes (1.42 ha) from several old parcels. Stylistically Bachelet belongs to those exponents of a finely woven, perfumed Gevrey that aims for fragrant depth rather than extraction.
Denis Bachelet was born in 1963 in Spy, Belgium — his father had met his mother there while travelling with the church choir of Gevrey-Chambertin. Denis spent his school holidays with his Burgundian grandparents and developed an early bond with the world of the winegrower. In 1981 he joined the estate full-time, shortly after the death of his grandfather. The Bachelet wines of that first vintage are considered remarkable — an unusually successful Charmes-Chambertin in an otherwise difficult, damp season, which gave pleasure for fifteen years. Since 2008 his son Nicolas has worked alongside him, as has his second wife Marie-Jo.
Bachelet stands for an understanding of Pinot Noir that places elegance, fruit and fragrance above concentration and oak impact. In the 1980s and 1990s the wines were extraordinarily supple yet ageworthy. At the turn of the millennium the cuvées shifted towards more density and tannin, which required long cellaring. In more recent vintages a return to more restrained extraction is recognisable.
Farming follows the spirit of lutte raisonnée — sustainable, low-intervention practice. Bachelet owns:
The grapes are entirely destemmed and then lightly pressed — Denis Bachelet prefers this method for colour extraction. A cool pre-fermentation maceration of up to a week precedes spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts. Since the slightly problematic change of coopers around 2009, the estate has returned to proven tonneliers — currently Rousseau, Rémond and Chassin — and to longer cask élevage with later racking. The wines are not filtered.
Two cuvées shape the image of the house: the Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes — perhaps one of the very best village wines of the Côte de Nuits, because the vine material from the 1930s possesses exceptional complexity — and the Charmes-Chambertin, which shows youthful deep purple yet never appears opaque. The fruit unfolds in a floral, almost blossom-like fashion, the oak does not come to the foreground, and a perfumed, almost incantatory character runs through both wines. Les Corbeaux sits between the two — more tannic than the village wine, less ethereal than the Grand Cru.
Bachelet wines are long-lived Burgundies. The Vieilles Vignes reaches its plateau after eight to twelve years and comfortably holds for two decades. The Charmes-Chambertin needs twelve to fifteen years to show its full aromatic spectrum and ages in great vintages over thirty years.
Wine Advocate, Vinous, Jasper Morris MW’s Inside Burgundy and Berry Bros. & Rudd consistently rank Bachelet among the classically elegant addresses of Gevrey. The Vieilles Vignes is regularly cited as an example of what a village wine in this appellation can be.
The Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes moves, in current vintages, between around €90 and €140 per bottle, Les Corbeaux between €200 and €280, the Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru regularly between €350 and €500. Mature bottles from great vintages trade considerably higher on the secondary market.
Anyone seeking a classical, perfumed, non-over-extracted Gevrey-Chambertin finds with Bachelet a range that covers all price levels: from the Côte de Nuits-Villages from Brochon (in future Fixin), through the exemplary Vieilles Vignes, to the limitedly available Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru.
Who runs Domaine Denis Bachelet?
Denis Bachelet has run the estate since 1981. His son Nicolas has worked alongside him since 2008.
How large is the Domaine?
Just under 4 hectares of vines in total, exclusively in Gevrey-Chambertin and neighbouring Brochon.
What makes Bachelet’s Charmes-Chambertin so special?
The 0.43-hectare parcel is planted with very old vines — predominantly planted in the 1910s and 1920s, with some possibly even earlier. Production is around 2,000 bottles per year.
Which cuvée is the most important entry-level wine?
The Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes from five old parcels, planted 1932 to 1937. It is considered one of the best village wines of the appellation and is the most accessible way to get to know the Bachelet style.
Are the grapes destemmed?
Yes, completely. Denis Bachelet prefers 100% destemming followed by light pressing for colour extraction.
How long can Bachelet wines be cellared?
The Vieilles Vignes 10 to 20 years; the Charmes-Chambertin 20 to 30 years in good vintages.
Is the Domaine run organically or biodynamically?
The work follows lutte raisonnée with minimal interventions, without formal organic certification.
Bachelet stands for that rather restrained, elegant school of Pinot Noir in Gevrey-Chambertin that has gained in esteem over the past two decades. The Vieilles Vignes has meanwhile become an international reference example of the depth that a Burgundian village wine can achieve when the vine material is old enough.
