Gambal Expands
The latest news from Burgundy’s Côte d’Or is that Alex Gambal, originally from the Washington DC area, but with his own domaine and negociant business in Beaune since 1997, has completed the purchase of some prized parcels of vineyard in the grand cru Bâtard-Montrachet, along with Puligny-Montrachet ‘Les Enseignères’ and Chassagne-Montrachet ‘L’Ormeau’.
Also included in the sale, and of particular interest to prospective holidaymakers, is a house that is due to be converted for rental on Santenay’s village square, the Place du Jet d’Eau. Santenay is a delightful village and, while it may not include the greatest vineyards within its boundaries, it scores over many of the more famous wine villages in other respects. Most critical of all, it is home to an excellent boulangerie, along with boucherie, pharmacie, coiffure, wine shop, two nice restaurants and a small supermarket, all of which are ‘essentials’ that some other wine villages seem able to do without. There is even a casino, which is mercifully remote from the village centre. For visitors to the region it could hardly be bettered as a base for enthusiastic exploration.
Gambal’s wines need to be explored too. I have always noted their pure, precise flavours and in a tricky vintage such as 2010 his attention to detail, and frantic efforts to get as many grapes as possible picked before the rain, will be rewarded. Calling to see him mid-harvest last year I was met by an exhausted and bleary-eyed vigneron who was still able to smile and assure me that, though yields would be much lower than the abundant 2009, quality will be good.
I reckon that 2010 will develop into a typical Burgundy vintage in the sense that it will always defy easy generalisation and pigeon-holing. And isn’t that what Burgundy does so well?
Also included in the sale, and of particular interest to prospective holidaymakers, is a house that is due to be converted for rental on Santenay’s village square, the Place du Jet d’Eau. Santenay is a delightful village and, while it may not include the greatest vineyards within its boundaries, it scores over many of the more famous wine villages in other respects. Most critical of all, it is home to an excellent boulangerie, along with boucherie, pharmacie, coiffure, wine shop, two nice restaurants and a small supermarket, all of which are ‘essentials’ that some other wine villages seem able to do without. There is even a casino, which is mercifully remote from the village centre. For visitors to the region it could hardly be bettered as a base for enthusiastic exploration.
Gambal’s wines need to be explored too. I have always noted their pure, precise flavours and in a tricky vintage such as 2010 his attention to detail, and frantic efforts to get as many grapes as possible picked before the rain, will be rewarded. Calling to see him mid-harvest last year I was met by an exhausted and bleary-eyed vigneron who was still able to smile and assure me that, though yields would be much lower than the abundant 2009, quality will be good.
I reckon that 2010 will develop into a typical Burgundy vintage in the sense that it will always defy easy generalisation and pigeon-holing. And isn’t that what Burgundy does so well?
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