Jockovino

Les Grêves  is a large Premier Cru climat within the Beaune appellation in Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune.  At 31.33 hectares, it is, in fact, the largest Premier Cru in the appellation, and most certainly among the finest.  Named by Dr. Lavalle (History and Statistics of the Cote d’Or)  in 1855 as a “Tête de Cuvée”, Clive Coates writes that the vineyard produces “Beaune at its most elegant, fullish but properly round, rich and balanced, with plenty of depth.”  The vineyard name derives from the observed presence of gravel in the soil. Les Grêves  is bordered on the south by Sur-les- Grèves and Les Teurons and, on the north, by Les Bressandes and Les Toussaints. Facing east from an elevation varying between 230 and 300 meters, the soil is generally light with a sand and gravel mix,  with a somewhat higher proportions of clay uphill.

A parcel of Les Grêves enjoys the lieu-dit La Vigne de l’Enfant Jésus. This parcel belonged to the Carmelite order in the 17th century, when a nun predicted the birth of the future Louis XIV even though his mother, Anne of Austria (who was actually Spanish) was believed sterile.  At 37 years of age, Anne’s pregnancy was considered “a marvel.” La Vigne de l’Enfant Jésus belongs today to Bouchard Père et Fils. Other notable parcels of Les Grêves belong to Domaine Lafarge and Domaine de Montille.