Combe au Moine is a Premier Cru climat of the Gevrey-Chambertin appellation in the northern Cote de Nuits wine region. This vineyard is one of the most elevated in Burgundy, reaching nearly 1300ft (400m) above sea level. The wines made here from Pinot Noir are structured and relatively rustic, exhibiting bright red fruit alongside earthy characters.
The 12-acre (5ha) vineyard is at the northern end of the Gevrey-Chambertin commune, some way from the contiguous Grand Cru hill, at the heart of which lies the famous Le Chambertin vineyard. Instead, Combe au Moine is bounded by other east-facing Premier Cru climats, Les Cazetiers and Champeaux among them.
Combe au Moine's easterly aspect is fairly unusual within Gevrey-Chambertin as it angles slightly north, meaning that the vines have considerably less exposure to the sunshine than the south-facing vineyards that lie just outside of the village of Gevrey-Chambertin itself. However, the steep slope here ensures that the morning sunlight is distributed efficiently, and so grapes are able to achieve ripeness during the growing season.
Like much of the Cote de Nuits, the soils here are based on limestone, although within the Combe au Moine vineyard they are quite rocky, with a layer of marl. These soils are free draining and with little fertility, lessening the vigor of the vines and leading to the production of small, concentrated grapes. The quality of the soil here has often been linked to the muscularity of the finished wines made here, mostly due to its high clay content.
The name of the vineyard, Combe au Moine, means "monk's combe" in French, and is thought to refer to the monks who constructed the nearby Chateau de Gevrey-Chambertin.
