Tasted with Jean-Louis Trapet in Gevrey-Chambertin, 19 March, 2014.
Commenting on yields – “In 2012 there was lots of millerandes – which is nice – but we need some bottles too! Versus a 2009, we had about 30% lower yields.”
Wife Andrée is from Alsace where they also have a domaine there – she quickly dumps out the last of the Chambertin from Jean-Louis glass with the order ‘Okay, now it’s time to taste Alsace!’ 😉
2012 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
From vines located close to the Clos de Vougeot.
A peppery nose! Round and mouth-filling – growing flavour and a faint licorice in there too. I find this a rather concentrated Bourgogne that drinks beautifully today…
2012 Marsannay
From 3 different parcels – the first bought in 1983, when it was classed only as Bourgogne Rouge. 60% of this wine comes from Grasses Têtes.
Also a faint pepper on the nose but with more depth of dark-red fruit. A faint spritz on the tongue, but this is fresh and friendly. A nice width to the flavour in the finish too.
The nose offers a beautiful width of dark-red fruit – simply gorgeous – plus a little white pepper. In the mouth there’s lithe, detail – not so powerful for a 2012, but rather beautiful.
2012 Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvée Ostrea
Also a very, very pretty nose – even a bit more focused and fine. A little wider on the palate, more depth to the texture too – though here in the mouth there’s less focus today than the ‘straight’ villages. Yet, still a beautiful, elegant wine.
2012 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
An assembly of half a dozen small lots of different 1ers.
Reasonable width on the nose but it’s the lovely, lovely depth of dark-red fruit that pulls you in. More tannin, less padding, more focus. A fine, growing width of flavour here.
Deep colour. The nose isn’t very wide but shows a super depth of beautifully evolving fruit. Round and rather full in the mouth, ripe, fine tannin and a growing width of flavour – quite a mineral dimension too. Gorgeous
Vines planted in 1919.
Needs a little warming in the glass and there’s a hint of reduction to lose to – but loose it we do. Slowly the glass starts to fill, eventually overflowing with a beautiful, padded weight of not so dark fruit. Round, with a little padding to the texture and a compelling mix of fruit and mineral notes. This is also a rather elegant wine, finishing with a long fruit and stones impression – should Chambertin be so elegant? Whatever, beautiful rather than powerful wine.