Tasted in Gevrey-Chambertin with David Rossignol, 17 April 2018.
Domaine Rossignol-Trapet
4 Rue de la Petite Issue
21220 Gevrey-Chambertin
Tel: +33 3 80 51 87 26
www.rossignol-trapet.com
Link to Latricières-Chambertin profile
The 13 hectare Domaine Rossignol-Trapet farm 0.74 hectares of Latricières-Chambertin which they have long (1997) cultivated biodynamically with certification. The vines came to the domaine in 1990 from Domaine Trapet. The average vine-age is over 50 years, the main plantation dates being 1934 and 1957, planted at 12,500 vines per hectare.
David Rossignol explains that “For the thirty years that our domaine has existed, Latricières-Chambertin has always been the last vineyard that we harvest, and that’s amazing when you consider that our Aux Combottes is so close – maybe they are 120 metres apart – and that’s usually one of our first to be harvested! It’s often a full 10 days of difference between the two harvests – the Latricières is always fully ripe when harvested, but we have to wait for it, and you really can’t see any difference between Combottes and Latricières if you look at the maps.
“Just like Aux Combottes, our Chapelle-Chambertin is warmer than Latricières. In its lower part, Latricières is similar to the terroir of our climat ‘Chapelle’ in Chapelle-Chambertin with the appearance of outcrops of hard rocks on the surface. The soil is thinner, stony and very demanding for the vines planted there. The Gemeaux section of Chapelle has deeper clay, which makes for a more virile wine, versus the slightly racier style that we get from the Chapelle section – we’re the only domaine with vines in both parts of Chapelle and had the opportunity to compare them in 2009 when we had plenty of grapes so did a separate elevage – both were blended for bottling though. Chambertin, like Latricières is also colder than Chapelle – we lost 2/3rds of our yield to frost in Latricières in 2016, but we lost more in Chambertin. Normally the grand crus don’t freeze, but 85% was lost in our Chambertin, but none at all in Bèze! Combottes also lost nothing versus 20% losses in Chapelle. Our grandfather saw exactly the same gelée noir in 1951 in the Côte de Nuits.
“It’s uphill from Combottes to Chambertin – just a little. We see three geological terraces in Latricières; not much soil at the bottom, more marne and white at the top where it’s also a little sandier. It’s also more sandy in Combottes, the soil is more filtering for the rain, with less clay, so it doesn’t stick to the boots like in Latricières. Locally we describe this as ‘Gersilité’”
&nbps;
The wine – with a warm-up through some of the domaine’s 2016s…
Most of 2016s are bottled, but not yet the grand crus.
2016 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Clos prieur
This has been in tank for about 6 weeks
A big, open, smoky nose – it’s very inviting. Full, a little muscular, but with melting flavour over the palate – lovely texture. Long with a little bitters, in fact very long indeed – classy, super wine.
A deeper, more layered nose – a more sumptuous impression. In the mouth the style is of more line, a little more energy, more structure too – floral in the middle – great!
2016 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Aux Combottes
The only bottled wine tasted here – done three weeks ago.
A little tighter nose, but also deep like the Petite Chapelle. Much wider in form, mouth-watering, holding its flavour with more persistence
Like the Clos Prieur, quite a fumé, smoky nose – opening and deepening with a swirl. More open, transparent, structured but not hard over the palate. Petite Chapelle style but plus, plus – great again.
2016 Chapelle-Chambertin
Less fumé but more width – ooh with a beautiful, hauntingly pure fruit in the middle. In the mouth more freshness, less cushioned but with an extra level of floral complexity – more mineral. This wine lacks the caress of the Latricières – but only that.
2016 Chambertin
Also fumé. Opening, deepening and showing such a width in the depth! A touch of tannin – the first – but there’s also energy, complexity and a supple depth of flavour here. In terms of deliciousness, today this shows halfway between the last too – more weight of finishing flavour and modest bitter notes. Super but of-course to wait for!
2015 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Aux Combottes
A big fresh bouquet of flowers – yes! Wide, nice energy, with depth and concentration combined. The flowers of the nose coming through in the middle too. A hint of finishing bitters but with energy. Super wine. ‘Happily it’s not marked by the vintage as it’s a warm place! That’s why we harvest first here.’
‘I almost don’t think it’s possible to have ‘too ripe’ here!
A suggestion of fumé but really this is an aroma that’s mainly about depth of flowers – like the Combottes but finer and more direct. More width, more supple concentration. It’s a considered flavour, layered and more complex finishing. Superb!
This nose is finer, more airy, with less width and weight – but no less finesse. Also in the mouth, finer, complex, a weight of flavour in the middle but such finesse. A juicy, delicious, complex wine – bravo!
David notes “It’s about vintages and place, the quality levels remain the same but you taste the first two things.”
2014 Latricières-Chambertin
A bigger nose, complex, less initially fine as the Combottes. Bigger in the mouth too, more weight, more layered, but more primary too. This is the first wine that’s tightly holding onto its complexity – that is until the saline, über-complex finish. This needs time but it will clearly be excellent – perhaps more…
2010 Latricières-Chambertin
Much volume of aroma, with associated depth and darkness. Supple over the palate – there’s weight and concentration here – real Latricières. Layered, some modest tannin but lots of complexity and such a great finish. Excellent!
2009 Latricières-Chambertin
Plenty of aromatic volume again, if a little less open clarity, though slowly it starts opening with whole cluster notes and a rose perfume. Wide, very supple and finely textured. Layered wine again, the fruit doing a great job of covering, coating the tannin. Super.
2001 Latricières-Chambertin
A super-interesting nose that’s fresh, showing some mint and tea complexity – really complex and really attractive. Lots of flavour width, and a wine that retains a little tannin. There’s a little bitterness in the finish again. Super.
1999 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Petite Chapelle
A much tighter nose, decent complexity and freshness behind but it’s not very expressive. Concentrated and direct over the palate – it’s such a baby – layered, saline, complex – very complex! Really a baby, and very impressive finishing too. Super wine, and showing better than some of the less ready Latricières.
1993 Latricières-Chambertin
‘The 1993s were hard for 20 years but for the last 5 they have been really interesting – they are certainly more rustic than we make now – let’s call them unshaved!’
A big and aromatic nose of floral perfume and complexity – very inviting – lots of depth here though with time a suggestion of brett. Mouth-filling, fresh, complex, lots of energy and complexity – really very good wine, long, long, long, with hints of mature fruit and salinity. Excellent – it’s the combination of energy and complexity that I really love here.