Tasted in Gevrey-Chambertin with David Rossignol, 04 December 2015.
Domaine Rossignol-Trapet
4 Rue de la Petite Issue
21220 Gevrey-Chambertin
Tel: +33 3 80 51 87 26
www.rossignol-trapet.com
In 1961, Jacques Rossignol from Volnay, married Mado Trapet, daughter of Louis Trapet in Gevrey-Chambertin. Whilst both were from families of vignerons, the Rossignol family was very large, so Jacques didn’t personally have many vines as they were so widely spread. The Trapets, however, were a much smaller family. Jacques came to Gevrey to work with his father-in-law at Domaine Louis Trapet, a domaine which existed until 1989. In 1990 the domaine of Rossignol-Trapet was born, to be run by the sons of Jacques and Mado; David and Nicolas Rossignol.
The domaine’s vines reflect the heritage of Jacques and Mado, with some 2 hectares of Beaune and Savigny-lès-Beaune coming from the Rossignol family, and a broader selection of 11 hectares of Côte de Nuits vines coming from the Trapet side of the family. Today David is more focused to the winemaking and Nicolas the administrative side of the business.
This domaine was one of the relatively early adopters of Biodynamics, starting with 3 hectares in 1997, moving to 6 hectares in 2001 and by 2004 everything. 2004 sounded to me a baptism of fire to have the whole domaine in biodynamics, but David notes that actually 2003 was much more problematic for them than 2004.
Previous vintages (10 years ago) that I tasted from this domaine had quite a strong oak toast to the young wines, which wasn’t to my taste – so that was a good enough reason for me not to visit – but more recent vintages showed none of that. Now I had no excuse!
David on 2015:
“2015 seems to sit in a triangle between 2003, 2005 and 2009 and exactly where in that triangle depends on the particular wine or producer, or sometimes both!”
David on 2014:
“We didn’t have much drosophila problem on the old vines, but some in the bottom of the hill needed more care. 2014 Bourgogne is in bottle, the Gevrey and Beaune are assembled, probably to be bottle after Christmas. The rest wait in barrel. 2014 is a year of pleasure, the wines are alive with good energy, accessible wines, though they will keep very well.”
The wines…
The wines here were complex, balanced and interesting with fine energy – I cannot ask for much more. There was no obvious oak-derived make-up, just a little whole-cluster rouge. Some wines seemed to need a hint more elevage – which they will receive. Versus a close neighbour such as Fourrier, the fruit is a little darker and the structure can be seen a little more easily – but that’s style not substance, and these wines have substance a-plenty. A first-class address for 2014s!
2014 Bourgogne Rouge
1 parcel from Gevrey’s Grand Champs. This plot can be rustic so it was a soft extraction, without pigeage.
Floral with good dark fruited depth. Quite wide and nicely textured. Bright interesting and tasty. Almost delicious!
The only wine without some whole-clusters after all the hail. From the high slopes near Cras, ‘the wine’s more like a Cras than a Teurons!’
Deep pretty red fruit, lithe and muscled, really great flavour. Lots of dimension here, great Beaune! Fine intense finishing to, excellent!
2014 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles-Vignes
Between 45-75 years from various parcels in 3 sectors
Deeper more serious nose faint sweetness and herb. Broad, beautifully textured with waves of flavour. Just the smallest hint of rusticity today – another exceptionally good wine of luxurious character.
2014 Gevrey-Chambertin Etelois
A small parcel.
A wide open top note that verges on floral. Round, a little more textured but there’s a richness of flavour rather than actual texture. Nice direction, very, very good!
2014 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cherbaudes
More airy and fresh but less overt. A little saltiness and a more direct flavour profile – less round. Fine clarity of flavour, both airy and suave – yes its our Chambolle says David…
2014 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Combottes
A tighter nose, there’s depth but at least to start, it doesn’t want to speak. Also lithe and muscular but with much more width and unfolding complexity. Extra wide in the finish too. Super.
2014 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Corbeaux
Deeper but due to faint reduction. Slowly opening with a little spice and whole-cluster perfume. More concentrated, intense, deeper, darker fruit but complex and interesting. More richness of texture. Really fine mouth-watering flavour. Finishes a hint faster than some, or rather what remains is more mineral. But really a sumptuous wine that’s perfectly, freshly balanced…
A wide and interesting nose with a little spice and whole-cluster notes. Slowly a width of fine violet flowers. Wide, über complex, some tannin but not terribly distracting simply beautiful flavour of multiple dimensions, clear but not overly energetic. Gorgeous and with grand cru length!
2014 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Petit Chapelle
Massive, bright open nose. More direct, a little more strict, beautifully textured, more mineral, subtly, brilliantly complex in the mid-palate and finish. Excellent yet different. Really a wine to wait for. Not the tastiest for today, but…
2014 Latricières-Chambertin
Quite a cold area under the forest so normally the last parcel to be harvested.
Seems gassy to start but really settles, becoming wide and silky with gorgeous depth. A little mineral here, just a hint less charming than the nose suggest, but finely textured and evolving, opening on the palate. Dark complex and really rather gorgeous width of finishing flavour. This will be excellent.
2014 Chapelle-Chambertin
For us a warmer, more sunny area, closer to the rock.
A lovely whole-cluster, textured nose – complex and inviting. Fills the mouth more, but not with fat – there is energy and concentration here. A joyful burst of mp flavour that takes a long time to decay. It’s less expressive and less easy to understand today, but there’s an internal force of energy that I adore…
Just from Chambertin, 1.6 hectares from two parcels, right in the middle of the appellation.
Wide and complex – really a wall of aroma – though I actually prefer the Chapelle aromatic.
This is just something else. The mouth is totally full, the flavour is brilliant but not overwhelming. Thees no overt massiveness or fat, just a really melting and continuing persistence of flavour. Bravo.
And to finish, three from 2013. Open 48 hours in the cool…:
2013 Gevrey-Chambertin Etelois
Bright but deep, pretty fruit with a little more width and high tone acidulated fruit than the typical 2014. Mouth-filling, really with excellent texture. The tannin has virtually no dryness, but rather forms some cushioning. The finish, likewise, has a more direct and acidulated impression but long and slightly dark flavoured. Really lovely…
2013 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Petit Chapelle
Not wide, but some high tones and a plummeting roller-coaster of dark fruit notes – lovely! Silkier, direct flavour, a hint more mouth-watering. Indeed a lot more mouth-watering in the finish. A contemplative finish and moreish wine…
2013 Chambertin
A nose that vibrates with energy, but not so overpowering as the 2014 – yet similar in aroma and dimension if not intensity. Less roundly textured as 14, but really complex, a hint of salt too. there’s a hint of tannin in the finish that the flavour manages to slowly leach through. Actually the 2014 is the tastier today, but this is concentrated and complex – it will be super. Just like the length that wont let go…