2011 Roi Chambertin – Syndicat de Gevrey Tasting

Update 4.6.2017(18.12.2012)billn

Last year there were 83 wines presented as the Syndicat de Gevrey-Chambertin made a fanfare with their first syndicate tasting in Beaune – unfortunately for them, few people followed-up on their initial place reservations – the tasters were few and far between.

This year the syndicate persevered for their 2011 vintage and we were once again in the Hotel de Poste in Beaune, and once-more during the weekend of the Hospices de Beaune sale. Perhaps ‘once bitten’ there were fewer vignerons presenting their wines – 59 wines in total – and lunch was a more modest buffet. Incredibly even fewer people arrived to taste the wines. Will the syndicate come again? I won’t blame them if they don’t!

Such a shame.

As far as the notes are concerned, I was was simply amazed how many, to my level of perception, were showing a pyrazine note so early in their elevage. I’m convinced that the 2004s didn’t show it to this extent so early in their elevage, this could be a terrible thing, or it could be something ‘a bit different’ and be gone in 12 months – when you will all be able to point me out and say ‘what a plonker’. Note: It is entirely possible, however, that I have become ‘trained’ to spot this aroma just as you learn to spot TCA, and that I was ‘untrained’ at this stage in the 2004’s development.

Whatever. Using a P1 -> P10 (out of 10) scale for pyrazine perception, you will see which wines were already affected. Note, I probably couldn’t put a P9 -> P10 wine in my mouth, whereas I’d happily imbibe a P1 -> P2 wine.

The Villages

2011 Philippe Charlopin, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
P3. Good width and intensity – actually super balance and length – no obvious oak either. ‘Otherwise’ super.

2011 Duroché, Gevrey-Chambertin Les Jeunes Rois
P5, some floral elements too. The a little P flavour too but also a lovely penetrating fruit. Well balanced. ‘Otherwise’ super.

2011 Clos St.Louis, Gevrey-Chambertin
P2. Chewy, with a lovely balance. There is some extra depth and tannin here after the Duroché. ‘Otherwise’ super.

2011 Jerome Galeyrand, Gevrey-Chambertin Billard
No pyrazines, just a little dark depth aided and abetted by a hint of reduction. Round and full, this has a fine tannin and a fruit flavour which grows and grows. Very good!

2011 Jerome Galeyrand, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes Croisette
P1. There is a faint aroma of stems which grows and grows in the glass. The flavour also betrays whole clusters but in a lovely way. Just a little harsher structure than the Billard.

2011 Geantet-Pansiot, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
P2 with a mix of soft red fruits too. Fills the mouth nicely – good width and density, and not a bit soft.

2011 Jean-Michel Guillon, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
Quite deeply coloured. Slightly lactic with bright cherry fruit. Lots of structure but also great balance – I like this – very good fruit in the mid-palate. Very good wine.

2011 Harmand-Geoffroy, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
Plenty of oak notes abut the fruit but coupled with nice high-toned notes too. Clean, lovely acidity with nice intensity and flavour. Lovely!

2011 Humbert Frères, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
A little reduction in the depths and some toasted bread too. There’s also reduction on the palate and when coupled to CO2 makes this a wine that’s very hard to place. Seems okay though.

2011 Philippe Livera (Domaine des Tilleuls), Gevrey-Chambertin Les Evocelles
Deep and reductive, wide and padded. Good flavours – I think this will be very nice.

2011 René LeClerc, Gevrey-Chambertin
P1 plus high tones. Sweet fruit, nice width and balance. Quite good.

2011 Philippe Livera (Domaine des Tilleuls), Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Village
Toasty depth. The high-toned fruit is buffered by plenty of medium-grained tannin. Serious and good.

2011 Trapet Père et Fils, Gevrey-Chambertin
P2 with lots of high-toned fruits. Real intensity and very good acidity – the slightly astringent tannin slowly creeps up on you. ‘Otherwise’ super.

2011 Thierry Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin
High-toned, slightly estery fruit. Round, with plenty of structure. Intensity of fruit flavour wells-up in the mid-palate with a nice flavour in the finish. Competent/quite good.

2011 Thierry Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin Vigne Belle
P1? Faint bread and high tones. More width and structure than the previous wine. Well balanced, very good.

2011 Marc Roy, Gevrey-Chambertin La Justice
A deep nose with ripe fruit at the core. Mouth-filling concentration with perhaps a faint coffee note within the flavours. This is very, very good!

2011 Marc Roy, Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Prieur
The nose is deep again and perhaps finer than the ‘Justice’. An excellent balance of flavour, texture and structure. The acidity seems quite understated – just a lovely wine.

2011 Marc Roy, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
P1? High-toned and quite pretty aromas. The flavours offer a similar high-toned profile as the nose. The core fruit flavour only bursts through in the mid-palate. Very good wine, but behind both the Justice and Clos Prieur I think.

2011 Philippe Rossignol, Gevrey-Chambertin
P2 yet high toned and pretty. Full, padded, interesting wine. Lots of depth of flavour. ‘Otherwise’ excellent!

2011 Philippe Naddef, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
P7. Sweet fruit, plenty of structure and flavour concentration. Shame as I really liked the 2010 and think the base wine good here too.

2011 Rossignol-Trapet, Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Etelois
P1? With a little toast. Fine width and a lovely, lovely mid-palate flavour. Good structure and excellent length. Super!

2011 Serafin Père et Fils, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
Deep aromas with a little coffee. Mouth-filling, seriously concentrated and showing an impressively dense flavour. Not the longest, but certainly the loudest…

2011 Taupenot-Merme, Gevrey-Chambertin
P2 with a very pretty selection of high-toned red fruits. This seems a little soft today (most things would after the Serafin!), but it’s round and very pretty with some flavour complexity – including a little P. ‘Otherwise’ very good.

2011 Denis Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
Deep, dark aromas – but with lovely top notes – okay, you’ve got me! Textured, padded, lots of concentrated flavour – this is excellent!

The Premier Crus

2011 Philippe Rossignol, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Corbeaux
P2 but very, very pretty aromas that include roses and raspberries – I assume some stem content here – this grows and grows, so plenty of whole clusters I expect as there is also the flavour. Not as concentrated as some villages wines but lovely complexity here. Very, very pretty wine.

2011 Jean-Michel Guillon, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru La Petite Chapelle
P1 but with lots of high-toned interest. Plenty of concentrated flavour and decent understated structure. Very good length too. Very good wine.

2011 Philippe Charlopin, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Bel-Air
P2 but very, very pretty aromas that include roses and raspberries – I assume some stem content here – this grows and grows, Very deep colour. High-tones, quite interesting with a faint coffee note (I just had one – maybe auto-suggestion, or a dirty top lip!). Plenty of sweet fruit here – the structure is largely in the background. Lovely flavours, super wine!

2011 Rossignol-Trapet, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Petit Chapelle
P2+ eventually augments a little barrel aroma, though the nose starts quite shy. Confidently fills the mouth – unexpected after the nose – very fine detail in the lovely flavours with a hint of P in there too. ‘Otherwise’ very good.

2011 Philippe LeClerc, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru La Combe aux Moines
High-toned and quite complex – though no fruit! A very lovely core of fruit flavour – there’s plenty of structure but in the background. The flavour holds well in the finish. Super.

2011 Dupont-Tisserandot, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cazetiers
Flighty, pretty, high-toned notes with a sweet core – I am fully engaged even if there’s a hint of bubble-gum! In the mouth this is full and round – more about a concentrated ball of flavour than discrete complexity, but it’s really lovely.

2011 Philippe LeClerc, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cazetiers
A round and ripe but largely unformed nose. There seems to be grand cru concentration here. No complexity today but rather like the previous wine about impressive density.

2011 Geantet-Pansiot, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Poissenots
P1 dovetails with high-toned notes. There an impression of understated intensity, nice flavour and structure that remains in the background, including the acidity – lovely. A wine of complexity yet understatement too.

2011 René LeClerc, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru La Combe aux Moines
P2 – neither are the rest of the aromas particularly enticing. Similar flavour profile – a kind of mustiness. Nice weight, texture and concentration but I assume this is a ‘suspect’ sample.

2011 Philippe LeClerc, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Champeaux
The nose is remarkable similar to this makers Combe aux Moines. Lots of high-toned flavours and growing intensity. The flavours slowly decay – this is both pretty and rather interesting.

2011 Denis Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Champeaux
Fine density to the nose with twists of almond and cream added to the fruit. Silky, concentrated and with growing intensity – indeed super intensity though there are plenty of barrel notes augmenting the fruit today. Flavours that slowly decay – very fine!

2011 Philippe Naddef, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Champeaux
P5 – I really can’t get anything else. Wow – despite the nose there is a beautiful width of flavour and yet another dimension in the mid-palate. Good finish. ‘Otherwise’ super!

2011 Harmand-Geoffroy, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Champeaux
High tones plus dark fruit – detailed and precise. Some minerality, slowly growing intensity of flavour. Understated structure but good acidity. I like P1. High toned and yet with dark-shaded fruit – very pretty. Very concentrated and nicely padded – this is almost fruit preserve – a beautiful wine to curl up with – very yum!

2011 Humbert Frères, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Poissenot
A deep and dark nose – quite nice! Sweet fruit, relatively understated structure and a narrow, direct line of fruit through the core and into the finish. Very, very good.

2011 Tortochot, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St.Jacques
P1 – eventually. Before that the high tones mixed with a little muddy oak. Lovely texture, some padding and great concentration too. The intensity of just about everything just grows and grows. ‘Otherwise’ excellent.

2011 Dupont-Tisserandot, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St.Jacques
Not particularly deep aromas but the panorama is lovely. Round, with slowly growing intensity – the tannin grows in tandem but is ripe. A wine that grows in the glass and grows on me.

2011 Thierry Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Prieur
Very engaging high-toned nose, even though it is a hint shy. Round and full with an excellent base of structure. The length holds very well. Very, very good.

2011 Philippe Rossignol, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Estournelles St.Jacques
P3. Lots of grainy tannin but interesting flavour and concentration too. The P comes through the flavour too though.

2011 Denis Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Lavaux St.Jacques
A deep and largely impressive nose. Big, concentrated flavours – no shrinking violet this. Yet you have the impression that grows even more in the mid-palate. Excellent, and with the potential to shame many a grand cru.
The Grand Crus

2011 Terpenot-Merme, Mazoyères-Chambertin
P4. Good flavour concentration, lovely intensity too but P is spoiling it for me.

2011 Geantet-Pansiot, Charmes-Chambertin
P1 (or after-burn from the last wine!). Lovely concentration and very fine flavour too. This isn’t the longest, but it’s very, very nice.

2011 Philippe Charlopin, Charmes-Chambertin
Deep with faint oak at the bottom – high-toned fruits at the top. Super concentration with flavour coming from all directions – this is super. Very slowly decaying flavour – the structure always discrete but supporting – Excellent!

2011 Tortochot, Charmes-Chambertin
There’s a mix of must and oak on the nose – probably not a great sample. Concentrated with a little softness, but the flavour continues to grow. In the end this is still some way behind the Charlopin, but it’s very good.

2011 Humbert Frères, Charmes-Chambertin
High toned with a little coffee. Nice clean, concentrated flavours – this is very nice indeed – just a little mineral aspect here – a rarity in this vintage.

2011 Philippe Livera, Chapelle-Chambertin
P5. Despite that, there is both distinction and direction in the mouth.

2011 Cécile Tremblay, Chapelle-Chambertin
Flowers and red fruit – very pretty. Supple with understated tannin and mouth-watering flavour. If the nose doesn’t show obvious artifacts of stems, the flavours do. This is fine and one of those rare mineral 2011s too.

2011 Pierre Damoy, Chapelle-Chambertin
Powdery red fruit but rather concentrated aromatics. Narrow-ish entry but this grows and grows – again some minerality (like the Tremblay Chapelle) but here is a more overt structure. Lovely.

2011 Tortochot, Mazis-Chambertin
The nose is not particularly wide but has good depth. Less sweet than the Chapelles but amply concentrated – the intensity is also excellent. Some astringency to the tannin, but this is Mazis – no problem!

2011 Jean-Michel Guillon, Mazis-Chambertin
P5 dominates but there is a nice palate of high-toned notes besides. Nice texture, just a little padding – super intensity. P excepted, this would be a lovely wine.

2011 Philippe Naddef, Mazis-Chambertin
P5. Lots of tannin, some astringency attached. Concentrated and intense – but P flavour too.

2011 Harmand-Geoffroy, Mazis-Chambertin
P2 and some estery element to the fruit, yet the high-toned effect holds interest. Quite a salty impression to fine, concentrated fruit. Ripe tannin. ‘Otherwise’ very good.

2011 Damoy, Chambertin
A beautiful nose of flowers – yum. An extra level of concentration but there is also complexity and dimension to match. Excellent wine.

2011 Pierre Damoy, Clos de Bèze
The nose is less floral than his Chambertin, but with an added depth. A more ‘structural’ wine than the Chambertin as it begrudgingly offers glimpses of fruit – yet equally concentrated and ripe. Just wait, this will be excellent.

2011 Trapet, Chambertin
P1 is just another element of a fine nose. Salt-inflected, partly mineral flavours. Really good intensity too. ‘Otherwise’ excellent.

2011 Rossignol-Trapet, Chambertin
P? Can’t decide. Lighter colour than most, the nose is likewise lighter but very interesting and rather complex. Another wine with a salty tang to the flavour – and this is full of flavour. The structure is ripe but in keeping with ‘Chambertin’. Good wine.

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There are 4 responses to “2011 Roi Chambertin – Syndicat de Gevrey Tasting”

  1. Neville18th December 2012 at 11:41 pmPermalinkReply

    It’s Dupont-Tisserandot …

    • billn19th December 2012 at 7:04 amPermalinkReply

      Oops – well spotted Neville – will fix!
      Cheers!

  2. Lliwiau Llachar19th December 2012 at 11:55 amPermalinkReply

    Bill
    Excellent summary of the tasting; thank you. It seems a pity that the level of interest from both the producer base and tasters had dipped from the previous year. Any thoughts on why this might be so? I for one would have loved to have attended as I’m sure many other posters to this forum.

    I really appreciate the additional level of detail in regards to pyrazines that you have added to each tasting note. For me though this raises a few questions so I hope you don’t mind me firing these off at you.

    1. Interesting to see some producer patterns emerging of who’s wines are affected namely Guillon, Charlopin, Rossignol, Taupenot Merme, Pansiot and most notably Naddef. Do you have any idea of what these producers may or may not be doing in the vineyard/winery as it seems that when they are affected it is across all quality levels?

    2. With the wines that you have assigned a rating of P1/P2 would you anticipate that level rising once the wines have been bottled to say a P4/P5 or even beyond?

    3. Do you think that wines currently showing no signs of pyrazines may pick up this issue once they have been bottled?

    4. I see that the more prestigious producers such as Mortet and Damoy are currently showing no sign of pyrazines. Do you think that this is a coincidence or as a result of them being more quality focussed than say other producers?

    Thanks
    Mark

    • billn19th December 2012 at 12:07 pmPermalinkReply

      LL
      Yes sad at seeing such a lack of interest, though Pat Essa, Patrick Maclart and John Gilman were as assiduous as ever.

      1. It could simply be down to different choices of oak – I have conjectured (based on some studies) that oak can scalp the aroma, but when the oak starts to fade… – that would explain why it took until at least 6 months after bottling for 04 to peak. Note, I didn’t spot anything on the well-oaked Charlopin Charmes. Or (of-course) no/less bugs per particular plot – if it is a natural source such as bugs – there certainly won’t be exactly the same amount in all plots…

      2 and 3. As oak further recedes, in seems not beyond the bounds of possibility, only time will tell..

      4. Again, maybe down to their choice of oak – these people don’t skimp…

      Best

  3. Lliwiau Llachar19th December 2012 at 3:34 pmPermalinkReply

    Bill
    Appreciate the feedback; thank you.
    Will look out for wines from Naddef during the January EP tastings as it seems they are the benchmark example for Pyrazines!
    Mark

  4. I recently discussed the topic with Thierry Mortet. I asked him what the Syndicate purpose could be on a long term and he just answered it was such a mess last year that they all understood they can make wine. Starting this year, a PR man will be in charge for the organisation and therefore the success of the event.

    Regards
    Jean François / Vinifera-Mundi

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