2019 Côte de Nuits

This is one of the most complete Gevrey village wines you will find: multiple parcels scattered around the village, they vinify them in three parts. One part comes from the light stony soil at the bottom of the valley, giving a cool elegance; the second is a cluster of parcels in the middle of the village on clay soil, giving body and structure; the third is a group of parcels below the grands crus, giving a complexity and finesse. The vines are all aged between 45 and 85 years, and the concentration and complexity this wine delivers for the price is hard to beat. It has a beautifully grippy tension in 2019.

This was the first parcel they converted to biodynamics in 1997, so this lovely single parcel of vines in Gevrey-Chambertin has now benefitted from over two decades of low-intervention farming. It is also planted with a north/south orientation, and in the fierce heat of 2019 has retained all the crunchy, juicy freshness you would hope to find. Impeccable Bourgogne.

Rossignol-Trapet owns a very fine two parcels of this formidable grand cru. The vines were mostly planted in the 1950s, with a small section of young vines planted in 2000, and another small section planted way back in 1919. It has magnificent structure, with a voluminous length. It remains subtle and restrained on the nose, but builds in power, and has a persistent finish of dark fruits and mineral spice.

The clay soils of this well-placed parcel produce a wine of depth and roundness. It has an abundance of small, granular tannins that give a subtle spiciness underneath the dark fruit. It’s a clear step up in complexity, and should age with elegance.

This is the only parcel the domaine bottles separately from the other Gevrey village parcels. That is thanks to its quite incredible situation, and the consistency of quality it delivers every year. It is sandwiched just between grands crus Charmes-Chambertin and Griotte-Chambertin. It’s almost unbelievable it’s only a village lieu dit. The Rossignol-Trapet vines lie right alongside the Joseph Roty Charmes Vieilles Vignes parcel, but the soil is more like Griotte-Chambertin just to the north. It has such charming sweet strawberry and cherry fruit on the nose, and lovely savoury tannins that give it an excellent but understated body. Only seven barrels of this were made, so it will be scarce.

Cool air comes down the valley between Morey-St-Denis and Gevrey-Chambertin, meaning Latricières is a little slower to mature than the other Gevrey grands crus. It has a soft, sweet red berry character, with a cool mineral freshness underneath, and a little lift of wild herbs.