2017 Chambertin, Grand Cru, Domaine Trapet Père & Fils, Burgundy

Pinot Noir is probably the most frustrating, and at times infuriating, wine grape in the world. However when it is successful, it can produce some of the most sublime wines known to man. This thin-skinned grape which grows in small, tight bunches performs well on well-drained, deepish limestone based subsoils as are found on Burgundy's Côte d'Or. Pinot Noir is more susceptible than other varieties to over cropping - concentration and varietal character disappear rapidly if yields are excessive and yields as little as 25hl/ha are the norm for some climats of the Côte d`Or.

Domaine Louis Trapet in Burgundy was actually established by Louis's son Arthur, back in 1870, when he began acquiring vineyards and laying the foundations for the present Domaine. The Trapets now have 12 hectares of vines including 1.9 hectares of the hallowed Chambertin. The Domaine is currently run by Jean-Louis Trapet, son of Jean and cousin of the Rossignol Trapets. He is married to an Alsacienne, Andrée, and together they maintain links with and make wine from Alsace, though production remains firmly centered on Gevrey-Chambertin. Jean-Louis moved towards biodynamic farming in the mid 1990s, working first with guru Francois Bouchet and now with Pierre Masson. The domaine has been certified by Biodivin since 1998 and Demeter from 2005. Jean-Louis would rather talk about the philosophy of wine than the detail of winemaking, but the broad brush outline is partial destemming, a cool pre-fermentation maceration before a long fermentation, then the descent by gravity of the wine to the barrel cellar, with 30 to 75% new oak used according to the cuvée. He uses no sulphur at harvest or during the vinification and maturation processes, just adding a small dose at bottling. The wines are succulent and rounded and make an interesting contrast to the tighter, more precise style of Jean-Louis’s cousins at Domaine Rossignol-Trapet. These are wines that tend more towards elegance and finesse rather than power and extract - the exception being Le Chambertin which displays concentrated fruit and great intensity. Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director and author of the award-winning Inside Burgundy comprehensive handbook.