Saturday 11 November 2017

A Grand Cru In All But The Name - Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques


If there is one Premier Cru that should be elevated to Grand Cru level it would be Clos Saint-Jacques. And that view was demonstrated the other day when I got the chance to taste this stunning Pinot from all producers, and one negociant bottling.

Clos Saint-Jacques is 6,7 ha and the current ownership is divided like this:
Armand Rousseau / 2,21 ha
Sylvie Esmonin / 1,6 ha
Louis Jadot / 1,0 ha
Bruno Clair / 1,0 ha
Fourrier / 0,89 ha

All wines tasted double blind.

2007 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques, Louis Jadot
A deep, dark, warm nose with notes of earth, root vegetables and ripe raspberries. A very fine warmth. Deep and fine.
The taste is round, generous and flirty with notes of cherries, raspberries, forest floor and a  hint of tobacco. A long finish with a fine warmth. Drinking fine on this day. Would not keep this for much longer than 5+ years.
90p   (tasted 2017/11)



2005 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques, Sylvie Esmonin
A lovely, complex, sweet nose with some maturity and notes of red cherries, plums, dog fur and dried strawberries. A very fine depth. Lovely.
The taste is charming and velvety yet with a fine concentration and notes of plums, raspberries, undergrowth and a hint of milk chocolate. Really fine. Very long and satisfying. 8+ years.
93p   (tasted 2017/11)

2006 Chambertin, Louis Trapet
H throwed in a "real" Grand Cru just for comparison. Double blind, I had it as the best wine... The nose is beautiful with notes of red flowers, forest floor, smoke, violets and a touch of menthol. Very deep and focused. Stunning.
The taste is energetic, somewhat mature and just lovely with notes of dry raspberries, wood smoke, root vegetables, tobacco and hay. Multi layered and very complex. Long, long, long. A very fine acidity. Very drinkable but will go on for 7+ years.
96p   (tasted 2017/11)


2008 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St-Jacques, Bruno Clair
The Bruno Clair shows of a tight, still young nose with notes of a lukewarm lingonberry- and blueberry pie, matchbox, tobacco and undergrowth. A fine, restrained nose.
The taste is tight and seedy with notes of ripe lingonberries, violets, sandelwood and dry tobacco. A long, warm, focused finish. Very, very good. 10 years.
92p   (tasted 2017/11)



2008 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St Jacques, Dominique Laurent
This is a negociant wine, since Laurent doesn´t own any land in Clos Saint-Jacques, but the label doesn´t give any info where the grapes come from. This is gooood.
The nose is high strung and intense, with notes of ripe raspberries, fire smoke, moist forest floor, dark flowers and plums. Very deep and fine.
The taste is deep, dark and verging on inky with great notes of violets, ripe raspberries, smoke, plums, gravel and clay. A very long, intense finish with a great acidity and mouthfeel. Will go on for 10+ years.
94p   (tasted 2017/11)

2008 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St Jacques V. V., Domaine Fourrier
This one was weird. Alongside the fine notes of ripe red fruits, herbs, smoke, licorice and forest floor there was a underlying note of herb scented pickled herring. A very nice, smooth taste with a fine acidity, but still, there is the herring touch. Judgement referred.
??   (tasted 2017/11)


2008 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St-Jacques, Armand Rousseau
Aaaah. This started out - one hour decanter time - somewhat restrained but it kept on evolving all night long. The nose is deep, concentrated and lovely with notes of beet root, nutmeg, raspberry licorice and forest floor. Very deep, very fine and very intoxicating.
The taste is refined, seedy and complex with notes of dried raspberries, bakelite, root vegetables, fir and herbs. The finish is over a minute long and sports a stunning, cleansing acidity. A great wine that will continue to evolve for 8+ years.
96p   (tasted 2017/11)


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