2005 Gevrey Chambertin Les Goulots

Smoky nose, only medium weight but full of life and zest. Slightly bitter finish in a delicate quinine sense rather than astringence. Interesting wine. (JR)

From one of Gevrey’s highest and steepest vineyards (north of town between Champeaux and Combes au Moines) comes a 2005 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Goulots displaying aromas of cherry and plum with their pits, savory meatiness, concentrated pit fruits and slightly grainy tannins on the palate, and a gripping finish with deep meatiness, stony mineral suggestions and bitter-sweet fruit. This took a while to open up in the glass and probably hadn’t finished trying to reveal its many facets before I was forced to proceed to the next wine. One might take that as a hint to give it patience in one’s cellar as well. The articulate and opinionated Jean-Marie Fourrier staunchly believes in the inclusion of uncrushed fruit (to among other things prolong fermentation and, he claims, diminish the efficiency of alcoholic conversion); leaving the young wines on their lees (with high CO2 retention) eighteen months before bottling; employing a mere 20% of new barrels for all wines; and applying only minimal doses of sulfur. That the property from which he sources is all owned outright, and is largely in vines of over fifty years age planted by his father or grandfather before the days of clones certainly helps explain the consistently excellent quality at this address. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990

Good red-ruby. Pure, discreet nose offers dark raspberry, brown spices, minerals and game. Juicy, sharply delineated and quite firmly built, with enticing inner-mouth aromatic character and verve. This is dominated by its structure and its slightly spiky tannins today and is currently rather subdued. In fact, I had the impression it was shutting down in the barrel. Fourrier notes that it's in the coldest spot in his cellar.