2008 Gevrey Chambertin Clos St Jacques
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Tasting notes
The 2008 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques 1er Cru, which was matured in 90% new oak, has plenty of fruit on the nose with red cherries, cassis and rose petal scents. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, quite solid in the mouth with touches of leather and black pepper infusing the black fruit, quite saline on the finish. This could do with more time, but I feel it is not up there with Esmonin's best.
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Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The 2008 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques is wonderfully alive. Layers of fruit flesh out on the palate in this intense, structured Clos St. Jacques. There is a level of sweetness and sheer inner perfume that is hard to capture in words. This is a fabulous effort from Sylvie Esmonin, but it remains decidedly on the young side. The Clos St. Jacques saw 100% new oak. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2028. It’s hard to keep up with Sylvie Esmonin given her exuberance and energy. Esmonin began converting her vineyards to natural farming in 1990 but isn’t fully convinced by biodynamics, which she views as a bit of a fad. Those are just details, though; the wines speak eloquently for themselves. Esmonin started harvesting on September 24, 2009, very late for the vintage. The wines underwent 18 days of contact on the skins (with no cold soak) and were then racked into oak where they spent about 12 months on their fine lees with no rackings. Esmonin is gradually working towards a greater use of wood uprights for fermenting and higher percentage of whole bunches than in the past. Importer: Louis/Dressner Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 334-8191
Good ruby-red. Captivating nose combines black fruits, bitter chocolate, sweet oak and pungent stony minerality, with wild suggestions of fresh blood and game. Backward and quite taut, with outstanding intensity to the sappy black fruit flavors. Hints of pepper, herbs and spices contribute to the impression of energy. Soil-driven savory, salty finish displays excellent length. Sylvie Esmonin believes this wine needs at least a year to absorb its oak, but I'd wait five or six.