2013 Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru

The 2013 Gevrey-Chambertin is quite floral and lifted, with plenty of orange and citrus notes that lend brightness throughout. Here, too, readers will find a tense Burgundy built on energy and precision, with perhaps a touch less density than is the norm in this cellar. The 2013 is a blend of fruit from Craipillots and Perrières.

(all of the 2013 cru bottlings are aging in 100% new oak; a blend of Craipillots and Perrières): Bright medium red. Cool, tangy aromas of red cherry, raspberry, peppery herbs and menthol. Juicy and quite tight, showing less early sweetness than the village offering. On the lean side, conveying a distinctly medicinal quality to its crunchy red fruit and menthol flavors. Just a touch green and tart-edged on the rather ungiving back end. Incidentally, Bertrand Dugat is undoing the cordon royat pruning that he believes has stressed the family's Perrières vines over time, and made the wine "hard and austere." He also cut the percentage of new oak for this cuvée to 50% in 2014 because he believes that the oak clashes with the wine's fruit.

The 2013 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru is more serious and introverted than the Village Cru at the moment, the fruit veering darker. The palate has a pastille-like purity, very well balanced, but already showing more density than the Village Cru with plenty of substance on the finish. This is yet to show character but all the constituent parts are here. It may merit a higher appraisal post-bottling.