2011 Domaine Serafin Père & Fils Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
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Tasting notes
The 2011 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes is presently more approachable than either the 2012 or 2013 with a mixture of raspberry, blackberry and a touch of soy, developing an almost pastille-like purity. The palate is all about the sappy red fruit, a little spicier than the 2010 with a hint of fennel on the linear finish. Not bad, but it just lacks a little charm overall. Tasted at Goedhuis's Burgundy tasting at Vintners Hall.
Critic scores
Neal Martin
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Bright medium red. Cherry, raspberry, smoke, minerals and pungent spices on the expressive nose. Sexy, tangy, sharply delineated flavors of red fruits and spices complicated by a whiff of game. Less dense than the 2012 version but displays lovely cut and vivacity. Finishes brisk and persistent. Serafin describes his 2011s as elegant and less tannic than his 2012s, and made from bigger grapes. Crop levels were off only about 10% from average, making this vintage the closest to normal of the last four.
(finished its malolactic fermentation very late, just before the 2012 harvest; this and all of Serafin's cru bottlings are aging in 100% new oak): Explosive aromas and flavors of blackberry, black raspberry, smoke and minerals. Rich, smooth and concentrated, with its fairly full texture leavened by ripe acidity. But ultimately less harmonious and more backward than the regular village offering, finishing with substantial dusty tannins. These vines, mostly adjacent to premier crus in Gevrey, average 60 years of age. A very serious village wine in the making.