2012 Chambertin Grand Cru 1,5 l Jean Trapet
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Tasting notes
Moderately saturated medium red. Aromas of wild dark berries, black cherry, menthol and flinty minerals. Almost shockingly sweet on entry, then pure, intense and delineated in the middle palate, even a bit imploded today, showing a near-perfect balance of sweetness, acidity and minerality. As much black as red fruit in character, with a hint of bitter chocolate carrying through from entry to aftertaste. Has the pH of a fully ripe year, but finishes juicy, vibrant and very long, with a powerful spine of refined tannins and terrific grip without hardness. This still needs more time in bottle to blossom and expand. The yield here was just 26 hectoliters per hectare and it shows. (As further evidence of the consistently high quality of Trapet's Chambertin in recent years, my final in-the-bottle scores of the '13, '14 and '15 on Vinous were 91+, 94+ and 96, respectively.) (12.9% alcohol; 3.52 pH; 3.9 grams per liter total acidity expressed as sulfuric; harvested on September 23 "under a radiant sky," according to Trapet; vinified with about 50% whole clusters)
Critic scores
Neal Martin
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Tasted blind at the annual "Burgfest" tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Chambertin Grand Cru from Domaine J-L Trapet has a very perfumed, mint-tinged bouquet with desiccated orange peel infusing the slightly oxidised maraschino and strawberry fruit. It is very contained - never fully lets go. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, very supple tannin, plenty of juicy red cherry fruit, but feels a tad flat-footed towards the finish. It does not quite possess the chutzpah of its peers at the moment, though Trapet's Chambertin consistently repays cellaring.
(90% vendange entier , from grapes Trapet described as perfect): Good medium red, a bit less dark than the Latricières. Musky aromas of redcurrant, flint, red licorice and rocky minerality lifted by a floral topnote. Enters the mouth with great breadth, then tightens up dramatically in the middle, conveying an almost 2010-like tautness to its raspberry and crushed stone flavors. Actually comes across today as less thick and sweet than the Latricières, and utterly weightless. Builds inexorably to a crescendo on the explosive, gripping back end, which leaves the palate vibrating with licorice and peppery herbs. I love the stem influence here. Should make a classic, monumental Chambertin.
(90% vendange entier; production here was just 18 hectoliters per hectare, according to Trapet): Brooding, musky aromas of plum, redcurrant, iron, leather, animal fur and smoky minerality. More earth- and less fruit-driven than the Latricieres, conveying a wonderfully silky impression and outstanding volume without weight. Large-scaled but impeccably balanced wine, finishing with big, dusty, broad tannins and outstanding persistence. Strong, sappy minerality and a late note of woodsmoke contribute to this wine's great complexity.