2009 Chambertin Grand Cru 0,75 l Jean Trapet
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Tasting notes
Moderately saturated red with no sign of amber. Very ripe red berries and a medicinal aspect on the nose, complicated by hints of caraway seed and lavender; aeration brought a sexy note of raspberry liqueur. The richest, fattest and fleshiest of these vintages to this point--and less sappy and high-pitched than it was in the early going--but with surprising vinosity to frame its flavors of red fruits, dried flowers, wild herbs and soil-driven minerality. This wine can be enjoyed now for its plush sweetness and sheer mouth coverage but will be even more satisfying after it's had a chance to absorb more of its dusty, building, fine-grained tannins. For his part, Jean-Louis Trapet feels that this wine is in a transitional period now. According to Trapet, a huge rain storm on May 21 limited the early flowering, leading to a large quantity of small, millerandé grapes and providing good water reserves that enabled the vines to resist the drought in August. Still, he describes 2009 as "a more Mediterranean vintage" even if this wine is still young. (13.2% alcohol; 3.51 pH; 3.7 g/l acidity; 38 h/h; harvested on September 16)
Critic scores
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
(50% new oak, the same as the Chapelle-Chambertin): Good medium red. Wonderfully complex, high-pitched nose combines musky raspberry, strong minerality, lavender and wild herbs; soil-driven but not earthy. Like liquid silk on entry, then sappy and imploded in the mouth, with complex soil hints, no hard edges and a wonderfully light touch for such a seamless wine. Less high-pitched than the nose suggests, but this amazingly fine-grained Chambertin is lifted and framed by superb mineral energy. Really explodes with aeration, finishing with noble tannins and a powerful impression of terroir . This should evolve in bottle for decades.
A relatively high-toned nose that is cool, restrained and notably more floral offers up notes of stone, game, underbrush, humus and a noble vegetal note on the red cherry and cassis suffused nose. The intensely mineral-driven and vibrant flavors possess real muscle and drive continue onto the very firm, palate staining and youthfully austere finish. Like the Latricières, this fantastic effort will best suit the patient as this is very unlikely to develop quickly. In short, this is a knockout. 2024+
The 2009 Chambertin shows some of the openness of the Chapelle but the structural elements more closely resemble the Latricieres. If that sounds appealing, believe me, it is. Trapet’s Chambertin exudes class and pedigree in its impeccable layered fruit, gorgeous detail and silky, textured finish. Striking, beautifully delineated aromatics are woven throughout. Simply put, the Chambertin is a must-have wine in this vintage. In 2009 the Chambertin was made with 40% whole clusters, slightly more than normal. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2049. This is a beautiful set of wines from Jean-Louis Trapet. The estate farms their vineyards biodynamically. After fermentation the wines are kept in a cold part of the cellar to delay the malolactic fermentations. When I visited in March 2011, the 2010s had not even begun their malos. In 2009 the harvest started on September 18. The wines spent about 18 days on the skins prior to being racked into barrel, where they stayed on their lees with no rackings until they were bottled with no fining or filtration. The amount of whole clusters ranged from 30% to 60%, while the use of new barrels ranged from 30% to 50%. The 2009s were bottled in February 2011, four to six weeks earlier than normal. Trapet is among the growers who believe the 2009s will not shut down in bottle. I was also quite taken with the selection of 2008s I tasted. Burgundy fans will find much to admire in both vintages. The house style tends towards the firm, classic end of the spectrum, so a measure of patience is required, even for the 2009s. Various US Importers, including: Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY; tel. (914) 244-0404; Stacole Fine Wines, Boca Raton, FL; tel. (561) 998-0029 A Patrick Lesec Selection (various importers), Paris Fax 011 33 4 66 37 67 23