2013 Gevrey-Chambertin Craipillot 1er Cru

As is his habit, Yves Confuron was one of the latest harvesters on the Côte de Nuits (and on the Côte de Beaune, at Domaine de Courcel), beginning on October 15. "If you picked too early in 2013, you made commercial Pinot Noirs without enough tannins," he explained. Not surprisingly, potential alcohols here were elevated for the vintage ranging from 12% to 12.7%, although Confuron described the grape sugars as "not high, due to the cold, cloudy weather." He added, though, the conditions were mostly dry while he harvested. Confuron told me the fruit was ripe in 2013 but distinctly red in character: less spicy and more floral than the 2012s, and very easy to drink." To his taste, the 2012s "have very rich fruit but they're almost too much." But the 2013s here have no shortage of concentration or texture, as crop yields ranged from 14 to 17 hectoliters per hectare and pHs are in the relatively high 3.6. to 3.7 range. I tasted the young 2013s mostly from 2009 barrels, which Confuron, who uses 15% to 20% new oak ("just for oxygenation, not to give aromas"), felt would be most representative of the finished wines.