2004 Gevrey-Chambertin Cherbaudes 1er Cru

"The best thing you could have done in 2005 was to do nothing," said Jean-Marie Fourrier about this near-ideal growing season. "There was good rain in the winter and spring, which rebuilt the reserves in the ground. Then we had lots of millerandage and a very dry summer. There were two weeks in August when afternoon temperatures reached about 32oC (90oF); this reduced the levels of malic acidity but didn't burn off the tartaric. With high natural concentration of the grapes, I did less pigeage-normally twice daily, compared to four times in 2006 and 2004." Nothing had been racked yet in November, and the malos only finished in the month or two before my visit. Fourrier uses a wagon on a conveyor belt instead of a must pump, and vinifies with about 80% uncrushed berries. In the old days, Fourrier's must pump normally broke the tiny millerande berries and increased the alcohol level of the wines by 0.7% or 0.8%. "Now this fruit delivers its sugar later, and the fermentation is drawn out."

Jean-Marie Fourrier described 2004 as "a grower's year, one in which every action in the vineyard created a reaction in the winemaking and in elevage. "Fourrier noted that the sulfur sprays that were critical to controlling oidium have brought reduction in the wines, which is giving the young 2004s some bitterness in barrel, and that racking is necessary to bring oxygen. Because the veraison was so late (it began August 24 in his vineyards), Fourrier did some leaf pulling on the north side of the vines in late August and early September, while removing some rotten grapes during the same pass through the vines. Fourrier told me he bought a vibrating sorting table, but still decided to eliminate the hail-damaged fruit in the vines. Ultimately, he says, the 2004s are "pure, elegant wines but not deep or dark. They don't have a massive structure. "