2019 Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru

Louis Trapet greeted me at Domaine Jean-Louis Trapet in Gevrey-Chambertin. This year, they had the honor of being the last tasting of my “grand marathon.” Over the last decade or so, under his father Jean-Louis, the Domaine has set its sights on ever-higher quality wines. Louis and his brother, Pierre, are the next generation and nowadays oversee a wide portfolio. They also run a successful estate in Alsace. Where next? Actually, the answer is Cuba. Yes, really. Louis told me that he has a joint project planting Syrah, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon and has just sent 5,000 fledgling vines. I wonder if they have to check their political leanings? Back home, Trapet commenced the harvest on September 6 with the whites, although the Meursault Vireuils was not picked until the end on September 18.

“I was happy to have 2022 after 2021 – such a different vintage,” Louis Trapet tells me in the tasting room, his father Jean-Louis busying himself around the office - a sign that the reins are being handed over to the next generation. He works alongside his brother Pierre, who is based in Alsace, though together they run a négoce label, and you’ll find a couple of reviews in this report. “It was more ‘quiet’ in the vineyard. The year started well with a cold January. Then the temperature went up and up so that February was 2° Celsius more than usual, and there was just a little frost on April 4 when it was -4° Celsius. We knew we had to manage the pruning differently, so we pruned late, and the buds suffered little damage. Afterwards, it was hot, with mi-floraison on June 1. We had heavy rain around June 23, with between 80mm of rain in the Grand Crus, whereas north of Gevrey, it was between 120mm and 150mm. I was in Clos Prieur with my dad, and we saw the storm coming. We thought it was OK, and then five minutes later… It was incredible. It was quite scary. I saw a truck on the Grand Cru road that was almost marooned in the water. Fortunately, we did not have too much soil erosion. Then it was sunny and dry from April to August, the second driest year after 2003 since 1947. We had 370 hours of sun instead of 290 from April to September. We started picking on September 5 to 16 and finished with the Aligoté on September 23. Alcohol is between 12.5% and 13.5%, which is not so high, with good acidity levels and pH between 3.25 and 3.35. If you have a higher pH, the fermentation is a little slower, and you risk the yeast not eating all the sugar and spoilage. In a few tanks, the malo started during the alcoholic fermentation, possibly due to an imbalance of yeast and bacteria on the grapes. I think I can find the terroir in 2022 more than in 2021.”

This was another wonderful set of wines from a Gevrey producer that has realized its full potential in recent vintages. Though the Chapelle-Chambertin has the audacity to potentially swipe the crown from their Chambertin this year, I’d personally make a beeline for their over-achieving Gevrey-Chambertin La Petite Chapelle and Clos Prieur.

Jean-Louis Trapet welcomes me to the estate, though his son Louis handles tasting duties and explains the background to the 2021s. “For the whites, we lost 80% of the volume and the reds, about 65-70%. For Grand Cru, we used candles saving around 15% of volume. We are considering changing our approach. We bought a lot of candles in 2021. Now we have planted five different types of grass to help protect between rows that we hope we grow to act like a kind of blanket. It’s tricky because if the grass is at the same level as the buds at the time of frost, it will burn everything. We are also using higher stakes (180cm) and échalas in all the cuvées except Combottes which is entire with échalas. Fortunately, there was a week of sunny weather during flowering. We started the picking on 24 September and finished with the Aligoté five days later - a short harvest. We used fewer whole bunches in 2021 between zero to 60% for the Chambertin. We are increasing the percentage of demi-muids - we have 34 now.” Trapet has been on a roll in recent vintages; the wines are frankly better than ever and showing strongly in the annual blind Burgfest tasting. There is unerring purity from start to finish without short-changing in terms of flavour or complexity. Think of the recent Claude Dugat, but with slightly less transparency and a bit more structure.

Jean-Louis Trapet has entered a purple patch in recent years, his wines better than ever. I called in at his winery, located in Gevrey on the RN74, where I tasted through his 2018s. He is a soft-spoken, thoughtful vigneron, a proponent and practitioner of biodynamic viticulture for many years. He provided some useful data on the growing season. “The average temperature was 2°C higher between April and September whilst there was just 290mm of rain instead of the normal 40mm," he told me. "There was also more sunlight hours: 1,580 hours in the same period instead of 1,300 hours. I harvested within five days this year, very quickly, beginning on 2 September. It is unbelievable that we are harvesting earlier and earlier. I was looking for optimal ripeness and it was incredible [to find] that the potential alcohol increased by two degrees within a week. The alcohol levels are around 13.0% and 13.5%." These were at times breathtaking expressions of the vintage, at times among the very best that I encountered within the Côte d’Or.

Located on the main RN74 artery, the ever-congenial Jean-Louis Trapet has overseen a raft of stupendous, traditionally crafted wines in recent years. Even though I materialized in his office on the wrong day, he was only too willing to show me through his 2017s after office hours, when others would have asked me to return another day. This year saw a slightly expanded range courtesy of Trapet’s Marsannays, of which the Marsannay Blanc, mixed with a little Pinot Blanc and Aligoté, is an absolute treat. Jean-Louis is one of the leading practitioners of biodynamics. That does not imply that his wines are superior; rather, it is indicative of a winemaker who cares for his vineyards. The wines are completely different from those of the 1990s, when they leaned towards a more oaky style. Now new wood is judiciously used, along with whole bunch and minimal sulphur during vinification and maturation.

“There was a great solidarity against the frost, especially amongst the younger winemakers,” Trapet told me, referring to the combined efforts to burn straw the morning after frost threatened. “There was not much rain during the summer and then we picked around September 6 or 7. The wines seem very tranquil at the moment. We will rack early next year and bottle in the spring [though as my notes suggest, some of the entry-level wines had been bottled].”

His three Grand Crus are compelling, crowed by a complex and almost pixelated Chambertin and a Latricières-Chambertin imbued with uncommon sensuality. There is clever use of whole bunch fruit through his range, their influence on occasion barely noticeable, especially on his “Capita” cuvée, which combines his finest parcels in Combottes, Ergot and Corbeaux.

Like so many of his colleagues on the Côte d’Or, Jean-Louis Trapet called attention to “the superb differences between the crus” in 2016. He described the young wines as “very concentrated, dense and ripe, with mature tannins” and compared them to his 2010s and 2002s. But he admitted that in 2015, “everything is good,” while there are more differences in 2016. Trapet produced about 30 hectoliters per hectare in '16 from his vineyards that were not touched by frost, noting that he also had to spray his vines in late spring wearing a backpack because with all the rainfall from April through early June it was impossible to get any heavy equipment into the vineyards. The worst period, he told me, was during June, and especially during the flowering, when mildew affected the flowering buds.

Trapet started harvesting on Monday, September 26 and finished at the end of that week, just as rain began to fall. Some wines did not require chaptalization but others did, especially the frosted Marsannay. Trapet told me he “respected the idea of the vintage,” and that 2016 was "a little like the older vintages in Burgundy, with a good range of maturity, including some fruit at 11% potential alcohol but also some that was almost overripe.” He cut back slightly on his use of whole clusters and did more pumpovers than punchdowns. He was in the middle of racking the ‘16s—and sulfuring them for the first time—when I stopped by to taste in November.

As to 2015, Trapet says that this is “without doubt a great vintage, with more structural support than--but not as Burgundian as--the 2016s, which can be even better than the ‘15s at their best. The 2015s are very consistent, while the ‘16s are more genial, and possibly a little facile, although they also have a firm framework of acidity and minerality.” Trapet, who bottled his ‘15s in April of this year, vinified these wines with 50% whole clusters due to the maturity of the fruit. “The stems gave the wines a needed green touch and energy,” he explained.

Like so many of his colleagues on the Côte d’Or, Jean-Louis Trapet called attention to “the superb differences between the crus” in 2016. He described the young wines as “very concentrated, dense and ripe, with mature tannins” and compared them to his 2010s and 2002s. But he admitted that in 2015, “everything is good,” while there are more differences in 2016. Trapet produced about 30 hectoliters per hectare in '16 from his vineyards that were not touched by frost, noting that he also had to spray his vines in late spring wearing a backpack because with all the rainfall from April through early June it was impossible to get any heavy equipment into the vineyards. The worst period, he told me, was during June, and especially during the flowering, when mildew affected the flowering buds.

Trapet started harvesting on Monday, September 26 and finished at the end of that week, just as rain began to fall. Some wines did not require chaptalization but others did, especially the frosted Marsannay. Trapet told me he “respected the idea of the vintage,” and that 2016 was "a little like the older vintages in Burgundy, with a good range of maturity, including some fruit at 11% potential alcohol but also some that was almost overripe.” He cut back slightly on his use of whole clusters and did more pumpovers than punchdowns. He was in the middle of racking the ‘16s—and sulfuring them for the first time—when I stopped by to taste in November.

As to 2015, Trapet says that this is “without doubt a great vintage, with more structural support than--but not as Burgundian as--the 2016s, which can be even better than the ‘15s at their best. The 2015s are very consistent, while the ‘16s are more genial, and possibly a little facile, although they also have a firm framework of acidity and minerality.” Trapet, who bottled his ‘15s in April of this year, vinified these wines with 50% whole clusters due to the maturity of the fruit. “The stems gave the wines a needed green touch and energy,” he explained.

“It was a good thing that we were forced to pick in a narrow window in 2015,” said Jean-Louis Trapet in December. “Otherwise the alcohol levels might have been way too high.” Trapet began on September 6 with grape sugars around 12.5% and finished on September 11 with 13.5+% potential alcohol. There was concentration through evaporation during the hot days at the end of August but the pHs in the post-malo wines are in the healthy 3.4 range and Trapet told me he’s shocked by the structure and freshness of the ‘15s. “It’s a great year that combines ripeness and a firm mineral framework,” he summarized. In fact, some of these young 2015s display a dynamism that reminds me of the 2010s. No doubt his vinification with 40% to 100% whole clusters—not to mention his soft extraction and organic farming—was constructive.

Jean-Louis Trapet's 2014s are classically dry, firmly tannic and sophisticated, showing clear transparency to soil Trapet harvested with grape sugars generally between 12% and 122% and he told me that none of his finished wines reached 13%

Jean-Louis Trapet's 2014s are classically dry, firmly tannic and sophisticated, showing clear transparency to soil. Trapet harvested with grape sugars generally between 12% and 12.2% and he told me that none of his finished wines reached 13%.

“Two thousand fourteen was practically the opposite of 2013,” said Jean-Louis Trapet in November. “We had an early flowering and then some heat spikes grilled some of the berries, which fell off the vines. We didn’t have a good August but the luminosity before and during the harvest allowed us to wait a bit. ” Trapet began picking on September 15, bringing in fruit with potential alcohol between 12% and 12. 5%. “The only problems we had with the flies was near the house and in some village parcels next to cherry trees. The rest of our vines are millerandé and therefore well-aerated. The flies prefer to remain in the shadows. ”

Trapet vinified with what he described as a reasonable level of whole clusters in 2014 as he was less confident about the full maturity of the stems. He believes that the wines have good structure and ageability. The 2014s were still in barrel, unracked, at the time of my tasting.

A year ago, Jean-Louis Trapet told me that that he started harvesting his 2013s on October 4, at the point when he starting noticing the first signs of rot. Crop levels were very low, and Trapet noted that the tannins were "80% ripe." He went on: "The 2013s are more peppery and tight than the 2014; they show the sappiness of the cool year." He vinified the 2013s with 35% to 40% whole clusters and bottled the wines last March.

Jean-Louis Trapet started harvesting on October 4, which he told me was the first day he saw the white filaments that indicate the beginning of rot on his millerandé grapes. Production was very small in 2013, even a bit lower than that of the previous year, with many of the estate's oldest vines hit hardest by cold weather during flowering. Still, Trapet believes that the tannins were "80% ripe" and that the '13s will be drinkable before the 2012s ("a great year"), which he believes will shut down in bottle. "The '13s are spherical wines with sap," he summarized. Trapet vinified his '13s with 35% to 40% whole clusters.

The crop here was small in 2012 but a bit larger than in 2013, according to Jean-Louis Trapet. He considers 2012 to be "a great year that produced satisfying wines," but he believes that they will shut down in bottle. He vinified with a high percentage of whole clusters as the quality of the fruit was high.

Yields are way down at Trapet in 2012. What else is new? The vintage was brutally difficult, especially for growers like Jean-Louis Trapet who follow the principles of biodynamics. Trapet adds that his oldest vineyards were the most susceptible to the weather, as they flowered earlier, just when the conditions were are their worst. The berries were small and produced even less juice than appearances would have suggested. Trapet will not bottle any of his Gevrey 1er Crus separately because of the minuscule yields. The 2012s were vinified with 50-90% whole clusters. Malos were quite slow and finished just before the 2013 harvest.

Jean-Louis Trapet doesn't do much leaf pulling, in order to give the fruit some protection against the sun, but he told me there were still some dried grapes to eliminate on his vibrating sorting table in 2012.The '12s, he told me, "have lowish pHs and are marked by fresh acidity--actually similar to the 2010s.In any event, organic farming helps to preserve tension in our wines."The malos were late, only finishing in late August, but the wines beginning with the village Gevrey were still in barrels, not yet racked, but recently sulfited.These very concentrated wines were made with a high percentage of whole clusters, but Trapet emphasized that he carried out only three or four pigeages per cuvee, with one remontage at the end of the fermentation.

Jean-Louis Trapet's 2011s have turned out beautifully. The harvest started on September 5, a bit on the later side for the year. Trapet adds that the growing cycle lasted 110 days, which is to say quite normal. Yields are down about 30% across the board, also about average for the year.

Jean-Louis Trapet described 2011 as "a chaotic season."Although it was hot at harvest time (Trapet began on September 3), the forecasted rains did not materialize.A strict selection was necessary to eliminate both green and rotten grapes:Trapet estimated that he rejected 15% to 18% of his fruit. Grape sugars ranged from 11.8% to 12.5% and Trapet chaptalized lightly.He did less pigeage in 2011, as the material had less structure."Nature gave the wines finesse and elegance," he said.Trapet noted that his 2007s were riper and richer than his 2011s, "with similar pinot aromas," but finds the '11s are more airy.Crop levels were down by 20% to 25% in 2012, 2011, and 2010 here, making Trapet luckier than some of his neighbors.

Jean-Louis Trapet is a quiet man, but when you make wines like these, words aren't necessary. The Trapet 2010s are striking, but like everywhere else there isn't much to go around. Trapet did not make his Gevrey villages Ostrea and the 1er Crus Clos Prieur and Petite Chapelle because yields were so small. None of the 2010s had at the time of my visit. I also tasted a number of 2009s that have turned out as good or better than I had expected. Trapet doesn't seem to get anywhere near the recognition the wines deserve. There may be trendier domaines out there, but few that are at this level.

"Two thousand ten is about fruit; it's a good mix of 2008 and 2009," said Jean-Louis Trapet. "We had a chaotic flowering but that permitted a tiny crop." Trapet started harvesting on September 26, but he believes that his organic farming, which has forced the vines' roots deeper, helped the domain avoid the potential dilutive effect of the September 24 rain. Also, he added, "biodynamics restores the rhythm of the vines. We rarely have green tannins anymore, even if the grape sugars are just 12% or 12.2%. There's less difference today between our sugar and phenolic ripeness." The malos here finished as late as September but no wines had been racked at the time of my visit. Owing to the short crop, there's just a single Gevrey villages and a single premier cru in 2010.

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.

Jean-Louis Trapet harvested quite late in 2009. "The challenge was to have phenolic maturity, not just good sugar ripeness," he maintained. "Of course the risk was that we could have lost acidity. But organic farming seems to preserve tension even in wines with higher pHs. The fruits in 2009 are more red than black." A significant percentage of whole-cluster vinification (about one-third in most wines, but 60% in the Capita) contributed further energy to the wines. Trapet believes that the tannins in the 2009s are suppler than those of 1990. He describes the new vintage as "a bit like 1989, but more complex." The malos here were early, finishing between January and March, as a result of which the wines were quite expressive in November.

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.

Also recommended: 2008 Gevrey-Chambertin (86).

"A very Burgundy vintage," said Jean-Louis Trapet about 2008, by which I assume he meant that it was a miserable summer. As the size of the crop was reduced by millerandage, Trapet did not carry out a green harvest, but he did a severe selection at harvest time. He started picking on September 29 with grape sugars reaching 12.5% and with good tannic ripeness. (In contrast, he told me, the tannins were not ripe at the same sugar levels in the warmer growing season of 2009, and that's why he waited longer than many of his neighbors did to pick.) Trapet chaptalized most of his 2008s, but did not add sugar in 2009 or 2007. The top 2007 cuvees here have turned out splendidly, by the way. (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL and Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA)

"A very Burgundy vintage," said Jean-Louis Trapet about 2008, by which I assume he meant that it was a miserable summer. As the size of the crop was reduced by millerandage, Trapet did not carry out a green harvest, but he did a severe selection at harvest time. He started picking on September 29 with grape sugars reaching 12.5% and with good tannic ripeness. (In contrast, he told me, the tannins were not ripe at the same sugar levels in the warmer growing season of 2009, and that's why he waited longer than many of his neighbors did to pick.) Trapet chaptalized most of his 2008s, but did not add sugar in 2009 or 2007. The top 2007 cuvees here have turned out splendidly, by the way. (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL and Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA)

Jean-Louis Trapet picked on the late side in 2007, between September 10 and 17. "Before that the grapes had too much malic acidity," explained Trapet, who told me a lot of fruit came in at 13% potential alcohol, with some lots reaching 14.9%! Not surprisingly, he did not chaptalize his wines. "We got a lot of concentration at the end," he summarized. "Eventually we had 120 days between flowering and harvest, and that made a real difference in 2007." And the stems were riper in 2007 than they had been the previous year. None of the 2007s had been racked yet when I tasted them at the beginning of November. The 2006 crus, notes Trapet, will need a good seven or eight years of bottle aging, the grand crus perhaps even more. (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL and Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA)

Jean-Louis Trapet picked on the late side in 2007, between September 10 and 17. "Before that the grapes had too much malic acidity," explained Trapet, who told me a lot of fruit came in at 13% potential alcohol, with some lots reaching 14.9%! Not surprisingly, he did not chaptalize his wines. "We got a lot of concentration at the end," he summarized. "Eventually we had 120 days between flowering and harvest, and that made a real difference in 2007." And the stems were riper in 2007 than they had been the previous year. None of the 2007s had been racked yet when I tasted them at the beginning of November. The 2006 crus, notes Trapet, will need a good seven or eight years of bottle aging, the grand crus perhaps even more. (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL and Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA)

Jean-Louis Trapet told me that 2006 was a challenge, particularly in Gevrey-Chambertin, but in the end he was happy with what he had in barrel. "We had good weather until the hailstorm at the end of July," he said, "but the hail threw off the balance of the weather. We then had cool, humid periods in August. Chapelle-Chambertin was the most affected by hail, especially at the top of the cru, but Latricieres was spared and only the bottom of Chambertin on the north side was touched." Trapet carried out a talc treatment the day after the hailstorm to dry out the grapes in the vines hit by hail. Then at harvest time, he left the dried grapes on the sorting table after carrying out a triage in the vines. And he destemmed this fruit almost entirely. Ultimately he produced 30 to 35 hectoliters per hectare from the unaffected parcels, and just 20 in Chapelle-Chambertin. (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL; Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; Wine Warehouse, Commerce, CA)

Jean-Louis Trapet told me that 2006 was a challenge, particularly in Gevrey-Chambertin, but in the end he was happy with what he had in barrel. "We had good weather until the hailstorm at the end of July," he said, "but the hail threw off the balance of the weather. We then had cool, humid periods in August. Chapelle-Chambertin was the most affected by hail, especially at the top of the cru, but Latricieres was spared and only the bottom of Chambertin on the north side was touched." Trapet carried out a talc treatment the day after the hailstorm to dry out the grapes in the vines hit by hail. Then at harvest time, he left the dried grapes on the sorting table after carrying out a triage in the vines. And he destemmed this fruit almost entirely. Ultimately he produced 30 to 35 hectoliters per hectare from the unaffected parcels, and just 20 in Chapelle-Chambertin. (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL; Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; Wine Warehouse, Commerce, CA)

"Very ripe in sugars and tannins but crisp, with good natural tension," said Jean-Louis Trapet of the young 2005s. Trapet told me he did not chaptalize and carried out a very light extraction. This biodynamic producer essentially makes wine without sulfur additions. "I add five centiliters per barrel of SO2 just prior to the bottling, but nothing before that," he said. The 2005 grand crus should be very long-lived. (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL; Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; Wine Warehouse, Commerce, CA)

"Very ripe in sugars and tannins but crisp, with good natural tension," said Jean-Louis Trapet of the young 2005s. Trapet told me he did not chaptalize and carried out a very light extraction. This biodynamic producer essentially makes wine without sulfur additions. "I add five centiliters per barrel of SO2 just prior to the bottling, but nothing before that," he said. The 2005 grand crus should be very long-lived. (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL; Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; Wine Warehouse, Commerce, CA)

Jean-Louis Trapet reported that three separate hail events affected vines in his Gevrey vineyards in 2003. He did expensive extra passes through the vines to eliminate compromised fruit and used talc at the beginning of September to dry the grapes. He told me that he was pleasantly surprised when he brought in fruit with potential alcohol between 12% and 12. 5%. Trapet did a gentle extraction, with less pigeage than usual. He says the 2004s will give pleasure in two or three years. "They're less austere than the 2001s, but they still communicate clear terroir character. "(A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL; Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; Wine Warehouse, Commerce, CA)

Jean-Louis Trapet reported that three separate hail events affected vines in his Gevrey vineyards in 2003. He did expensive extra passes through the vines to eliminate compromised fruit and used talc at the beginning of September to dry the grapes. He told me that he was pleasantly surprised when he brought in fruit with potential alcohol between 12% and 12. 5%. Trapet did a gentle extraction, with less pigeage than usual. He says the 2004s will give pleasure in two or three years. "They're less austere than the 2001s, but they still communicate clear terroir character. "(A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL; Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; Wine Warehouse, Commerce, CA)

Jean-Louis Trapet acidified certain 2003s in cuve, noting that the young vines typically produced less-balanced fruit and required adjustment.Although the malos finished early, all of the wines were still on their lees at the end of November, unracked, with the exception of the Marsannay.Trapet harvested from August 27, picking virtually everything in less than a week.As I tasted Trapet's finished 2002s in New York for the second time, I was struck by the distinctive quality of these biodynamically made wines, which are vinified and bottled with very low levels of sulfur.While they are not as primary and fruit-driven as some Burgundies, they are literally alive with micro-organisms and redolent of their soil.And the way they hold up in the recorked bottle suggests that they are well worth cellaring. (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL; Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; Wine Warehouse, Commerce, CA)

Jean-Louis Trapet acidified certain 2003s in cuve, noting that the young vines typically produced less-balanced fruit and required adjustment.Although the malos finished early, all of the wines were still on their lees at the end of November, unracked, with the exception of the Marsannay.Trapet harvested from August 27, picking virtually everything in less than a week.As I tasted Trapet's finished 2002s in New York for the second time, I was struck by the distinctive quality of these biodynamically made wines, which are vinified and bottled with very low levels of sulfur.While they are not as primary and fruit-driven as some Burgundies, they are literally alive with micro-organisms and redolent of their soil.And the way they hold up in the recorked bottle suggests that they are well worth cellaring. (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL; Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; Wine Warehouse, Commerce, CA)

Jean-Louis Trapet told me that the cool August of 2002 prolonged the vegetative cycle, resulting in wines with an especially sound sugar/acid balance.But 2001 is more classic, he added.The 2002s had been racked after the 2003 harvest, and the first three wines were being prepared for bottling in mid-November.The crus were still aging in barrel.(A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL and Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA)

Jean-Louis Trapet told me that the cool August of 2002 prolonged the vegetative cycle, resulting in wines with an especially sound sugar/acid balance.But 2001 is more classic, he added.The 2002s had been racked after the 2003 harvest, and the first three wines were being prepared for bottling in mid-November.The crus were still aging in barrel.(A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL and Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA)

Like other Burgundy vignerons who work organically, Jean-Louis Trapet bottles wines that are still alive in a literal sense and thus can truly showcase the soil they're made from. But for this taster at least, the Trapet wines come across as fresher in their youth than most wines made this way. Trapet is fond of saying that he's doing less work in the cellar as his grapes get better. As a rule, he's moving toward gentler extraction: shorter macerations and less frequent pigeages Trapet's 2000s spent 21 to 23 days on their skins, and his 2001s just 17 or 18. Like many of his colleagues on the Cote de Nuits, Trapet told me that grape sugars were adequate but not particularly high in 2001. Vintage 2000 was rich in sugar, and the wines have fine tannins, but there's a confit character to the fruit, and the tannins seem almost a bit burnt," he went on. The 2001 have more sappiness, and the tannins are denser." (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL and Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA)

Like other Burgundy vignerons who work organically, Jean-Louis Trapet bottles wines that are still alive in a literal sense and thus can truly showcase the soil they're made from. But for this taster at least, the Trapet wines come across as fresher in their youth than most wines made this way. Trapet is fond of saying that he's doing less work in the cellar as his grapes get better. As a rule, he's moving toward gentler extraction: shorter macerations and less frequent pigeages Trapet's 2000s spent 21 to 23 days on their skins, and his 2001s just 17 or 18. Like many of his colleagues on the Cote de Nuits, Trapet told me that grape sugars were adequate but not particularly high in 2001. Vintage 2000 was rich in sugar, and the wines have fine tannins, but there's a confit character to the fruit, and the tannins seem almost a bit burnt," he went on. The 2001 have more sappiness, and the tannins are denser." (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL and Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA)

In 2000, for the first time, Jean-Louis Trapet used a table de trie with holes in it to enable the excess water to drain off the fruit. He has also been picking with smaller baskets since '99, which results in less breakage of grape skins and therefore less incipient oxidation. Trapet punched down more gently to privilege purity of fruit and minerality over sheer concentration in 2000. (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL; Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; T. Edwards Wines, New York, NY; and Fine Vines, Maywood, IL)

In 2000, for the first time, Jean-Louis Trapet used a table de trie with holes in it to enable the excess water to drain off the fruit. He has also been picking with smaller baskets since '99, which results in less breakage of grape skins and therefore less incipient oxidation. Trapet punched down more gently to privilege purity of fruit and minerality over sheer concentration in 2000. (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL; Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; T. Edwards Wines, New York, NY; and Fine Vines, Maywood, IL)

Jean-Louis Trapet has been farming his grapes increasingly biodynamically for the past three years, and he used only copper sprays and orties(a brew of nettles) to protect against mildew in '99. "The bio methods bring earlier ripeness, more energy, more minerality, but with firmer acidity," Trapet told me. Still, in '99 he picked on the late side, after a period of rain, saying that he was fooled by a weather report that predicted dry weather. The premier crus were actually harvested under better conditions than the grand crus, he added, although average yields for the latter wines were in the reasonable-for-the-vintage 43 hectoliters-per-hectare range. Like nearby domains such as Dujac and Perrot-Minot, Trapet used a helicopter to dry his grapes. The '99 crus had not yet been racked in November, but Trapet had injected a bit of SO2 into the wines' lees just a couple of months prior to my November visit to keep them fresh. Trapet told me that he hoped to make the 2000 wines completely without SO2 "in order to stay as close as possible to the grapes." I hope this approach does not prove too extreme. I am reminded of the story of the farmer who tried, gradually, to train his horse to survive on no food at all. (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL; Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; and Fine Vines, Maywood, IL)

Jean-Louis Trapet has been farming his grapes increasingly biodynamically for the past three years, and he used only copper sprays and orties(a brew of nettles) to protect against mildew in '99. "The bio methods bring earlier ripeness, more energy, more minerality, but with firmer acidity," Trapet told me. Still, in '99 he picked on the late side, after a period of rain, saying that he was fooled by a weather report that predicted dry weather. The premier crus were actually harvested under better conditions than the grand crus, he added, although average yields for the latter wines were in the reasonable-for-the-vintage 43 hectoliters-per-hectare range. Like nearby domains such as Dujac and Perrot-Minot, Trapet used a helicopter to dry his grapes. The '99 crus had not yet been racked in November, but Trapet had injected a bit of SO2 into the wines' lees just a couple of months prior to my November visit to keep them fresh. Trapet told me that he hoped to make the 2000 wines completely without SO2 "in order to stay as close as possible to the grapes." I hope this approach does not prove too extreme. I am reminded of the story of the farmer who tried, gradually, to train his horse to survive on no food at all. (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL; Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; and Fine Vines, Maywood, IL)

Jean-Louis Trapet gave his fruit an extended cold maceration of eight to ten days following the '98 harvest, then did gentler and somewhat less frequent punching down of the cap because of the tougher tannins of the vintage. (Since '96, Trapet has used broad, shallow stainless steel tanks that allow for easier pigeage. The wines, from yields generally in the 25 hectoliters-per-hectare range according to Trapet, offer unusually lush textures for the vintage, thanks in part to minimal use of SO2 which many '98s in other cellars have been absorbing at a snail's pace. Several of the Trapet '98 cuvees show exotic torrefaction notes of bitter chocolate, espresso or mocha. The '97s at this address, especially Trapet's trio of Gevrey grand crus, have turned out extremely well. (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL; Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; and Fine Vines, Maywood, IL)

Jean-Louis Trapet gave his fruit an extended cold maceration of eight to ten days following the '98 harvest, then did gentler and somewhat less frequent punching down of the cap because of the tougher tannins of the vintage. (Since '96, Trapet has used broad, shallow stainless steel tanks that allow for easier pigeage. The wines, from yields generally in the 25 hectoliters-per-hectare range according to Trapet, offer unusually lush textures for the vintage, thanks in part to minimal use of SO2 which many '98s in other cellars have been absorbing at a snail's pace. Several of the Trapet '98 cuvees show exotic torrefaction notes of bitter chocolate, espresso or mocha. The '97s at this address, especially Trapet's trio of Gevrey grand crus, have turned out extremely well. (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL; Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; and Fine Vines, Maywood, IL)

Nineteen ninety seven was Burgundy most Mediterranean vintage since 1990, according to Jean Louis Trapet. "It was hot in terms of the temperature of the grapes and the levels of potential alcohol." Gentle extraction and cold elevage were necessary to preserve fruit. For some of his lesser cuvees Trapet used a bit of acidification to facilitate the extraction of color during cuvaison but none of the grand crus were acidified. I tasted most of the '97s from tank, where they were awaiting bottling. Trapet's wines continue to improve from vintage to vintage, and he has excelled in both '97 and '96. (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include Adventures in Wine, Daly City, CA; Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; Monsieur Touton, New York, NY; and The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL)

Nineteen ninety seven was Burgundy most Mediterranean vintage since 1990, according to Jean Louis Trapet. "It was hot in terms of the temperature of the grapes and the levels of potential alcohol." Gentle extraction and cold elevage were necessary to preserve fruit. For some of his lesser cuvees Trapet used a bit of acidification to facilitate the extraction of color during cuvaison but none of the grand crus were acidified. I tasted most of the '97s from tank, where they were awaiting bottling. Trapet's wines continue to improve from vintage to vintage, and he has excelled in both '97 and '96. (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include Adventures in Wine, Daly City, CA; Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; Monsieur Touton, New York, NY; and The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL)

Jean-Louis Trapet carried out both a green pruning and a green harvest to reduce yields in '96, but still had his highest crop level in several years. Trapet describes '96 as a high-acid vintage. He did a long pre-fermentation cold maceration (10 to 12 days, depending on the cru then kept more of the lees to nourish the wine during levage Trapet is buying more new oak today than ever before; the target, he says, is a minimum of 50% new oak even for the basic wines. But he hastens to point out that he is buying only lightly toasted barrels that have been air-dried for a full three years. Like so many of his colleagues, Trapet describes '96 as a fruity style of wine, while '95 produced massive wines that were more austere during their time in barrel. (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include Adventures in Wine, Daly City, CA; Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; Monsieur Touton, New York, NY; and The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL)

Jean-Louis Trapet carried out both a green pruning and a green harvest to reduce yields in '96, but still had his highest crop level in several years. Trapet describes '96 as a high-acid vintage. He did a long pre-fermentation cold maceration (10 to 12 days, depending on the cru then kept more of the lees to nourish the wine during levage Trapet is buying more new oak today than ever before; the target, he says, is a minimum of 50% new oak even for the basic wines. But he hastens to point out that he is buying only lightly toasted barrels that have been air-dried for a full three years. Like so many of his colleagues, Trapet describes '96 as a fruity style of wine, while '95 produced massive wines that were more austere during their time in barrel. (A Patrick Lesec Selection; importers include Adventures in Wine, Daly City, CA; Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; Monsieur Touton, New York, NY; and The Stacole Company, Boca Raton, FL)