1998 Chambertin Grand Cru

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)