2017 Chambertin Grand Cru

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.