2007 Chambertin Grand Cru

"A lot of selection was necessary in 2008 to eliminate rotten grapes," said David Rossignol, "but we felt it was critical to wait for better ripeness." The fruit was ultimately picked with potential alcohol ranging from 11.9% to 12.6%, and the wines were chaptalized by 0.5 to 1.0 degree. Cold weather during the harvest (there was actually frost on the morning of October 4) delayed the start of the fermentations by seven or eight days, according to Nicolas Rossignol. The Rossignols destem their fruit 100% but don't crush it. They expected to bottle the 2008s early "to preserve fruit." My notes omit the 2008 Combottes, Corbeaux and Cherbaudes, as these wines had just been racked. (Represented by Richard Malcomson, Beaune, France; imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; New France Wine Company, St. Paul, MN; and Potomac Selections, Landover, MD) Also recommended: Gevrey-Chambertin Combottes (86).

The Rossignol brothers are convinced that their 2007s are for drinking on the young side, before the 2006s and 2005s. "Certainly they can be opened in two or three years," said David Rossignol. "They are all about fruit. They're easy wines but they display nice terroir differences. If they don't have the energy of the 2006s, they're not flat either." The Rossignols racked the wines from barrel to barrel in the spring, just to leave behind most of the lees while keeping as much CO2 as possible to protect the fruit. As their vines are not vigorous (estate-wide yields in both '06 and '07 were in the 25 to 30 hectoliters-per-hectare range for the premier grand crus and between 35 and 40 for the premier crus), they had little problem with rot in 2007, except in Beaune. The most important change here in recent years has been a steady shift to less extraction during the vinification. "It's more important to pick later to get truly ripe skins," noted Nicolas, who told me that the 2007s were completely destemmed, and the '06s vinified with about 20% of their stems. (Represented by Richard Malcomson, Beaune, France; imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; New France Wine Company, St. Paul, MN; Fine Vines, Melrose Park, IL; and Potomac Selections, Landover, MD)