2022 Domaine Frédéric Esmonin, Gevrey-Chambertin AC Rouge, Red Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, France.
The pretty, dark ruby hued and open knit 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin is a rewarding Pinot Noir with a lovely silky texture and concentrated fruit with a medium bodied palate of dark cherry, mulberry and plum layers, along with subtle oak, tea spices, mineral tones, a touch of sultry earth and a delicate mix of florals. This is wonderfully pure and already is drinking well and it has the depth and structure to age, much less reductive in nature than most Burgundies in this realm and with good acidity to shine with a meal. Frédéric Esmonin has beautiful Premier Cru and Lieu-Dit parcels in Gevrey-Chambertin, including “Estournelles St-Jacques,” “Lavaux St-Jacques,” “Clos Prieur” and “Champonnets” to name a few and the Village wine is always a treat too. The Premiers Crus, like from the Lavaux Saint-Jacques, which is Grand Cru quality, is a touch darker in fruit, with mineral and iron notes. Esmonin uses a bladder-press which gives excellent control over the amount of pressure exerted on the grapes, which are picked only when they have reached ideal ripeness. The grapes are de-stemmed and after a short cold maceration gives the wines an extra dimension of fruit, and only indigenous yeasts initiate fermentation. The domaine ages its wines in oak for between 14 to 17 months, with carefully selected French oak barrels of Allier and Nevers forest wood, which are exclusively made by coopers Radoux and Berthomieu. The top wines see about 80% new oak, but this one can be the reverse depending on the vintage with the 2022 getting a bit more new than say the 2021, but usually is more neutral.
The Frédéric Esmonin winery is one of the most consistent performers, and a fine high quality producer based in Gevrey, and they draw upon some prime vineyard holdings to make these beautiful Pinot Noirs. Their Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards were mostly re-planted in the 1950s so the wines and are reaching sublime levels of complexity and consistency that can only be achieved with these older vines.This Gevrey-Chambertin, as I’ve said before, you’ll want to re-visit in 3 to 5 years and again in 10-15 years, one of the best in the set for value, but if you are looking for a bit more serious offerings both of the Grand Crus I tried were exceptional with Esmonin’s Mazy-Chambertin getting my personal nod for the cellar. There’s not much of these wines available, but certainly they will be worth the effort to get some, especially these exceptional ’22s and the set of Gevrey-Chambertin bottlings, which I have enjoyed for more than 15 years now, in particular the Gevrey-Chambertin “Clos Prieur” and this one. I have been lucky enough to taste with the domaine’s namesake Frédéric Esmonin a few times at tastings in San Francisco, and I am a big fan of wines here, though sadly he wasn’t able to come to this most recent tasting in the City, hosted by Monterey Bay Wine and Atherton Wine Imports. It truly is heroic with his being wheelchair bound, and with no heirs, how he is able to run and manage this estate, with his 90 year old dad still helping, bravo Frédéric for all of your awesome and brave efforts and putting out such delicious stuff year after year, it is truly inspiring. Esmonin’s Pernand-Vergelesses too are very good, but it is the Gevrey offerings, including this one, the Lavaux Saint-Jacques rarity and the Clos Prieur, which are real prizes here!
($55 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive