2005 Gevrey Chambertin Les Cazetiers

Cask sample. Opulent, rather fetching nose with vivacious ripness (though no very obvious structure). Transparent, juicy, racy. All fruit – frank and lively. Good freshness, though not desperately ambitious. This was maturing in third-fill barrels. (JR)

From 50+-year-old vines, a 2005 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers offers a nose of high-toned distilled berries and flowers, medicinal herbal extracts, and hints of cedar and game. Sleek and refined in texture, juicy in fruit, but more austere in its mineral expression than the Lavaux, this finishes with a relatively sharp point of fruit, pungent herbal flavors, chalk and stone. With Eric Rousseau taking over increasingly from his father Charles, bottling may end up being slightly earlier than in the past, but such routine features as triage exclusively in the vineyards (not the press house), the inclusion of whole clusters and stems, precocious malolactic fermentation (although in 2005 and 2006, at least, Rousseau says he didn’t force this), reliance on older barrels, and an eventual light plaque filtration for all wines remain as before. Given the long-running success of these Pinots in subtly yet insistently conveying the distinct personalities of their sites and standing the test of time, some might well ask “why change the recipe?” while others will wonder whether the wines could be made even better. In any event, nature conspired to hand the new generation a vintage of historic dimensions. Importer: Frederic Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700

Good medium red. Aromas of sweet cherry, game and flowers. Fatter and silkier than the Lavaux, with a liqueur-like cherry flavor; very good material here. This is quite open today but also has solid underlying structure.