2008 Gevrey Chambertin Vieilles Vignes

The 2008 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes opens with an expressive, floral bouquet. The wine blossoms beautifully on the palate, showing terrific volume and breadth. Hints of tar and smoke develop in the glass, adding further complexity, before the intense minerality takes over on the bracing finish. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2028. It’s hard to keep up with Sylvie Esmonin given her exuberance and energy. Esmonin began converting her vineyards to natural farming in 1990 but isn’t fully convinced by biodynamics, which she views as a bit of a fad. Those are just details, though; the wines speak eloquently for themselves. Esmonin started harvesting on September 24, 2009, very late for the vintage. The wines underwent 18 days of contact on the skins (with no cold soak) and were then racked into oak where they spent about 12 months on their fine lees with no rackings. Esmonin is gradually working towards a greater use of wood uprights for fermenting and higher percentage of whole bunches than in the past. Importer: Louis/Dressner Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 334-8191

Dark red. Very tight nose hints at black raspberry, crushed rock and menthol, with a spicy topnote. A step up in intensity and definition from the basic village offering, and in a much rockier style. Juicy, spicy wine with plenty of savory inner-mouth flavor. A distinctly imploded wine with a palate-staining finish--but I'd enjoy the village wine while waiting for this one to gain in pliancy.

(racked a month before my tasting; vinified with 60% whole clusters) Dark red-ruby. Pungent spices and dark berries on the nose. Sweeter and fruitier than the regular village offering, with a silkier texture and more mineral energy in the middle palate. Finishes with very good length and structure but could use a bit more sweetness. "The phenolic maturity was ahead of the sugars in 2008," noted Esmonin.