2008 Latricieres Chambertin

The 2008 Latricieres-Chambertin speaks of vineyard first and vintage second. It shows marvelous freshness, energy and vibrancy in its sweet, layered fruit. Gorgeous inner perfume and crisp, delineated fruit build beautifully towards the pointed, chiseled finish. The 2008 Latricieres is truly majestic. Interestingly, the Latricieres is less marked by the vintage than the Chapelle. Anticipated maturity: 2023-2048. This is a beautiful set of wines from Jean-Louis Trapet. The estate farms their vineyards biodynamically. After fermentation the wines are kept in a cold part of the cellar to delay the malolactic fermentations. When I visited in March 2011, the 2010s had not even begun their malos. In 2009 the harvest started on September 18. The wines spent about 18 days on the skins prior to being racked into barrel, where they stayed on their lees with no rackings until they were bottled with no fining or filtration. The amount of whole clusters ranged from 30% to 60%, while the use of new barrels ranged from 30% to 50%. The 2009s were bottled in February 2011, four to six weeks earlier than normal. Trapet is among the growers who believe the 2009s will not shut down in bottle. I was also quite taken with the selection of 2008s I tasted. Burgundy fans will find much to admire in both vintages. The house style tends towards the firm, classic end of the spectrum, so a measure of patience is required, even for the 2009s. Various US Importers, including: Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY; tel. (914) 244-0404; Stacole Fine Wines, Boca Raton, FL; tel. (561) 998-0029 A Patrick Lesec Selection (various importers), Paris Fax 011 33 4 66 37 67 23