Domaine Trapet Gevrey Chambertin “1er” – Alea 2012

Description

Domaine Trapet Père et Fils is one of the great estates of Gevrey-Chambertin, with superb holdings in three of the top grand crus in the village. While the family has been important vineyard owners in Gevrey-Chambertin since 1870, it was not until the 1960s that they began to bottle a majority of their production. By the late 1920s, Domaine Trapet had become one of the most important vineyard owners in all of Burgundy, as they were the single largest owner in the great vineyard of Chambertin as well as owning very large parcels of Latricières-Chambertin.
Jean Louis Trapet has adopted the principles of biodynamique agriculture since 1998 in an attempt to restore the health and vitality of the soil in these ancient and respected parcels. Harvesting is done manually and the grapes are sorted twice, once in the field and once at the sorting tables, to eliminate unripe or rotten fruit.
Their outstanding bottlings of grand crus (Latricières-Chambertin, Chapelle-Chambertin and Chambertin) really express the underlying terroir.  Though they are not as powerfully constructed as other leading lights, in terms of aromatic and flavour complexity, expression of terroir, and aging potential, no one today is making better wines in Gevrey-Chambertin. Jean-Louis Trapet is creating the soil-driven and pure wines of his father and grandfather’s era. These are noble interpretations of some of Gevrey’s greatest terroirs, with an emphasis on purity.

90-92 Burghound.com  “An expressive and notably ripe yet fresh nose combines notes of plum, dried rose petal, spice and plenty of earth nuances. There is a supple and seductive mouth feel to the mineral-inflected middle weight flavors that possess a fine sense of underlying tension as well as excellent intensity on the mouth coating and moderately austere finish.” 
(91-93) Neal Martin, erobertparker.com  “The 2012 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru underwent a late malo-lactic fermentation this year and comes from various lieux-dits: Combottes, En Ergot, Petit Chapelle, Corbeaux and Clos Prieur. It has a clean and precise, pixelated bouquet with blackberry, raspberry leaf and cold limestone scents. The palate is medium-bodied with a compact, dense opening. This is linear and focused; fresh in the mouth but with a grippy finish that suggests it will require a couple of years in bottle. Very fine… “
Antonio Galloni 94 points  “One of the most explosive wines in the range, the Gevrey-Chambertin Alea is dazzling. Rich, sumptuous and succulent, this medium to full-bodied Burgundy delivers superb intensity. Layers of blue/purplish fruit, spices, leather and licorice all blossom in a deep, beautifully resonant Gevrey loaded with class and personality. The typical Gevrey flavors are amped up by the sheer power and concentration of the year. What a gorgeous wine this is.An expressive and notably ripe yet fresh nose combines notes of plum, dried rose petal, spice and plenty of earth nuances. There is a supple and seductive mouth feel to the mineral-inflected middle weight flavors that possess a fine sense of underlying tension as well as excellent intensity on the mouth coating and moderately austere finish.” 
Very Limited