Trapet Chambertin 2016

The 2016 Chambertin Grand Cru contains 50% whole bunch fruit this year, after half the vineyard (three parcels) was decimated by frost. It has a very elegant bouquet that takes time to unfold in the glass: blackberry, raspberry, wild hedgerow, wet stone and a touch of graphite. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, leaning more toward red fruit than black, well balanced with a fine line of acidity and a grainy, structured finish. Classic Chambertin here and a great success considering the extent of the frost damage. Domaine Jean et J L Trapet is rapidly becoming one of my favorite visits in Gevrey-Chambertin, and Jean-Louis’ wines seem to have ascended a few levels in quality in recent vintages, frequently performing above expectations in blind tastings. And I loved these 2016s. Although he was impacted by the frost so that yields came in as low as 12 to 15 hectoliters per hectare, the quality of winemaking shines through. He picked on 25 September and, in my opinion, quite prudently opted to use less whole bunch than in 2015. In addition, he was cautious with the extraction, using remontage and only a small amount of pigeage because he found the color came so easily. These wines possess a clarity, vividness, tension and energy among the best in Burgundy. These barrel samples seemed to sing as soon as they were poured into my glass, each one articulating their vineyard origin with utmost clarity.