1988 Frédéric Esmonin 'Griottes-Chambertin' Grand Cru

Esmonin is becoming one of the most consistent, high quality producers in Gevrey. Their Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards were mostly re-planted in the 1950s so the wines are reaching levels of complexity and consistency that can only be achieved with older vines.

Before 1988, André Esmonin sold to negociants such as Leroy and Louis Jadot. When Andre’s son, Frédéric, joined him that year they made the switch to bottling their own wines. The farming is lutte raisonnée, meaning chemical treatments are done only if the vineyards are threatened, not as a matter of course.

The wines are characterized by purity, elegance and an uncanny ability to age well. They use a bladder-press which gives excellent control over the amount of pressure exerted on the grapes, which are picked only when they have reached ideal ripeness. The grapes are de-stemmed and after a short cold maceration gives the wines an extra dimension of fruit, indigenous yeasts initiate fermentation. They bottle relatively early which they feel preserves freshness of the fruit character and sets them on course to mature slowly and steadily in bottle.