Domaine Trapet Père et Fils Gevrey Chambertin ‘Cuvée 1859’ 2019

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

2019 was the first vintage of the Cuvée 1859, which comes from 50-year-old vines in the parcel of Derée Champérier in Brochon in the northern part of Gevrey. Only 250 cases produced.

About Domaine Trapet Père et Fils

Trapet Père et Fils is a seventh generation Gevrey-Chambertin estate and one of the largest holders of Chambertin (1.9 hectares). Known throughout much of its history as Domaine Louis Trapet, it was renamed in 1993 when the estate’s vineyard holdings were divided, with half of the holdings going to Domaine Rossignol-Trapet. The other half of the estate was renamed Domaine Trapet Père et Fils and is run by Jean-Louis Trapet.

Jean-Louis is regarded as one of the pioneers of natural viticulture in the region, and continues to lead the way in biodynamic farming (along with pals Frederic Lafarge, Dominique Lafon, Lalou Bize Leroy and others). As of 2009 the entire estate is demeter-certified.

The estate is known for its three great Grand Crus, though the quality at Domaine Trapet Père et Fils is simply outstanding up and down their hierarchy.

The domaine also owns parcels in three top premier crus: Clos Prieur, Les Corbeaux and Petite Chapelle. The Clos Prieur and Petite Chapelle plots were some of the the first vines purchased by the family in the late 19th century, followed by Petite Chapelle in 1877, and Clos Prieur in 1893. The Les Corbeaux parcel was purchased much more recently. Because these plots are relatively small, vintages with tiny yields are sometimes combined to make a wine named “Cuvee Capita 1er Cru”.

Trapet’s outstanding grand crus (Latricières-Chambertin, Chapelle-Chambertin and Chambertin) are crafted to really highlight their underlying terroirs. Though they may not be as ‘big’ or powerfully constructed as some of their other more flashy neighbors in Gevrey-Chambertin, they are in the top echelon in terms of aromatics, flavor complexity, expression of terroir, and aging potential.

Like the man himself, there is an elegance, grace and purity to the wines that is haunting and rare in a village where power dominates. All in all, Domaine Trapet Père et Fils is at the top of their game, with Jean-Louis crafting wines that are as stunning as any in the great history of this long-respected Gevrey superstar.

Check out Levi Dalton’s interview with Jean-Louis Trapet on the I’ll Drink To That! podcast. 

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The 2019 Vintage at Domaine Trapet Père et Fils

Jean-Louis Trapet observed that 2019 “continued the pattern of recent vintages in that they’re hot and dry and because the vegetative cycle begins seemingly earlier each year, the risk of early season frost has become almost a given. 2019 would be no exception as it too began early due to an unseasonably warm winter but unlike other recent vintages, we managed to avoid any significant frost damage. We picked from the 17th to the 22nd of September and the ripe and super-clean fruit made it easy to harvest quickly. We used between 30 and 60% whole clusters and vinified relatively softly so as to avoid extracting too much tannin. And this was easy to do as the skins were so thick and ripe that it almost seemed like the extractions managed themselves! As to the vintage style, I love the 2019s for their elegance, transparency and energy. It’s a vintage with grace, even class, that should age on its beautiful balance.”

Allen Meadows, Burghound

My tasting with Jean-Louis Trapet was one of my most exciting visits during three months traversing the Côte d’Or, and I couldn’t be more excited about the ongoing renaissance at this Gevrey-Chambertin benchmark. Energized by the increasing involvement of his sons, a viticultural revolution is underway: fully seven hectares of the domaine’s holdings have been converted both to échalas and to higher trellising stakes and wires, depending on the steepness of the slope. And given the extent of Trapet’s holdings in prime climats, that means that the walk from Morey-Saint-Denis to Gevrey-Chambertin suddenly looks rather different. In the cuviere, winemaking continues to be very classical, with important percentages of whole clusters. And Trapet tells me that 2019 will be the last year of his premier cru blend “Capita,” as his sons insisted on fermenting its components separately. But what of the wines? 2018 was a terrific success at this address, and 2019 is even better: deep, concentrated and perfumed, these wines are dynamic and bursting with energy and aroma. I can’t wait to add some bottles to my own cellar, and I encourage readers to do the same.

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

Where in the World is Domaine Trapet Père et Fils

Domaine Trapet Père et Fils is located in Gevrey-Chambertin, an appellation of the Cote de Nuits celebrated for its Pinot Noirs. Learn more about this impressive region with our Wine Bites article: Getting Your Head Around Burgundy Part 9.1