2019 Domaine Joseph Roty Gevrey-Chambertin "Clos Prieur Bas", Burgundy, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

The 60 year old Pinot Noir vines are grown in clay and limestone with a planting desity of 10,000 vines/hectare. The grapes are 100% destemmed before entering steel tank for vinification. Aging takes place in 50% New French Oak and 50% Neutral French Oak barrels are used for the elevage. The duration is normally 18 months before bottling (always following the lunar calendar for bottlings!) and another 10 months in the cellar in bottle before commercialization.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Domaine Joseph Roty boasts one of the largest concentrations of old vines in Burgundy, averaging about 65 years. The domaine is fanatical about old vines, they have some of the oldest in France, the living ambassadors of the affinity the Roty’s so obviously feel for their land. Coupled with late picking, which further concentrates yields and with fermentation below 30 degrees, and a cuvaison of three weeks, the structure and complexity is consequentially remarkable and the winemaking uncompromising in achieving this. With a little age these wines develop wonderful aromatics with the characteristic Pinot Noir flavours of black cherry and stone fruit. The old vine fruit contributes the length of flavour and great complexity. Roty’s Charmes Chambertin Cuvée Trѐs Vieilles Vignes is largely harvested from vines of over 120 years.

One of the great domaines of Gevrey. Pierre-Jean has taken up the reins and seems to intent on following the families somewhat idiosyncratic, uncompromising path. “Nothing changes” as Madame Roty told us on our last visit. These are not fashion-conscious wines, everything is destemmed, new oak is relatively high, around 50% on the village wines, 60-70% on the Lieux-Dit and 100% on the Grand Cru. They are wines made to age, there is little point opening them young.