Gevrey-Chambertin "Capita" 1er Cru 2017

Trapet's wines favour elegance over power. The «Capita» 2017 shows aromatic depth and fine-grained tannin: structure without heaviness, complexity without opulence. A Pinot Noir that lets its origin shine through.

Gevrey-Chambertin in the Côte de Nuits has been home to the Trapet family for seven generations. Jean-Louis Trapet has run the domaine since the 1990s; 18.5 hectares are spread across the village's vineyards, with the three grands crus Chambertin, Chapelle-Chambertin and Latricières-Chambertin at their heart. «Capita» is a premier cru of the Gevrey-Chambertin appellation. Above this work stands Jean-Louis Trapet's maxim: «Les hommes passent et la terre reste», people pass, the land remains.

Pure Pinot Noir. Since 1996 Jean-Louis Trapet has worked biodynamically, with precise soil care and observation rather than intervention. In the cellar, gravity moves the grapes; the principle is to guide rather than force, and the share of new oak never exceeds 50 percent. The wine arrives dry in the glass, at 13.0 percent alcohol.

Ruby red with garnet reflections at the rim. On the nose, red cherry, raspberry and blackcurrant, with violet and a mineral freshness. The body stays medium-weight, the tannin fine-grained, the acidity bright, and the fruit carries through to a long finish with a saline note.

In the 1880s, Arthur Trapet secretly grafted his vines onto American rootstock, helping to save Burgundy's vineyards from phylloxera; the method was legalised in 1888. The Guide des meilleurs vins de France awards the domaine three stars.