Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvée Ostrea AOC 2023

The Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvée Ostrea 2023 shows the refined side of its village: red cherry and dark berries over a saline, chalky minerality, with fine-grained tannin. Aromatic depth, clear terroir transparency, no powerhouse.

Ostrea is the Latin word for oyster and refers to the fossilized oyster shells Jean-Louis Trapet found in his vineyards around Gevrey-Chambertin. What was once a seabed now lends this cuvée its mineral signature. Domaine Trapet Père et Fils farms 18.5 hectares in Gevrey-Chambertin; in the 1880s, Arthur Trapet secretly grafted vines onto American rootstock there, at a time when this was still forbidden. In 1888 the method was legalized. Jean-Louis Trapet now runs the estate as the seventh generation, guided by his credo: "Les hommes passent et la terre reste" (Men pass, the land remains).

Pure Pinot Noir, vinified dry, 13.0% vol. Since 1996 Jean-Louis Trapet has farmed biodynamically, with precise soil work and observation rather than intervention. In the cellar, gravity moves the harvested fruit; for the village wines, the proportion of new oak is 20 to 25 percent. The grapes are guided, not forced.

Juicy cherry fruit, fine-grained tannin and lively freshness; the saline, chalky streak carries through into the finish.

Coq au vin, duck breast with cherry jus, braised venison saddle and porcini dishes. Also a solid match with aged soft cheeses such as Époisses.

The Guide des meilleurs vins de France awards the domaine three stars, its highest rating. Together with his wife Andrée, Jean-Louis Trapet also runs the Trapet Alsace estate in Riquewihr.