1998 Chambertin

Very full, dark red, which Trapet says was due to the long growing season, the small clusters and the thick skins--and possibly the quantity of bouillie bordelaise --a fungicide made from water, copper sulfate and lime--Trapet applied to protect his vines against an outbreak of oidium. Deeply pitched aromas of medicinal dark fruits, black licorice and truffley underbrush. Quite broad and densely packed but a bit musclebound, lacking the class, subtlety and sweetness of the outstanding '99. (I found this wine much more silky and complex at the outset.) A rather extreme and slightly dry-edged style, finishing with dusty tannins and some herbal impingements. Notes of licorice, spices and flowers give lift to the middle palate but I suspect this wine will turn even drier with more time in bottle. Early on, I read it as energetically extracted, but I suspect that it's simply the product of its extreme growing season. According to Trapet, April was cold and May was hot, leading to an early flowering that was difficult and drawn out in some parcels. Favorable sunny weather after July 9 led to quick ripening in spite of the oidium issues and the veraison took place around August 10 in very hot weather. There was more rain after that, and a very cool period in late August, but the small, thick-skinned grapes resisted the moisture and the Chambertin was picked on September 26 under sunny conditions. (13.15% alcohol; 3.58 pH; 3.8 g/l acidity; 34 h/h; this was Trapet's first year working his vines totally organically)