2008 Gevrey Chambertin Fontenys

The Roty 2008 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Fontenys represents a jump in ripeness, textural allure, and complexity over the non-cru Gevreys that preceded it in this year’s line-up. Ripe dark berries, black pepper, cardamom, and nutmeg scent the nose and occupy a subtly creamy, palpably dense palate. Smoked meat, black tea, fruit pit, and caramelized, singed manifestations of fruit skin add complexity in a bright, chalk-dusted, focused finish. Follow it for at least a dozen years. Philippe Roty insists that because of his rigorous canopy-management and green harvesting, plus a further late summer crop-drop, rot was not the problem for him in 2008 (or for that matter in 2007). But ripeness, he readily acknowledged, was. “In 2008, we simply lacked 8 or 10 days of sunshine,” he concludes, admitting that he harvested his lesser terroirs first (beginning September 23) and his grand crus last. “Which would you want to make sure ripens, Bourgogne or Charmes Chambertin?” he asked with a rhetorical laugh. This reversal of normal procedure – when taken together with the cautious extraction Roty felt committed to buy unripe pips – resulted in a 2008 collection that is mildly disappointing in its lowest echelons and among village Gevreys, though the Marsannays continued to offer considerable interest for their modest prices, whereas they were decidedly weaker partners in 2007. (Since the 2008 hail in Marsannay hit largely in the Chenove direction, it had little effect on Roty’s locations.) Tasting at the press and halting pressing as soon as bitterness or under-ripeness were detected was, says Roty, another critical factor in rendering satisfying 2008s. Malos – other than two stubborn whites on which Roty simply gave up! – finished here on a normal schedule at the end of their first winter, and thus in no way compromised his plan to as usual bottle the wines in April. I tasted in late February a pre-assemblage set aside for me two weeks in advance of my visit because in the meantime all of the lots had been sulfured in barrel. Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173

Bright, deep red-ruby. Sexy aromas of black fruits, licorice and game. Then intensely flavored but cool, with attractive spicy, floral lift and definition to the blackberry and licorice flavors. Not particularly fleshy, but has the density of material to wear its tannins and firm acids gracefully. Finishes fresh and long.

A slightly riper nose offers up complex and impressively dense red pinot fruit with obvious hints of game and underbrush that introduce very rich, full and somber medium bodied flavors that possess a supple and very round mid-palate and good focus on the somewhat tangy if persistent finish. This is also very primary and while certainly blessed with good material, my concern is the acid pop. Again, the range should be viewed as preliminary.Allen Meadows, Burghound, Jan 30 2010.