2007 Gevrey Chambertin Clos St Jacques

Clair's 2007 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St.-Jacques smells of ripe black raspberry, black tea, cassis, iris, and rose petal. Persistent inner-mouth florality sets off the richness of fruit on a palate of finely-integrated tannin, the whole complimented by savory, saliva-inducing salinity that lingers with admirable length for the vintage. This is more charming if less dense than the corresponding Cazetiers, but given the track record of this site and bottling over the years, it would be hard for me to imagine less than a decade's worth of delightful drinkability. Bruno Clair and Philippe Brun report that they had to warm their cellar to encourage the primary fermentations of their 2008s, and their 2009s were already into malo before the 2008s finished. In consequence, even their Marsannays from the latter vintage had only been assembled the day I visited them in February. (Other wines were recently assembled or still in barrel, as noted in the text, and most were destined for May bottling.) The 2008 harvest here did not commence until the beginning of October. "You had mature sugars," says Clair echoing a frequent refrain, "but not mature skins or pips." Quantities were almost shockingly small this year, the Gevrey Crus ranging between 20-25 hectoliters per hectare, and there is certainly no lack of structure in what for now present themselves as a somewhat severely concentration collection. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802

Medium red. Perfumed aromas of redcurrant, raspberry, strawberry, licorice, flowers and underbrush. Juicy and tight, with fresh ripe acidity and enticing floral lift giving this young wine excellent definition. Intensely flavored, subtly sweet and quite long, with firm tannins nicely supported by mineral-driven fruit. Lay this one down. (ST)