2009 Gevrey Chambertin Petite Chapelle

The 2009 Gevrey-Chambertin Petite-Chapelle is bigger and sturdier than the Fonteny, yet still retains plenty of elegance. There is plenty of depth and richness to the fruit, not to mention superb balance and a round, completely engaging finish. Given the wine’s structural intensity, I would not be surprised to see this close down for a few years after bottling. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029. This is a beautiful set of wines from Bruno Clair. Every wine I tasted with Clair’s longtime oenologist Philippe Brun was gorgeous from top to bottom. While the top 2009s are certainly superb, the real jewels here are the village level wines which appear to be among the great success stories of the 2009 vintage. I tasted all of the wines from barrel, except the Marsannay and Marsannay Les Vaudanelles, both of which were bottled before the 2010 harvest. In 2009 Clair began harvesting on September 15 and ended on the 23rd. I also tasted a handful of 2008s, from a much later harvest that stretched into October. The handful of wines I tasted from that vintage are equally impressive, and equally worth your time. A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet, various American importers, including: Martin Scott Wines, Little Neck, NY; tel. (516) 327-0808, Fine Vines, Melrose Park, IL; tel. (708) 343-6702, The Source, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 621-6151

Good bright red. Very ripe, aromatic nose combines black cherry, coffee and pepper, plus a whiff of raisin. The sweetest of these 2009s to this point but supple rather than heavy, with a tangy quality to the broad, sappy flavors of maraschino cherry and chocolate. Plenty of volume and stuffing here. Finishes with very good length.