2008 Gevrey Chambertin En Champs

Geantet’s 2008 Gevrey-Chambertin En Champs displays less sweetness of fruit and a more constricting, coarser corset of tannin than the corresponding Vieilles Vignes bottling. That said, there is greater sense of carnal and mineral depth here, yet still a bright red fruit cast, lent counterpoint by vanilla, resin, and caramel notes from oak. This should prove interesting for at least 3-5 years, but would benefit from picking-up some clarity and harmony, which I don’t pretend to be able to predict whether it will. Vincent Geantet bottled his 2007s and 2008s already early in the second November following their harvest, a bit sooner even than in some other recent vintages (and one reason, no doubt, why he reported his 2007s as having been entirely wiped out by the time I got around to visiting him last year). Malos are generally over by early spring in the relatively warm Geantet cellars, and even 2008 was no exception, reports Vincent’s son Fabien. Importer: Kysela Pere et Fils, Winchester, VA; tel. (540) 722-9228