i hear you but i have yet to find another cuvee or bottling that captures what i think is clearly and unmistakably gevrey . this wine is still a strong buy for me. like you i wish price was better. 
2007 Dujac Fils & Pere Gevrey-Chambertin
Opened and decanted for about 45 minutes then drank over the next 2 hours. The wine was a little bit lighter in color than I expected from a Gevrey. I am still learning so this may not actually be super light. The nose presented some red fruits and hinted at the acidity that was would be present on the palate. My girlfriend said that she caught a hint of raisins in the wine. I did not pick that up but I thought it was an interesting comment. Very elegant as the nose was a bit subdued but seemed to grow over the course of the two hours. The palate primarily composed of red fruit (cherries?) and other brighter red/tart fruits. Definitely a little bit lighter but in a good way. There were tannins present but on the lighter side.
I enjoyed the wine and thought its style was great for a bottle of wine with a movie. I just wonder how the wine, with its lighter style, would have been perceived if served with dinner instead of after with the movie but no food. I would really be interested to compare this to a 1er Cru or a Grand Cru from the same producer.
Encouraged by Ray’s mention of Aux Echezeaux, I decided to open a bottle of Fourrier’s 2006. This is a new wine for me, never having tried this lieu dit. A very, very nice villages-level wine, and merits the increase in admission compared to Fourrier’s “regular” AOC (which is no slouch!). Thanks for the prodding, Ray.
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2006 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Echezeaux Vieille Vigne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin (4/13/2012)
Decanted and sampled. Threw a bit of sediment, and a bit cloudy in the glass – should have stood it upright for a couple of days. Initially quite closed and hard to read, with some nice red fruit, but not giving up much. Started on it after about an hour, and it seems fairly elegant for a Gevrey, with lively red fruit and a very slight meaty quality. As I tasted this I couldn’t help but think it’s more Morey than Gevrey, so ran off to look at the maps, and sure enough Aux Echezeaux is at the southern end of Gevrey, bordering Morey. The nose really opens up nicely after a couple of hours to show a creamy red fruit quality, with significant spiciness (think cinnamon). The palate is fairly supple, but still with some medium-grained tannins, and loads of soft red fruit, yet with a firm structure. A very nice wine, but it really needs a few more years. Much more substance here than Fourrier’s regular GC villages.
Posted from CellarTracker
Got a couple for you, first this from last night…
Louis Jadot, Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers, 1999
I’m mostly leaving my '99s alone but I picked up a few of these for a very modest sum last year so thought it worth trying one to see where it is. Because of some underwhelming experiences at the bottom end of the range I think I have been guilty of not giving Jadot enough consideration. This is a very good bottle now. Translucent dusky red colour with a very appealing and to me very Gevrey nose, right from the off - a combination of aromatic red fruit and darker red fruit like black raspberries and all with a backbone of dark tarry black fruit. Fragrant, slightly meaty, slightly floral. Palate has a super-silky texture, a rounded caressing quality with lipsmacking fruit. Decent balance and length, this is surprisingly open now but more to come in 5+.
And one from a couple of weeks ago:
Faiveley, Gevrey Chambertin 2008
There’s been a change of generation at Faiveley I think - others will know more, I’m sure - and I don’t think I’ve tried anything from a recent vintage so picked this up for around £20 in Cambridge. Quite a pale translucent mulberry colour. Very aromatic and interesting nose, very much on the earthy and woodsy end of the spectrum, so while there are black raspberry notes they are secondary. It’s slightly volatile and there are lushly floral and perfumed notes too. Really very lovely and open for business. Palate richly fruited and quite savoury. Maybe lacks a little length but there’s enough red fruit alongside the velvet prune mouthfeel to give value for money, and it may add weight with time. I really liked this, and it will repay cellar time. Great value.
Andy, thanks for those notes, especially the '99 Cazetiers. There is indeed a vast quality gap between the bottom end and the the upper-level domaine wines at Jadot, and all larger merchants I think.
Well, can’t speak for anyone else, but this thread has prompted me to order a
Domaine Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin Combe Aux Moines 1er Cru 1999
Which should arrive Tuesday. Any thoughts on how “ready” this is? TIA
Peter, there’s just a small chance you’ll catch it at the end of its open period in which case you’re in for a treat; but if you’ve only one bottle put it away for fifteen years.
Thanks, Tom, but I’m too young to wait 15 years. Have to take my chances (and give it lots of air).
Does anyone have any recommendations on particular village-level wines in Gevrey?
Which producers offer the greatest value?
Some negoce bottles; D.Laurent VV, Faiveley(only in top vintages, but outstanding), Drouhin.
Otherwise S.Esmonin VV, Geantet Pansiot VV and En Champs, Roty, the two Fourriers, Bachelet, Trapet, Rossignol-Trapet, Maume etc, etc.
Helpful list, Tom, thanks. Do you include recent vintages of Faiveley, such as the 08 I noted above? Am I right thinking there’s been recent changes there?
We had a nice little tasting on friday night. We were lucky in that all the 11 bottles we opened performed at or above expectations with no flaws whatsoever. The last two wines of the tasting were of a caliber I don’t get to drink too often:
1988 Rousseau Chambertin
The nose is immediately open with great aromatics of amazingly complex fruits and mushroomy earth. In the mouth explosively intensive fireworks with hoards of concentration, but also just fabulous finesse. Keeps getting better and better all the time. An absolutely amazing wine of terrific aromatics and great class. An epitome of power with finesse.
1991 Rousseau Chambertin-Clos de Beze
Clearly less evolved than the Chambertin. Also an extremely lovely and complex nose of powerful fruit and damp earth. In the mouth liquor-like intensity with still youngish pure fruit and fine terroir complexities. Wonderful mouthfeel. With enough air it becomes almost as refined as the Chambertin. Perhaps just a bit less finesse, but very, very lovely. Extraordinary wine.
These two bottles, particularly the Chambertin, were among the dearest red Burgundy experiences I’ve ever had. These really earn a place in the small group of Burgundy royalty.
Cheers,
Ville
Hey Tom
are these good examples for Village Level wines and good values mixed in together?
What is interesting is that you can often find deals on the Jadot higher classified appellations. I bought some 01 Jadot Chambertin, the price added to my interest. Opened one with my wife (she likes older wines but likes a good many Burgundy at 10-12 years old in the Premier/Grand Cru level) and we both thought it quite good. We won’t be touching more of them for perhaps 3 more years. It seems like the higher in classification you go, the more value there is to be found at some larger négoces.
I would place Fourrier, H. Jouan and Rousseau as my favorite Gevrey-Chambertin village level wines.
Does anyone have information on who bottles Gevrey village from vines located in Brochon?
Geantet-Pansiot?
One of my favorite village Gevreys is Louis Boillot’s Les Evocelles that is from the Brochon side of the vineyard. It is often of 1er Cru quality and still quite reasonably priced. In fact, I was just sipping the 2009 version of this and here’s the TN:
2009 Louis Boillot Gevrey-Chambertin Les Evocelles
Very fresh and pure for a 2009. Needs time, though, to get over the primary fruit and show more terroir. Eventually it becomes nicely mineral. The fruit is ripe, but also much more refined and, in a way, cooler in style than many other 2009s. So, an excellent villages, although I personally prefer the 2008 version for even more transparency and brighter fruit.
It would be nice to hear if others here think this vineyard should be a candidate for 1er Cru. It seems to be an extension of the string of 1er Crus northwards from the St-Jacques region and I have always thought that it might have been qualified as only village, because it’s the first vineyard that is (mostly) on the Brochon side of the border. It’s also quite high on the hill, but not higher than Combe Aux Moines or Goulots.
Ville,
I too am a fan of this wine, but me thinks that given its location a promotion -while probably justified- seems unlikely. I can further report that the material on the 2010 version was gob-smackingly good last May in the cellars in Chambolle and I am currently twisting the arm of the importer to get me some.
For Fourrier, the good-value days are pretty much relegated to history IMO. Glad I have a nice stash, but current prices are not so great, at least in the US. Both for villages level and on up the scale, I’m keen on Drouhin-Laroze as an up-and-coming domaine and a source of good value. And among the larger merchant firms, Louis Jadot’s range of Gevrey 1er crus and grands crus is exceptional. And I certainly like Cazetiers from Bouchard Pere & fils, an elite 1er cru at a nice price.
Still hoping to hear more thoughts on Gevrey’s strengths
I find wines from Gevrey to be able to tolerate far higher levels of oak than almost any other commune. For example, Roty.
2005 Domaine de la Vougeraie Gevrey-Chambertin Les Evocelles - Great wine punching well above its weight. Earthy and meaty, powerful and complex, showing good purity through the palate. At 1er level at least. Cheers Mike