Description
Domaine Gérard Seguin, Gevrey-Chambertin “Vieilles Vignes”
You don’t need to speak French to know what très traditionnelle means. This is how the Seguin family describes the vinification of its Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes, and it’s how I’d describe everything about the Gérard Seguin domaine: This is a family operation through and through, with just six hectares of vineyards cobbled together by generations of Seguins going back to 1850. You might say this family does one thing and does it very well—Pinot Noir, most of it from the iconic village of Gevrey-Chambertin.
Sourced from true vieilles vignes (old vines) in a well-positioned lieu-dit downslope from the “Chambertin” Grand Crus, this 2018 is a soulful and deeply classic expression of Gevrey-Chambertin Pinot Noir, full of dark-toned cherry fruit, smoke, and underbrush on a muscular framework. As I often note, our tastings at SommSelect are usually very wide-ranging; encountering a wine like this is like putting on an iconic jazz album after listening to a bunch of bubble-gum pop. It’s the best kind of “reset” button, not just for a Burgundy fanatic like me but for anyone who relishes aromatic complexity, minerality, and precision balance. Best of all, it’s only going to get better—très traditionnelle, indeed!
Of the six hectares and change farmed by Gérard, Chantel, and Jerome Seguin, roughly 4.5 are in Gevrey-Chambertin. Most of the family’s parcels, of which there are many, measure less than half a hectare. First founded in 1850 by vigneron Alexis Seguin, a master vine-grafter whose skills came in handy during the Phylloxera epidemic, the domaine has passed through many generations of Seguins en route to Gérard, who, upon taking the reins in 1990, began acquiring more vineyard parcels to augment the estate’s modest dimensions. Nevertheless, this is still a tiny operation: Of the nine vineyard parcels Seguin acquired between 1990 and 2014, none was larger than a half-hectare.
The minute I spied the classic label on this 2018 I suspected that we were in for a treat, but this “Vieilles Vignes” exceeded my already-high expectations. Among the Seguin vineyard holdings is a lieu-dit (named parcel) called “Reniard,” a piece of which has been in Seguin’s hands since 1970; their vines here range in age from 60 to 90 years and face southeast, with the magnificent Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru visible up on the slope above. The très traditionnelle fermentation is inoculated with native yeasts and aging is carried out in 30% new French oak barriques for 18 months.
Pinot Noir, across a range of appellations, is what Gérard Seguin does. They do make a rosé, and a sparkling Crémant de Bourgogne, but most of their production is woodsy, structured, delicious red wine. This 2018 is a deep garnet-red in the glass moving to a pink rim, with evocative aromas of black cherry, blackberry, cranberry, black tea, pepper, autumn leaves, turned earth, licorice, sandalwood, and damp violets. It is medium-bodied and firmly structured, offering a more tensile, refined drinking experience now but poised to broaden and soften over time. Decant a bottle about 45 minutes before serving at 60 degrees in Burgundy stems, but do try to lose a few bottles in your cellar: I can see it aging well for 10-15 years, and what a pleasant surprise that’ll be if you can wait that long. In classic Gevrey-Chambertin fashion, this is Pinot Noir with a slightly “wintry” edge to it, making it a great choice for everything from beef bourguignon to fondue to roast duck. I don’t think you can avoid coq au vin on this one—it’s just too perfect. Cheers!
