The Brilliant and Powerful Burgundies of Sylvie Esmonin

2/16/2022

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint Jacques (Courtesy of Louis/Dressner Selections).

Though I spent some time working in Gevrey-Chambertin, I never had the opportunity to taste at Domaine Sylvie Esmonin. I've always wanted to - she has a reputation among her peers and consumers alike as thoughtful and warm and who enjoys talking about her wines. I met her only briefly when an enormous truck that was supposed to be delivering bottles to her facility nearly got stuck in my employer's driveway after getting the address wrong. She watched quietly, with some amusement, as the driver slowly navigated his way out of the jam and then up the road to her door. But on the few occasions I've had the chance to taste her wines, I've always thought them exemplary. It's a treat to have a chance to offer them out today. 

Sylvie Esmonin stands out from the rest of the A-list in Gevrey in a number of ways but there are two I find particularly noteworthy. First, she has been farming organically for many years. The village is full of terrific growers but they have on the whole been relatively slow to make these adjustments in the vineyards. While not certified, she and her father began ridding the vines of chemicals starting in 1990. She also uses a high percentage of whole clusters in virtually all of her wines. The classic Gevrey profile has always leaned towards the most delicate of red fruits, particularly strawberries. As a result, growers tend to de-stem most or all of their fruit. The stem inclusion chez Sylvie gives an extra dimension to those sweet red fruits - baking spices, white pepper, dried flowers - as well as freshness, essential as Burgundy grows ever warmer.

-Sam Ehrlich