2023s from Sylvie Esmonin are here!
2023s from Sylvie Esmonin are here!
No stranger to the newsletter and shelves at Chambers Street Wines is Sylvie Esmonin. Her eponymous estate was previously known as Domaine Michel Esmonin et Fille, and the team here at CSW has been offering her wines since our own David Lillie visited the estate with Denise Louis and Joe Dressner about 20 years ago! This humble estate has 7.8 hectares of vines, half of which are owned, while the other half consist of long-term rentals. Even 27 years after taking over her father's Domaine, Sylvie's is still one of very few estates in Gevrey-Chambertin to be run by a woman! What makes Sylvie’s wines so special are the high average of vine age, the youngest being 45 years old. Most vines were planted by Sylvie’s grandfather with the remainder by her father. Although they have never been certified organic, Sylvie and her father stopped the use of chemicals in the vineyards in 1990. She says, “Because I drink my own wine! And I’d been involved in bio-chemistry for a long time, which naturally made me weary of chemical products. I don’t want to poison myself, I want to drink something pure. And I also felt that I couldn’t play sorcerer’s apprentice with the vines.”
The 2023 vintage was abundant for almost everyone in Burgundy, especially surrounded by some challenging harvests. Sylvie began picking with her team on September 8th and finished on the 21st. The harvest was bountiful; in her notes she mentioned how the only thing they needed to truly look out for while picking was her dog Sirius (pictured below) who was enjoying snacking on the grapes. Sylvie had quite a full cellar with the vintage and noted that "the wine is more subtle and light than the past few vintages but the cuvées meant for cellaring will remain so as they are fuller body than the rest of the wines."
Depending on the vintage and vineyard site, a percentage of whole cluster is determined. This was the only large change that Sylvie made from her father’s way of winemaking. She believes that her wines gain more complexity, and floral aromas. All wines ferment in open wood vats before being racked to barrels to finish fermentation and age. Each cuvee gets a slightly different percentage of new oak, starting with 10% in the Bourgogne Rouge Cuvee Sylvie and working up to 80% in her 1er cru Clos-Saint-Jacques.
Of Esmonin’s 7.8 hectares, 1.7 are in the 1er cru vineyard of Clos-Saint-Jacques, arguably one of, if not the best Premier Crus in all of the Cote d’Or, with some believing it should be considered a Grand Cru. Jancis Robinson says: “Clos Saint Jacques is always regarded as a Grand Cru in all but name.” Sylvie is the second largest owner of the vineyard that is just a mere 6.7 hectares with vines running from the top of the vineyard down to the bottom, divided up amongst just 5 owners. You will see this prestigious vineyard on the labels of Armand Rousseau, Bruno Clair, Louis Jadot, and Domaine Fourrier, yet I will make the argument that Sylvie’s is the most affordable by a landslide. For the best enjoyment, I recommend holding onto your bottles of Clos Saint Jacques for 10+ years, but there is plenty of Bourgogne Rouge and Cote de Nuits-Villages to drink while you're waiting for her other wines to perfectly age.
In today's climate of wine pricing, we have decided to offer Sylvie's wines today at net pricing with the goal to keep them as close to last year's release as possible, and to make them as accessible for all to try.
-Hanna Krilov Cohen
Please allow until Friday 4/17 for pick up or delivery.
Esmonin, Sylvie 2023 Bourgogne Rouge Cuvee Sylvie
Notes from Louis/Dressner: Clay and limestone soils on 70 year old vines. Up to 20% whole cluster with 10 to 12 days in open wood vats. The wine then ferments and ages in barrel 10% is new.
$49.99
Esmonin, Sylvie 2023 Cote de Nuits-Villages
Notes from Louis/Dressner: 50-90 year old vines grown on clay and limestone. Contains two lieux-dits from Brochon- La Croix Violette and Les Vignois. Up to 70% whole cluster and begin fermenting in open wood vats with 10-12 day maceration. They...
$70.99
Esmonin, Sylvie 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin
Notes from Louis/Dressner: "Depending on the vintage, 30 to 50% of the grapes are macerated whole-cluster for 12 to 13 days in open wood vats, then racked to barrel for fermentation and aging. The barrel breakdown is: 20% new oak,...
$99.99
Esmonin, Sylvie 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
Notes from Louis/Dressner: Over 80 year old vines on clay and limestone soils. Depending on the vintage 40-60% whole cluster maceration for 13-14 days in open wood vats. They finish fermentation and are aged in 50% new oak.
$114.99
Esmonin, Sylvie 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint Jacques
Notes from Louis/Dressner: 45-55 year old vines. Sylvie owns 1.6 out of 6.7 hectares of this famous 1er Cru in Gevrey. It literally is in her backyard. She is one of just 5 producers of Clos Saint-Jacques! Depending on the...
$274.99
