2022 Gevrey-Chambertin, Clos Saint-Jacques, 1er Cru, Domaine Sylvie Esmonin, Burgundy

From a large 1.6 ha holding of 45+ year old vines.

Here the wood isn't intrusive though neither is it subtle on the nose of cassis, black cherry liqueur and spice along with an impressive array of floral top notes. The seductive and concentrated but punchy larger-bodied flavours are supported by dense but fine tannins on the mocha-inflected finale. This is the ripest wine in the range, yet it remains nicely balanced.

Drink from 2034 onward

The 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques 1er Cru contains 60% whole bunches and 50% new oak this year. There is a touch of reduction on the nose at the moment, rendering the aromatics challenging to read. The palate has a smooth entry with dark chocolate and light cumin notes filtering through the black fruit. The oak is a little prominent on the finish, as it usually is at this nascent juncture. Therefore, it will require several years in bottle to completely knit together.

Drink 2028 - 2046

Deep purple. The barrel toast is immediately evident and gives a fractional burnt toast flavour to the wine. The volume of fruit, though, is immense and will soon take over. It covers the tannins smoothly. On the one hand you can see the class of Clos St-Jacques, on the other, the hand of Sylvie stands out.

Drink 2030 - 2039