2016 Frederic Esmonin Gevrey Chambertin Estournelles St. Jacques

Domaine Frederic Esmonin and Domaine des Estournelles are both owned and operated by Andre Esmonin and his son Frederic. The family is in Gevrey-Chambertin and they own or lease a total of 15-acres. Until the late 1980s most of what the family grew went to negociants such as Jadot, but starting in the early 1990s the Esmonins made very limited amounts of wine under their own labels. Today they have Grand Cru parcels in Ruchottes-Chambertin, Mazis-Chambertin, Chambertin Clos de Beze, Bonnes-Mares and Chambertin. They have Premier Cru parcels in Gevrey-Chambertin. The Esmonins also run a small negociant business.

Côte de Nuits is the northern part of the Côte d’Or and it includes the most famous vineyards and wine communes in the world. There are more Grand Cru appellations in the Côte de Nuits than anywhere else in Burgundy. Of the fourteen communes, or villages in the Côte de Nuits, six produce Grand Cru wines. They are Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St.-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Flagey-Échezeaux and Vosne-Romanee. Some of the vineyards within the Côte de Nuits are tiny, which adds to their prestige. The fabled Grand Cru vineyard La Romanee is barely two square acres. Altogether there are twenty-four Grand Cru vineyards. The region takes its name from the village of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Côtes de Nuits produces mostly reds from Pinot Noir, and the wines have been in demand for centuries. During the 18th century King Louis XIV’s physician recommended that for his health the king only drink wines from Nuits-Saint-Georges. Like most of Burgundy, the soils of the Côte de Nuit can vary greatly from one vineyard to another, though most are a base soil of limestone mixed with clay, gravel and sand.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.