(Please see my overview of the 2018 vintage here.)
Jean-Louis Trapet said that harvesting began on Thursday, 6 September. There was heavy use of whole clusters in this vintage, ranging from about 40-50% all the way up to 100%. Malolactic fermentations took place over the winter.
Most of these wines bear a strong signature of the vintage, lacking in many cases the tension and nervosity that appear in most vintages, yet they are successful nonetheless.
Red Wines:
2018 Bourgogne-Passetoutgrains À Minima
This wine is made without addition of SO2. The vines originally date to 1965 and are half Gamay, half Pinot fin. The wine has iron and mineral aromas and flavors with freshness and red berry fruits. 12.5% stated alcohol. 87/A
2018 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
The basic Bourgogne is smooth, round, and spicy with moderate acidity and good freshness for the vintage to its strawberry fruit. 87+/B+
2018 Marsannay
The Marsannay has dark fruit aromas and precise, crystalline blueberry flavors. The mouth is smooth and the wine has freshness. (89-91)
2018 Côte de Nuits-Villages Le Meix Fringuet
I have rarely seen this wine when visiting Trapet. It is delicious with fresh, precise, pure dark fruits, roundness, a rich texture, and quality tannins. Alcohol is near 14%. (90-92)
2018 Gevrey-Chambertin
The regular village Gevrey also shows fresh dark fruits and good length with richness of texture, but the energy I usually find in this wine is not showing. (89-91)
2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Ostrea
The Gevrey Ostrea is from vines at the northern part of the appellation with fossilized oyster shells in the soil. The wine is stony in the nose. The mouth has dark fruits, stoniness, purity, and freshness, with moderate — but sufficient — acidity. (90-93)
2018 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Prieur
The Clos Prieur, below Mazis-Chambertin, has dark fruits one expects here, and is satisfying, but the wine doesn’t show the characteristic nervosity or exoticism I find in most vintages. (90-92)
2018 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Petite Chapelle
A step up from the Clos Prieur, the Petite Chapelle has smoky, stony dark fruit aromas. The mouth is round with dark fruit, richness, and minerality. The usual tension is not here, but the wine displays brightness and energy. (91-94)
2018 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Capita
The Capita is a blend of premier cru vineyards that were not sufficient in size to warrant individual bottlings. The wine is made entirely with whole clusters. The wine has spicy red fruits, some minerality, and it is rich and powerful. (91-94)
2018 Latricières-Chambertin
Trapet’s Latricières-Chambertin is rich and ripe with dark fruits and some licorice. As with many of the other wines, the usual tension and nervosity are not here, but the wine provides pleasure. (92-94)
2018 Chapelle-Chambertin
The Chapelle-Chambertin is lighter than the Latricières and here there is tension along with lively, penetrating dark fruits and minerality. (93-96)
2018 Chambertin
Last, the Chambertin has dark fruits with ripeness but also freshness. It is a very well-balanced wine, but one that would seem to need a long cellaring to show its full potential. 100% whole clusters here. (94-96)
White wines:
2018 Bourgogne Chardonnay
The Bourgogne is rich and ripe with minerality and some apple flavors. 87/B+
2018 Marsannay
The Marsannay blanc is from the Grasses Têtes climat. There’s still a bit of sucrosity here to with ripe apple fruit. The wine is pleasing, but simple. 86+/B-