Sylvie Esmonin Gevrey-Chambertin 2023
We have 5 in stock (Inventory is live and accurate)
The Land
Gevrey-Chambertin has more Grand Cru vineyards than any other commune in Burgundy: nine in total, running in a narrow band along the mid-slope limestone. But the village appellation is its own category: broader, lower on the slope, with heavier clay in the soils and more structural intensity as a result. Gevrey sits at the northern end of the Côte de Nuits, with a continental climate that delivers warm summers and cold winters. The hallmark of the commune across all appellations is a combination of dark fruit, iron-tinged minerality, and firm tannic structure that sets it apart from the more delicate communes to the south. At the village level, that character is present but less compressed than in the premier and grand crus above.
The Wine
100% Pinot Noir from village-level parcels in Gevrey-Chambertin, fermented with whole cluster inclusion in open wooden vats over approximately two weeks. Racked by gravity; bottled unfined and unfiltered. The 2023 vintage was hot, with heat waves in August and September pushing ripeness across the Côte de Nuits. The wine shows ripe black cherry, cassis, a touch of dried rose, and that characteristic Gevrey iron and earth. The palate is full and structured, with firm but integrated tannins and a long, savory finish. Can be reductive on opening; 20–30 minutes of air makes a real difference. Built to age 6–8 years but drinking well now.
The People
Sylvie Esmonin trained as an agronomic engineer in Montpellier and in oenology in Dijon before taking over the family domaine in Gevrey in 1986. She brought a rigorous scientific background to what had been a grapes-sold-to-négociants operation, completed the first estate bottling in 1989, and built the domaine to its current 7.8 hectares. No herbicides have been used since 1990; farming is practicing organic throughout, not certified. Vinification is traditional and deliberate: open wooden vats, native yeast fermentation, gravity racking, no fining or filtration. The result is wine that is clean and precise, with the kind of detail that comes only from genuinely careful farming and old-vine fruit.
Food Pairing
Duck confit with roasted root vegetables, lamb chops with rosemary and garlic, a Burgundy-style beef stew, or aged Comté with walnuts and honey. The tannin structure and dark fruit profile call for food with fat and savory depth. A reliable midweek bottle for anyone who cooks seriously.
We ship wine to most states with a $100 minimum order for shipping. We don't ship spirits nor beer.
Weather shipping advisory: Orders placed during times of extreme heat or extreme cold will be held for no charge until more favorable weather returns.
Burgundy, in eastern France, encompasses several subregions, but it is the Côte d'Or that is home to many of the world's most expensive and revered wines. The region, primarily a single east-facing slope, has mixed limestone soils that vary dramatically from village to village and even vineyard to vineyard. White wines, crafted from Chardonnay, range from rich and opulent to lean and intensely mineral, while Pinot Noir produces silky, perfumed red wines of exceptional finesse and complexity. Centuries of winemaking tradition have resulted in every plot being meticulously recognized and scrutinized, making the Côte d'Or a true capital of terroir.
Burgundy - Cote d'Or
Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned, notoriously difficult-to-grow, low-yielding grape that finds its ancestral home in Burgundy, France, where it produces some of the world's most elegant and nuanced wines. While Burgundy remains its spiritual heartland, Pinot Noir has since traveled the globe, finding success in other cooler climates, notably in California, Oregon, New Zealand, and Germany. This grape is a challenge for any grower, as it requires specific conditions to show its best, and yet the wines it produces are capable of such a captivating and singular character.
