Sylvie Esmonin Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 2023
We have 2 in stock (Inventory is live and accurate)
The Land
The Vieilles Vignes bottling draws from three distinct sites within Gevrey-Chambertin, one of which is the Clos Prieur premier cru vineyard on the upper hillside. The vines across all three parcels average more than 75 years of age. In Burgundy, vine age matters in a specific way: older root systems reach deeper into subsoil and bedrock, pulling up mineral character that younger vines cannot access, and naturally low vigor limits yields without any canopy management required. Clos Prieur sits on the thin, well-drained Bathonian limestone of the upper Gevrey slope, with the cooler exposure and lower organic content that tend to produce wines of greater precision and longevity than the flatter, richer sites below.
The Wine
100% Pinot Noir from three parcels, fermented with significant whole cluster inclusion in open wooden vats. The combination of old vines, premier cru fruit, and extended maceration gives this wine a density and complexity that separates it clearly from the village bottling. Aromas of black cherry, dried flowers, earth, and a thread of smoky minerality. The palate is structured with fine-grained tannins, a firm mid-palate, and a finish that extends well past what you'd expect at this level. The 2023 vintage produced generous, concentrated fruit across Gevrey; here the old vines add a depth and precision the warmth of the year doesn't overwhelm. Easily 8–12 years of aging ahead of it. Decant it.
The People
Sylvie Esmonin has run the 7.8-hectare family domaine in Gevrey-Chambertin since 1986, converting it from a négociant-grape-sales operation to estate bottling on her arrival. Her grandfather's purchase of a parcel of Clos Saint-Jacques from the Comte de Moucheron established the family's deep roots in the village; Sylvie has built on that foundation systematically. She has farmed without herbicides since 1990 and works the entire domaine in practicing organic viticulture throughout — not certified, but consistent for over three decades. In the cellar: open wooden vats, native fermentation, gravity racking, no additions, no fining or filtration. The Vieilles Vignes is where that commitment to old vines and minimal intervention shows most clearly at the village level.
Food Pairing
Venison with a red wine reduction, roasted rack of lamb with herbes de Provence, a wild mushroom and aged Brie tart, or a slow-cooked beef short rib with root vegetables. The old-vine concentration and structural depth need food of similar weight and savory character. This is worth pulling out for a proper dinner.
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.
