Alain Burguet has been making terrific wines in Gevrey-Chambertin for nearly thirty years.
He is approximately two barrels tall by one barrel wide, and his muscular physique could be seen in the wines he made in the 1980s, where the tannins were occasionally too firm for the fruit. His style has evolved since then, the fruit now being picked later and riper to add a richer dimension to his wines. He is now assisted by his two sons, Jean-Luc and Eric on his 8-hectare Domaine which consists of village Gevrey- Chambertin fruit.
The total vineyard surface is 7.8 hectare today, these vineyards are organically farmed although Alain Burguet doesn't trumpet this fact. He never fell in the trap of the viticultural chemical treatments, even during the intensive-spraying era of the 1970s' and 1980s', when everyone around was dumping tons of this and that between the rows. The vines are trained Guyot Simple and hand-harvested
Winemaking at Domaine Burguet is traditional. After a very soft (100%) destemming, the grapes go through a second sorting table, the goal being, of course, to let in only the best grapes. The wine is vinified with the natural yeasts which are present on the skin, no enzymes or any other additive added. No fining, no filtration. Very long elevage, 18 months in casks. Minimal SO2 dosage. They want the wine to express both the fruit and the millesime and they let the wine vinify without forcing it into a mould. No temperature control is used.
Wow! Aromas of pure raspberries and damsons with spice. The palate is concentrated with ripe, sweet fruit flavours, chocolate and spice, The tannins are smooth and silky giving texture and structure to this skilfully crafted wine. Enjoy with beef or game dishes and hard cheeses.
