Domaine Rossignol-Trapet

Domaine Rossignol-Trapet sits in Gevrey-Chambertin, one side of the 1990 split of the old Domaine Trapet. The Rossignols had been vignerons in Volnay since the sixteenth century; the Trapets were established in Gevrey-Chambertin by Louis Trapet in 1870, with Petite Chapelle acquired in 1877 and Clos Prieur in 1893. Jacques Rossignol married Mado Trapet in 1961, and when Mado's father Louis Trapet retired in 1990 the estate was divided in two - their sons Nicolas and David Rossignol founded Domaine Rossignol-Trapet, while their cousin Jean-Louis Trapet continued as Domaine Trapet Père et Fils. Nicolas and David have run Rossignol-Trapet since.

Around 14 hectares, mostly Pinot Noir with a little Chardonnay, across Gevrey-Chambertin, Beaune and Savigny-lès-Beaune. The Grand Cru holdings are considerable: 1.6 hectares in Chambertin itself (vines planted in 1919), 0.74 in Latricières-Chambertin, and 0.54 in Chapelle-Chambertin (two parcels, En la Chapelle and En Gémeaux, first plantings 1930) - but, contrary to some listings, the domaine does not own in Chambertin-Clos de Bèze; that stayed with the Trapet side of the split. Five 1er Crus in Gevrey - Clos Prieur, Petite Chapelle, Les Cherbaudes, Les Corbeaux, Aux Combottes - plus Beaune 1er Cru Les Teurons, village Gevrey-Chambertin (including a Vieilles Vignes) and Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Bas Liards.

Biodynamic conversion began in 1997, early for Gevrey, and the estate has been Demeter-certified since 2004 (first fully organic vintage 2008). In the cellar: destemming ranges from 60 to 100 percent depending on vintage, with whole-cluster around 50; new oak scaled to the tier - roughly 10% at village level, 25% 1er Cru, 40-55% Grand Cru - 12 to 20 months in barrel, no fining, no filtration. Not a natural-wine house in the cultural sense - these are serious, classically-framed Gevrey, but worked from soil that has been clean for a quarter-century.