Gevrey-Chambertin "Cuvée Ostrea" 2001, Domaine Trapet

A second wine tasted at the famous Paris restaurant La Tour d'Argent during a four hour luncheon. I selected Trapet's Ostrea having tried the 2009 at the domaine in May 2011. Mme Trapet was a wonderful and very humorous host. Lets not forget that despite all the media inattention, 2001 was a superb pinot vintage: fresh berry fruits, nervous acidity and sophisticated aromas. By contrast the 2002s are still heavy, the 2003s are largely dead and the 2004s are ropey aside from a few Cote-de-Beaune wines or remarkably good wine-making by people like François Parent. So back to this wine, tasted with the caneton. A nose of bright red fruits, cranberry, raspberry. Evolves towards red plum. Its multi-layered with licorice and pencil lead. Good fruit ripeness and balance. Ripe berry fruits still dominate the underlying savoury tones. This Gevrey 2001 is at the peak of its powers. Perfect with the caneton Marco Polo and the chef Laurent Delarbe's uncontrollably hairy side-burns which seems to be a 100 year-old tradition at the restaurant. Compare with the 2009 Ostrea. Photo shows members of the Trapet family dressed as Cistercian monks "pour plaisanter".