Domaine Fourrier   Gevrey Chambertin Clos St Jacques

2005 Gevrey Chambertin Clos St Jacques

By Domaine Fourrier

2005 Gevrey Chambertin Clos St Jacques from Domaine Fourrier

The 2005 vintage stands as a beacon within the annals of Burgundian winemaking, a year acclaimed for its impeccable balance and structure. In the chase for illustrious bottles, connoisseurs have been enthralled by the 2005 Gevrey Chambertin Clos St Jacques from Domaine Fourrier. This fine wine, originating from one of the noblest terroirs in Gevrey Chambertin, illuminates the zenith of Jean-Marie Fourrier's winemaking prowess.

 

Distinctive Vintage, Impeccable Pedigree

Jean-Marie Fourrier's deftness in translating region, vineyard, and vintage into the opaque glass is beyond impressive. The Gevrey Chambertin Clos St Jacques signifies a masterstroke from one of Burgundy's most meticulous vignerons. The 2005 iteration sandwiches ripe fruit through mineral layers with an uncompromising precision indicative of a top-tier Burgundian vintage.

 

An Investable Vintage for Sophisticated Palates

From a climatic perspective, 2005 decreed optimal conditions throughout Burgundy, allowing grapes to achieve full maturation. This serenity has translated into the 2005 Gevrey Chambertin Clos St Jacques from Domaine Fourrier becoming a compelling prospect for investment. It divulges an extraordinary tapestry of cherry and blackcurrant fruits wrapped in velveteen tannins – a testament to the exacting viticultural practices at Domaine Fourrier.

A palate encounter unveils layers of complexity; earth, truffle and subtle oak influences emerge slowly, affirming the wine's anticipated long maturation curve. With age, this vintage will continue to unfurl nuances appealing to fine wine investors and collectors alike who crave depth and persistence.

As a vintage wine critic with decades-spanning experience, I identify uniqueness in each bottle. The intrinsic worth found in a well-cellared bottle like the 2005 Gevrey Chambertin Clos St Jacques from Domaine Fourrier represents both an epicurean journey and a sound financial asset. In summary, this particular vintage not only epitomises the zenith of Burgundian craftsmanship but underscores its significance as an investable commodity within the grand theatre of fine wines.

Current market price

£11,340.00

12x75cl

Highest score

94

POP score

810

Scores and tasting notes

94-95

Fourrier’s 2005 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St.-Jacques reveals a gorgeous aroma of black fruits, rose, truffle, tea and musk, a marrowy, creamy richness of texture, and a riveting finishing complexity of fruit, meat, flowers, pungent spices and minerals. If this is not a case of progression into the territory of grand cru quality, I don’t know what is. I would plan to start following this from ten years out and anticipate at least a second decade of improvement. (With a vintage-typical, yet in this instance, somehow not disruptive contrast of milky texture with tart fresh fruit, and displaying strikingly overt minerality, the 2004 rendition of this wine is also well worth a decade of cellaring.) The articulate and opinionated Jean-Marie Fourrier staunchly believes in the inclusion of uncrushed fruit (to among other things prolong fermentation and, he claims, diminish the efficiency of alcoholic conversion); leaving the young wines on their lees (with high CO2 retention) eighteen months before bottling; employing a mere 20% of new barrels for all wines; and applying only minimal doses of sulfur. That the property from which he sources is all owned outright, and is largely in vines of over fifty years age planted by his father or grandfather before the days of clones certainly helps explain the consistently excellent quality at this address. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990

David Schildknecht - The Wine Advocate, 29 April 2007

Vintage performance