Located in Gevrey-Chambertin and focused almost entirely on wines from that village, the Esmonin family has been ‘domaine-bottling’ its own wines since 1991. Previously, André Esmonin sold grapes (and wine) to some of Burgundy’s most respected négociants, including Jadot and Leroy. André continues to assist his son, Frédéric, at this tiny property, whose vineyard holdings total just four hectares—albeit four well-positioned hectares, which include pieces of the Grand Crus Ruchottes- and Mazy-Chambertin as well as three Premier Cru sites. Their vines are very old (40+ years in the Grand Crus) and production is, as you might expect, very small: overall, they bottle around a dozen different wines, none of them in significant quantities. 

The Esmonins farm sustainably, practicing that most French of approaches known as lutte raisonnée (“the reasoned fight”). Their wines are clean, concentrated, and modern, with a healthy (but not excessive) percentage of new oak used for aging; one distinguishing feature of Esmonin wines is their drinkability in their youth. Even in a more “classic” vintage like 2014, this wine is already approachable, especially after breathing some air.

Lavaux St. Jacques is a Premier Cru vineyard positioned at the mouth of the Combe de Lavaux, the narrow valley that runs west out of Gevrey-Chambertin and up into the forests above. It’s a relatively cool site because of the funnel effect of the combe, but also a site with a full-south exposition that collects all-day sun. If there’s a Lavaux Saint-Jacques ‘profile’ among the myriad bottlings that exist out there it tends to lean toward darker fruit and a sinewy, muscular structure—not as rich as the nearby Grand Crus but generally a powerful, woodsy, very ‘Gevrey’ expression of Pinot Noir.

As for the ‘house style’ at Esmonin, it tends to favor gentle extractions, perfect ripeness, and an overall level of polish not always found among the woodsy, masculine styles of Gevrey-Chambertin. Aged in a combination of new and used oak barrels, today’s 2014 exhibits the great balance and classical structure of the terrific 2014 vintage. In the glass, it’s a deep, reflective ruby moving to garnet at the rim, with aromas of black cherry, ripe strawberry, violet and rose petals, humid earth, dried mushroom, black tea, and underbrush. Medium-plus in body and densely concentrated on the palate, you’ll detect some subtle oak spice on the otherwise floral finish. There’s plenty of sappy, silky fruit here—an Esmonin signature—but a nice smoky, stony quality as well. It is real-deal Gevrey with 15-20 years of positive evolution ahead of it. If you are enjoying a bottle soon, decant it about 45 minutes before serving in Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees. Its melding of smoky earth and sweet fruit make it a good choice for a pork roast or other lighter meat dish. Check it out with the attached recipe, which gets an added bass note from balsamic. Enjoy, and be sure to save a few bottles for later!