Entirely destemmed (a rarity here, along with the Clos Vougeot), this has a sweet and rounded palate with soft tannins. This unusually rich structure plus the abundant fruit—both truly magnanimous for Lavaut—suggest that vintage and winemaking decisions top terroir, at least for the time being. Rambunctious baking spices linger on the substantial finish.

Note: from a .3 ha parcel of vines planted in 1943. Firm reduction dominates the fruit. On the palate there is a lovely sense of tension suffusing the middle weight flavors that exude evident minerality on the balanced and persistent finish that is firm and serious. This does however need to develop better depth so at least some cellaring should prove helpful.

The 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaut Saint-Jacques 1er Cru has a beautiful bouquet with red cherries, wild strawberries and a dab of dark chocolate. The medium-bodied palate opens sumptuously, with a creamy texture reminiscent of the Clos Prieur and a touch of white pepper toward the finish. This is very fine but not perhaps my favorite, possibly due to being fully destemmed. I might have sprinkled a few in.(NM)