Gevrey-Chambertin

Philippe Pacalet reportedly declined the winemaker role at Domaine de la Romanée-Conti to build his own négociant label in 2001 — a structural bet that whole-cluster transparency and zero-sulphur vinification could outperform prestige ownership. That conviction is the technical foundation of every wine he makes. Gevrey-Chambertin's clay-limestone soils deliver the appellation's characteristic iron-edged grip and dark-fruited depth; Pacalet's plots, farmed organically with yields held to roughly 31–35 hL/ha and vine density at 10,000 vines/ha, push that mineral tension further than the village norm. Whole-cluster fermentation in open wooden vats, indigenous yeasts only, pigeage twice daily for 2.5–3 weeks, and malolactic completed in 228 L French oak pièces at below 25% new oak keep extraction subtle and aromatics lifted. Aging runs 15–18 months on lees without racking, using a barrel-rolling system to keep lees in suspension — the reductive 'en réduction' method that builds saline, tensile texture. No fining, no filtration, and no SO₂ added until a micro-dose at bottling: the house's defining transgression in a village where interventionist élevage is standard. The 2022 vintage brought unusual weight to Pacalet's typically fine-boned style — riper fruit and more structure than 2021 — but the whole-cluster approach and no-sulphur fermentation preserve the freshness that distinguishes this address. Drink from 2026 through 2033.