Domaine Frédéric Esmonin

Explore our selection of Domaine Frédéric Esmonin wines for sale, including Grand Cru Mazis-Chambertin and Ruchottes-Chambertin, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru such as Estournelles St-Jacques and Champonnets, and village and regional wines. Browse current vintages and prices from one of Gevrey-Chambertin's best-value producers.

About Domaine Frédéric Esmonin

Domaine Frédéric Esmonin, in Burgundy's Gevrey-Chambertin appellation, is a true family collaboration between Frédéric Esmonin, his father, André, and his mother, Michèle. For generations the family farmed its roughly 10 acres of vineyards and sold the fruit to houses such as Drouhin, Jadot and Leroy. In fact, some of Leroy's great wines of the 1950s are believed to have come from Esmonin vineyards. In 1988 the family began bottling under its own label and, after an initial learning curve, has produced consistently high-quality, beautiful wines.

Access to outstanding vineyard sites is one of the domaine's greatest assets. Esmonin holds Grand Cru parcels in Ruchottes-Chambertin (vines more than 50 years old), Mazis-Chambertin (vines more than 40 years old), Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, Bonnes-Mares and Chambertin, along with the Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Crus Estournelles St-Jacques, Lavaux St-Jacques and Champonnets. The range also includes Gevrey-Chambertin Les Jouises Vieilles Vignes, Nuits-Saint-Georges Hauts Pruliers, Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Prieur, Pernand-Vergelesses Les Boutières, Côte de Nuits-Villages La Belle Vue and Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits. Because great Burgundy begins with great grapes, the family draws on decades of farming experience to get the best from each plot.

Esmonin's winemaking is equally careful and gentle. Grapes are picked only at ideal ripeness and pressed in a bladder press, which gives precise control over pressure. A short cold maceration adds an extra dimension of fruit, and the wines are aged in carefully selected French oak barrels of Allier and Nevers wood from two of the finest coopers, Radoux and Berthomieu. Barrels of varying age and toast are then blended to achieve optimal balance and complexity.

Critics agree that balance and complexity set the domaine apart. Clive Coates wrote, "The wines are rich in colour, virile, profound and concentrated." Remington Norman MW observed in The Great Domaines of Burgundy, "Together, André and Frédéric have propelled their Domaine into the upper échelons of Gevrey quality."

Our Visit to the Domaine

Among Burgundy's many premium producers, Frédéric Esmonin stands out for us because its wines are pretty and approachable in their youth, yet age beautifully. Older vintages we have tasted, such as 2002, were remarkably well balanced and had aged perfectly. Because the domaine is less well known than the "blue-chip" producers of the Côte de Nuits, its wines also offer tremendous value.

During our trip to Burgundy in May 2017, André Esmonin gave us a tour of the historic aging cellar beneath the family's home and office in the village of Gevrey-Chambertin. We tasted through barrel samples of the 2016 vintage, which were absolutely delightful and showed how well the family brings out the best qualities of each plot.

At Aabalat Fine & Rare Wines, we offer a changing selection of Esmonin vintages. Explore the available wines below to find your next addition to the cellar.