Founded back in 1870, Domaine Trapet is currently run by Jean-Louis Trapet who looks after the family’s 12 hectares of vines which include 1.9 hectares of prized Chambertin Grand Cru vineyards. The domaine was known throughout much of its history as Domaine Louis Trapet, named after the founder, but in 1993, the estate’s vineyard holdings were split in half, as a new generation sought to make wines from their half of the family’s holdings (Domaine Rossignol-Trapet). The result was the Louis Trapet estate being renamed as Domaine Trapet Père et Fils and run under the very sure hand of Jean-Louis Trapet. The domaine was one of the few in Burgundy to embrace the forbidden practice of grafting vines to protect against phylloxera in the 19th century. Thanks to this bold move, the domaine’s vineyards were saved and were later used to help replant the region

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The vines are planted on limestone and clay-limestone soils and have been cultivated according to the biodynamic principles since 1995. Jean-Louis converted the domaine to biodynamic viticulture in the 1990s, achieving Biodivin certification in 1998 and Demeter in 2005. The harvest is carried out manually with a careful selection of the healthy bunches. Jean-Louis is a vigneron who respects his environment, is very attentive to his vines, is a committed biodynamic winemaker, is non-interventionist in the winery, and uses little to no sulphur. His wines undergo long, gentle maturation, and certain cuvées are even vinified whole cluster and focused on fruit aromas. Although historically, the Trapet name was synonymous with old-styled, highly-structured wines built for the ages, Jean-Louis has honed his style, moving more towards an emphasis on purity, elegance and finesse, all wrapped up in a wine that will age gracefully and provide a uniquely transparent view of the underlying terroir

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Vinified without any destemming, Trapet's 2018 Chambertin Grand Cru is showing superbly, unfurling in the glass with a profound bouquet of cassis, cherries and red berries mingled with notes of dark chocolate, rose petals, licorice and exotic spices. Full-bodied, supple and enveloping, it's effortless and complete, with an ample chassis of exquisitely fine, powdery tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long and penetrating finish. This is a stunning Chambertin in the making and an ineffably elegant one at that "Robert Parker".