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Neal Martin, Vinous on the 2021 vintage at domaine Galeyrand: "This is an intriguing set of 2021s from Galeyrand. I find the whites a bit more complete. The wines naturally show the lighter style of the year... As is so often the case, these wines are defined by a minimalist aesthetic that I personally find very appealing...."
Jasper Morris, MW, Inside Burgundy said about Jerome: "...The wines were decent before, and really exciting now." "The fruit.... is sublime..."
There’s no producer in Burgundy whose wines have seen a more impressive uptick in quality and ambition over the last few years than those of Jérôme Galeyrand.
This domaine is situated in Gevrey-Chambertin, in the beautiful hamlet of Saint Philibert. Gevrey-Chambertin, Fixin, Marsannay and Côte de Nuits village are specialities of Jérome. Production is tiny and quantities limited.
The charming Jerome arrived here from the Loire valley in the 1980's and has since forged himself an enviable reputation. We were recommended to him by his friend Olivier Lamy and are grateful for the introduction. His trio of Gevrey Chambertin wines are some of the best we have ever tasted. However, do not overlook his tiny production of Marsannay and Fixin. They are both revelations, whilst his every day Pinot is a wonderful expression of the grape. So silky, so fruit-driven, so fine. He is capturing the style that is in demand at the moment. Purity and elegance is the current desired style. Both are in abundance at this address. You could easily pay three times more for these wines in the current Burgundy merry-go-round. It’s important to find quality and value. That is all here, but get in now and stay on the allocation list as this address will be harder to get into as the years go by. At dinner with Jérome he made it perfectly clear to me that he is a happy man. He is being recognised for his stunning wines. His prices are fair, his wines magical so enjoy this offer now while you can.
Anyone who meets Jérome is instantly attracted to his love of Burgundy. He is now seen as one of the leading lights in the region when it comes to the Aligoté grape. The Aligoté wines here are serious. Incredible elegance, finesse and a real quality that is not often seen. He has championed the grape variety and the results are wonderful. They really are worth buying. They combine a freshness on the nose with richness in the mouth which is very seductive. With friends, he has purchased parcels and rented parcels. From his humble cellar, one can see that this is an enthusiast which magic in his fingers. Humble, unassuming and dedicated to producing great wines. His small winery is at his home and his goal is terroir transparency. Viticulture is organic for 70% of the vineyards and sustainable for 30% with no pesticides and all vines are ploughed. All wines are aged in oak barrels; 12 months for whites and 18 to 24 months for reds.
We sat down with Jérôme to discuss his 2021s in Gevrey-Chambertin in May 2022, where his domaine makes wines from three parcels in the village: La Justice, en Billard and en Croisettes. None of his Gevreys are from the area’s most acclaimed vineyards, yet all raise the bar for what is possible from village-level wines. If your only previous experience of Gevrey is the tannic, muscular style with which the village is most closely associated, get ready to be transported into a new universe, where power is combined with sensational silkiness and purity of fruit.
La Justice is perhaps the most ‘typical’ wine of the three, with deep colour and dark, concentrated, spicy fruit. Billard is the most hedonistic, with an opulent and heady nose, laid over a generously fruitdriven palate. Les Croisettes is the most ‘Galeyrand’ of the bunch, with a beautifully perfumed nose and wonderful balance between oak, fruit and tannin in the mouth. It would be fascinating to lay down a case of each and come back to compare in 5-10 years’ time.
Outside of Gevrey, Jérôme’s most surprising and soughtafter red is his Côte de Nuits-Villages ‘Les Retraits’, which is another wine from a lowly appellation that for quality, interest and ageing potential massively outperforms. In the 2020 vintage, Jasper Morris gave this wine one of his rare 5 Star ratings. The 2021 is just as good, albeit it juicier, more fragrant and delicate. Aficionados will know that Les Retraits straddles Mugnier’s Clos de la Marachelle.
The whites mimic the style of the reds in their commitment to purity, finesse and fine minerality. They also continue to rank as some of the greatest bargains to be had in the world of heady white Burgundy prices. The Marsannay Blanc is a particular opportunity for value, offering a level of richness and depth that just a few years ago wouldn’t be imaginable outside of the upper echelons of the Cote de Beaune. Then of course, there are the Aligotés. The Aligoté grape used to be regarded as the workhorse of the Burgundy region: reliable whatever the vintage conditions, but certainly not a thoroughbred variety. No longer. Along with a dozen or so other winemakers in Les Aligoteurs collective, Galeyrand is revolutionising Aligoté’s profile, making wines every bit as concentrated and ageworthy as those made in Burgundy from Chardonnay. Of course, they continue to offer exceptional value for money, and we’d strongly recommend adding a case or two, whatever else you choose to buy this year..
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