Domaine Trapet Père et Fils
Overview
Domaine Trapet Père et Fils is a historic Gevrey-Chambertin estate founded in 1859, holding grand cru parcels in Chambertin, Latricières-Chambertin, and Chapelle-Chambertin, as well as premier crus and village Gevrey-Chambertin. The domaine was headed by the legendary Jean Trapet (1933–2025) until his retirement in 1990, when his son Jean-Louis took over. Jean-Louis Trapet was one of the first advocates of biodynamic farming in Burgundy, converting all vineyards to biodynamic viticulture. The domaine is now moving to the next generation, with Jean Trapet’s grandsons Pierre and Louis Trapet increasingly involved. The Trapet family also owns an excellent domaine in Alsace. Note: Upon Jean Trapet’s retirement in 1990, the family vineyards were divided: Domaine Trapet Père et Fils covers Jean-Louis’s share, while Domaine Rossignol-Trapet covers Jean’s sister’s share.
Appellations
- Gevrey-Chambertin (Chambertin, Latricières-Chambertin, Chapelle-Chambertin grand crus; premier crus; village)
Key Wines
- Chambertin grand cru — the pinnacle of the domaine
- Latricières-Chambertin grand cru — Jean Trapet called it “a lunar terroir” for its cool-air microclimate at the top of the slope
- Chapelle-Chambertin grand cru — Jean Trapet called it “a solar terroir” for its sheltered, warmer microclimate
Style Notes
The traditional Trapet style (under Jean and early Jean-Louis) was one of perfumed elegance — wines of finesse rather than power, in the classic Burgundy manner of the 1960s–1970s. Jean-Louis’s biodynamic conversion brought further terroir transparency. Under the third generation (Pierre and Louis), the style continues to evolve.
Jean Trapet (1933–January 16, 2025)
VFTC #115 opens with a tribute to Jean Trapet, who passed away at age 91 during Gilman’s January 2025 trip to Gevrey.
Jean Trapet was the fourth generation of his family to run the domaine. He took over from his father Louis Trapet in 1965 at age 32, and immediately began transitioning from bulk négociant sales to bottling and selling directly — a prescient decision that, by the 1975 vintage, meant 100% of production was sold in bottle. He “officially” retired in 1990 but continued to be present in the cellars throughout Jean-Louis’s tenure. Gilman describes him as a man of the same generation and character as Michel Lafarge, Jacky Truchot, Henri Jayer, and Jean Mongeard — pioneers who devoted their lives to their vines, worked with their own hands, never sought the international limelight, and were always to be found at their estates or in their vineyards.
Gilman: “He was very much emblematic of the generation of veteran winegrowers I met when I first started visiting the region to taste in the cellars in the fall of 1989 … His palate was still sharp as a tack and he still relished all of the beauty found in a glass of fully mature Gevrey-Chambertin.”
2023 Vintage Notes
Full range produced in the generous 2023 vintage under Jean-Louis Trapet’s direction with the next generation increasingly involved.
2024 Vintage Notes (Burghound #101, barrel)
Louis and Pierre Trapet have largely taken over day-to-day operations. On 2024: “rain, rain and more rain!” Biodynamic farming required 23 mildew treatments (vs. 20 in 2021). Also hit by hailstorm in Marsannay. Picked September 20-24; sorted out ~15% of what came in. Yields very low.
2024 Scores (barrel):
- Chambertin: (91-94) — top of range
- Chapelle-Chambertin: (90-93)
- Latricières-Chambertin: (90-92)
- Gevrey “Ostrea”: (88-91)
- Gevrey “1er – Alea”: (88-90)
- Gevrey-Chambertin: (87-90)
- CDN-V “Meix Fringuet”: (86-89)
- Marsannay: (86-89)
- Bourgogne PTG “Minima”: (86-89)
My Tastings
(none yet)
Sources
sources/articles/VFTC/VFTC Jan-Feb 2025 #115.txt(pages 164–167; Jean Trapet tribute)sources/articles/Burghound/Burghound Issue 101 - 2024 and 2023 Cote de Nuits Reds.txt