Wines of France / Burgundy / Côtes de Nuits / Nuits-saint-Georges / Gevrey Chambertin / Domaine Philippe Rossignol

Domaine Philippe Rossignol - Gevrey Chambertin

Gevrey-Chambertin, Côte d’Or
This is a relatively more recent discovery for us—a producer we became acquainted with at the Grands Jours de Bourgogne in 2016. Philippe Rossignol lives in the village of Gevrey-Chambertin where he established his domaine in the mid-1970’s as a young man in his twenties. Though young, he had grown up in the vineyards and had plenty of family history to support him. Slowly but surely he built up his knowledge, experience, and vineyard holdings, even adding some premier cru vineyards in the early 1990’s.

Philippe Rossignol in his cellar in Gevrey Chambertin

Rossignol, whose brother-in-law is the fellow Gevrey producer and justifiably famous Joseph Roty, now works alongside his son Sylvain at their small 7-hectare property. They also have access to 10 more hectares under a series of en fermage arrangements, by which a winemaker leases the land for a minimum of 9 years (with right of renewal) and is responsible for working the vineyards himself. They make wines from across several villages in their home commune (including premier cru), as well as one from neighboring Fixin. Together Sylvain and Philippe, with help from their team of course, work every vineyard row. Yields are low, and the harvests are done entirely by hand.

After this manual harvest, all grapes are 100% destemmed and undergo a temperature-controlled fermentation. They are then aged in mostly used French oak for a period that depends on the wine. The domaine produces around 20,000 bottles a year and Rossignol is highly focused on being in the upper echelons of quality in this region.

Domaine Philippe Rossignol Bourgogne Rouge
The domaine’s everyday red comes from on the flatter vineyards surrounding Rossignol’s house and winery just east of the village of Gevrey-Chambertin. It shows notes of red fruit with good tannic and acidic structure.

Domaine Philippe Rossignol Côte-de-Nuits Villages
This is a huge step up from the Bourgogne Rouge, though not in price, and is thus an excellent value. The grapes are planted on clay and limestone and are hand harvested. The wine is aged in partially new oak. Its shiny, deep ruby color gives hints of what’s to come: delicate aromas of red flowers, black cherry and pomegranate. On the palate it is a surprisingly deep and complex wine—it would be tough to tell this apart from a premier cru wine. Its dark and deep fruit flavors are perfectly countered by its impressive minerality, as well as notes of exotic spices and certain herbs.

Domaine Philippe Rossignol Fixin “En Tabellion”
Located above Gevrey-Chambertin, Fixin (pronounced Fi-SSAN) is one of the most northerly appellations of Burgundy. The Rossignols have a small plot near the Premier Crus called En Tabellion. This is a sturdy red, with aromas of black cherry and blackcurrant, along with a higher-pitched violet note—an excellent choice for braised pork or comté cheese.

Domaine Philippe Rossignol Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru “Les Corbeaux”
As the premier cru Les Corbeaux is just next to the grand cru Mazis-Chambertin, it’s not surprising that this wine punches above its weight. Its pleasant black cherry aromas are backed up by a deep, dark backbone and a touch of oak. A highly impressive bottle of premier cru wine.

Domaine Philippe Rossignol Gevrey-Chambertin
“Rossignol manages to produce textbook examples of excellent quality generic Bourgogne Rouge, while his approach to winemaking is extremely serious. His Gevrey-Chambertin is as good as many producer’s premier crus. As with most of the top domaines, there is little manipulation of the wine, and as light a filtration as possible.”--Robert Parker

Domaine Philippe Rossignol Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
From 60-year old vines, these grapes are hand-harvested and then fermented with 10% stems. The wine is aged in barrel for 18 months and then bottled without filtration. What strikes you first about this wine is its freshness and minerality—right from the first sniff. Its red and black cherry aromas are followed by the same flavors plus a whole floral and fruit spectrum. Its mineral backbone along with perfect tannic structure make this a highly drinkable yet also highly ageable wine.