WHAT

Pinot Noir

WHEN

2015

WHERE

Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, Gevrey-Chambertin, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France

WHO

This is a house built by a Polish immigrant. Stanislaus Sérafin worked as a mason, eventually purchasing land in 1947 when he established himself as a vigneron. The winery is now run by his son and grandchildren who work in a slow and steady way, disregarding trends and letting their wines harness all the power of their potential.

Sérafin's parcel in Charmes-Chambertin is tiny — just 0.31 hectares total, split between Charmes and Mazoyères, from vines planted over 55 years ago. The oldest vines on the estate date to 1946, the year after Stanislaus was liberated from a German prisoner-of-war camp. Today Frédérique Goulley and Karine Sérafin — Christian's niece and daughter — are the guardians of the estate, maintaining the same meticulous vineyard care and traditional winemaking that defined the Sérafin style: strict pruning, green harvest, 100% new oak, and very long aging before release.

The 2015 vintage in Burgundy was exceptional — warm and generous, producing wines with remarkable concentration and an unusually early-drinking character for Gevrey. But wines from old Sérafin vines carry structure that outlasts the vintage's generosity. Dark cherry and blackberry, pleasant spice, notable minerality, and the dense, present tannins that define this estate's wines. It is drinking well now and will continue to develop for many years.