Domaine Joseph Roty 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Fontenys 750ml

Few names in Gevrey-Chambertin carry the mystique of Joseph Roty. This is a domaine built on some of the oldest vines in Burgundy, run by a family that has farmed the same ground since the early 1800s and has never chased fashion. The 2018 Les Fontenys comes from a tiny, single half-hectare parcel of vines pushing 80 years old, and it shows: dense, structured, and layered with the dark-fruited, mineral-driven character that has made this cult estate a favorite among serious Burgundy collectors. This is a wine built to reward patience.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Domaine Joseph Roty traces its roots in Gevrey-Chambertin back to 1710, with the family farming vines in the village since 1817. Today the estate is run by Pierre-Jean Roty, the eleventh generation of the family to work this land, who took full control of the domaine following the deaths of his father Joseph in 2008 and his brother Philippe in 2015. The Rotys are famous for holding some of the largest concentrations of old vines anywhere in Burgundy, with an estate-wide average approaching 65 years and select parcels — most notably their legendary Charmes-Chambertin Très Vieilles Vignes — planted as far back as 1881.

Les Fontenys is drawn from a single, tightly held 0.5-hectare plot of vines believed to be roughly 80 years old, sitting on clay-limestone soils at the base of the Combe de Lavaux, in the geological extension of Gevrey's grand cru slope. The Roty style here is deliberately old-fashioned and uncompromising: grapes are picked late to concentrate the fruit, fully destemmed, fermented below 30°C, and given an extended three-week cuvaison to build structure. The wine is then aged roughly 18 months in French oak, with a notably high proportion of new barrels for a Premier Cru bottling — in keeping with the domaine's long-standing house style of built-to-age, richly wooded Gevrey.

Critics Reviews

The 2018 Les Fontenys has drawn strong marks across the major Burgundy critics. William Kelley of The Wine Advocate scored it 94 points, describing a wine with real depth and staying power built around dark fruit, chocolate, and toasty new oak. Neal Martin at Vinous rated it 93 points, highlighting the wine's saline, mineral-driven finish and a complex bouquet with a distinct marine, oyster-shell edge. Allen Meadows of Burghound scored it 92 points as part of his coverage of the 2018 vintage. Across all three reviews, the wine is consistently described as one of the more serious, age-worthy expressions in this year's Roty lineup.

Tasting Profile

Nose: Dark and complex, layered with cassis, black cherry, and violet, with notes of dark chocolate, licorice, and toasty new oak, underscored by a distinct saline, marine minerality reminiscent of shucked oyster shell.

Palate: Medium to full-bodied, velvety, and multidimensional, with fleshy black cherry and blueberry fruit set against a firm, fine-grained tannic backbone.

Finish: Long and elegantly muscular, with a pronounced saline, mineral edge that carries through to a serious, structured close built for cellaring.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

This is a wine for the table, not the aperitif hour. Pour it alongside braised short rib, duck breast with cherry gastrique, or a classic boeuf bourguignon. Its saline, mineral edge also makes it a natural with mushroom-forward dishes — think a wild mushroom and truffle risotto — and it holds its own against aged Gruyère, Comté, or other firm, nutty cheeses.