1999 Charmes Chambertin

The medium to dark ruby-colored 1999 Charmes-Chambertin has a mouth-watering nose of Asian spices, blackberries, and black cherries. This luscious, opulent, medium to full-bodied wine is creamy-textured and refined. Loads of red cherries, spices, candied raspberries, and touches of sweet oak can be found in this luxurious offering. It has an awesome depth of fruit as well as loads of exquisitely ripened, supple tannins. Additionally, this wine has an exceptionally long, pure finish. Drink it between 2005 and 2012. To Claude Dugat, 1999 is "between very good and great". Yields, as always, were not an issue, as they ranged from a high of 33 hectoliters per hectare for the Gevrey Chambertin to between 22 and 25 hectoliters per hectare for the Griotte-Chambertin. Dugat works the vines that his grandfather, a noted horticulturist, had selected for their small bunches and berries, as well as for their concentrated juice. "My work in the vineyard is really to maintain the vines at 10-12 tiny clusters, and to make sure they are working hard for their food. I don't like to say that I make my vines suffer, because I love them. I prefer to say that I make them work hard for me. The only food I provide is a little manure from organically raised cattle when the vines' leaves show they need it, which is generally every four years," he said. As I was touring Burgundy tasting through the 1999s, most vignerons appeared pessimistic about the 2000s. The modest Claude Dugat, however, at the end of our tasting said he wasn't "too unhappy" about the 2000s. "All it took to make good wines was some work in the vineyard." Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083.