2005 Chambertin Clos de Beze

Bright, deep ruby-red. Sexy, pure aromas of black fruits, violet, mocha and coffee. Suave on entry, with less obvious fat than the Chambertin, then almost shockingly intense and pure, with an ineffable floral perfume suffusing the palate. A sharply delineated wine that finishes with a whiplash of mineral and violet flavors that verges on painful, and a captivating suggestion of white fruits. A great '05.

Perrot-Minot’s 2005 Chambertin Clos de Beze Vieilles Vignes (from 50-year-old vines) leads with a jaw-dropping nose of cassis, licorice, citrus zest, black raspberry liqueur, wood smoke, and candied violets. In the mouth, this presents a smelted alliance of liqueur-like black fruit essence, saline minerality, and deep, roasted meatiness. A subtly oily, creamily-textured feel covers a wealth of refined tannins. For all of its sheer finishing, distilled-fruit intensity and grip, this never neglects the first duty of wine – to refresh – and displays gravity-defying lift as it heads down the runway and takes off for a spectacularly long, high-flying finish of utmost clarity and replete with nuances. Plan on following this wine – should you be so lucky as to latch onto a bottle – for at least 15-20 years. Importer: Martine’s Wines, Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400.