2005 Chambertin
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Tasting notes
Bright, deep ruby. Roasted black fruits, violet, minerals, black pepper and a whiff of hawthorn on the nose; this smells powerful. Then rich, sappy and wonderfully deep, with a seductively pliant texture and compelling sweetness to its dark fruit and mineral flavors. As expressive as this seems initially, it tightened up considerably in the glass. Finishes with noble tannins and outstanding length.
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Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
From 40-year-old vines, the 2005 Chambertin Vieilles Vignes is among those few 2005s to push ripeness of fruit (not just meatiness) into a roasted range. Blackberry and licorice aromas with a hint of caramel lead to a palate of enormous breadth and weight, with superb integration of tannins, and finishing like a storm front. Yet, impressive as this is, it’s far from the most impressive wine here today, and certainly not the most refined. Importer: Martine’s Wines, Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400.
Bright ruby-red. Aromas of cassis, violet, licorice and bitter chocolate. At once black and cool in the mouth, with an almost peppery reserve to the intense blackberry and violet flavors, and a tarry nuance. This sappy, superconcentrated wine is a bit brutal today and dominated by its powerful tannic spine (it was the last to finish its malolactic fermentation), and will almost certainly flesh out and gain in length during its final months of elevage But it has all the elements for future greatness.