2013 Charmes Chambertin

Deep red-ruby. Nicely ripe aromas of black cherry, minerals and licorice. Supple and sweet on entry, then more strict in the middle palate, with its red fruit flavors showing a strong saline element. Sappy and broad but a bit youthfully dry in the early going, finishing with slightly peppery tannins.

A powerful wine, the 2013 Charmes-Chambertin comes across as a touch compact and closed in on itself. Dark red cherry, plum, spice, dried flowers and mint struggle to emerge from a structured frame that seems to be trapping the flavors and textures at this stage. Here, too, the overall impression is of leanness.

Bright medium red. Lovely floral perfume lifts aromas of red cherry, raspberry and pepper. Then juicy but youthfully clenched in the mouth; deeper than the Lavaux but today the firm tannins really clamp down on the wine's saline finish. Dugat described this wine as round, but I find it quite tight in the early going. Does it possess enough mid-palate ripeness to support its spine?