2012 Charmes Chambertin
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Tasting notes
Tasted blind at the annual "Burgfest" tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru from Christian Serafin has a very slight reduction on the nose but it soon dissipates and reveals very charming black cherries, red plum and cold stone scents. It just needs more bottle age to deal with that reduction. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. There is certainly good weight and volume here, the acidity astutely judged with a harmonious, delineated finish with plenty of finesse. This is modern in style but clearly very well executed.
Critic scores
Average Score
Neal Martin
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Bright full red. Medicinal black cherry, licorice and spices on the rather open-knit nose. Silky and sweet in the mouth, showing an almost chocolatey ripeness to its palate-saturating dark fruit and spice flavors. The ripely tannic finish coats the teeth. Perhaps a bit less gripping than the extraordinary Cazetiers but at least as long.
Good bright, dark red with ruby highlights. Pungent minerals, licorice and a suggestion of porcini on the nose, with a fruit character that's a bit less black than that of the Cazetiers. Then juicy, tight and atypically imploded for this wine in the early going; there's no easy sweetness or candied-fruit character here. Most impressive on the long, subtle finish, which features suaver tannins than the Cazetiers but a serious spine for aging.
The 2012 Charmes-Chambertin represents a major step up from the rest of the wines in the range. Totally spherical and seamless on the palate, the 2012 captures the richness of the year, with impeccable polish and depth. A decidedly explosive Charmes, the 2012 isn't especially subtle in showing off its pedigree. There is a lot to look forward to here. Sadly production is down 50%.