1985 Charmes Chambertin (2022 Release)
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Tasting notes
Good medium red with an amber edge. Knockout nose offers scents of currant, cocoa powder, minerals and dried flowers; this actually went into a shell in the glass without losing its freshness. A wine of uncanny concentration and power, displaying liqueur-like sweetness and texture. And yet it also boasts extraordinary complexity and perfume, with its cherry and dark berry flavors lifted by spices and rose petal. Delivers great sucrosité perfectly allied with a firm vertebral column and floral lift. This chewy, salty, extract-rich wine boasts an endless finish featuring spreading, fine-grained tannins and captivating floral perfume. This has been a monumental wine from the outset, although it really needed a full two decades in the bottle before it approached what will surely be an extended plane of peak drinkability. Pierre-Jean Roty attributes the uncommon longevity of this wine to the vines' deep roots and the very low yield. Clearly, there's a rocky substrate to this wine that gives it virtual immortality. This was the first vintage to carry the gold Cuvée de "très vieilles vignes" strip label. (13.9% alcohol; 3.36 pH; 18 h/h)
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
This wine has drunk beautifully since the early nineties. It reveals no signs of losing its fruit, fat, or allure. The color remains a healthy dark ruby with purple nuances and only a bit of lightening at the edge. A spectacular nose of jammy black fruits infused with spice box, licorice, dried herbs, and smoky aromas is followed by a sumptuously-textured, fleshy, concentrated wine with a lively personality as well as an exuberant, succulent mouth-feel. This terrific red Burgundy is still in its prime, but I would consume it over the next 5-7 years.