Meursault 1er cru Les Charmes
The Charmes appellation represents an area of 31 hectares on the Municipality of Meursault.
The Meursault 1er Cru les Charmes Vieille Vigne vineyard which we have been farming since 1992, uses the metayage system (50% of the harvest for the owner, 50% of the harvest for the tenant). Its surface area is 0.18 ha.
This vineyard was planted by grandfather in 1913.
The grape variety is 100% chardonnay.
Annual production: about 500 litres in bottles and magnums.
The sub-soil is made of basement of bedrock..
Our barrel-aged wine allows the expression of our Terroir to be preserved.
It’s a very flavourful and concentrated wine with all the markings of a Grand Cru and which should be kept in the cellar to age.
Tasting
Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris
Robe or très clair, lumineuse et translucide. Le nez requière de la patience, les arômes se font attendre, c’est la structure ressentie qui s’impose d’abord et surtout, un nez dense qui laisse deviner une matière considérable, la poire réussit la première à s’extraire péniblement de cette masse, elle est entourée d’un halo frais de fleurs blanches et d’herbes hautes, on devine sans pour autant pouvoir clairement les identifier que ces fleurs apportent avec elles fraîcheur et agrumes, on croit, mais rien n’est moins sûr, identifier le kiwi, le citron dont on n’arrive pas à identifier la couleur, le pamplemousse, la clémentine mais rien n’apparait vraiment comme évident. La sensualité du terroir progresse doucement et on découvre des arômes pâtissiers typiques du cru, des miels, des caramels, une Madeleine ici, un financier là, la crème pâtissière, le flan aux œufs, le puits d’amour ou le Saint-Honoré, les fleurs blanches s’ouvrent avec l’aération, la fraîcheur persiste et lavande, cerfeuil et aneth font désormais partie du tableau.
Bouche ample, toucher souple malgré la très grande densité de la matière, poire toujours mâtinée d’abricot, pomme caramélisée mâtinée d’orange, pamplemousse très mûr mâtiné de coriandre, un soupçon de fruit de la passion, la mandarine se précise accompagnée de radis noir et d’une pointe de céleri, la cardamome verte, le poivre vert, le bâton de réglisse, l’écorce de chêne (pas celui de l’élevage), malgré les quelques saveurs identifiées, l’ensemble reste massif et recroquevillé sur lui-même, c’est surtout de force dont il est question, de concentration, de puissance. A noter que le fruit croît de manière sensible à l’oxydation mais on ne parle pas d’agiter le verre deux minutes, non, on parle d’une grosse heure de carafe.
La profondeur et la puissance telluriques que révèle la finale ne peuvent surprendre en fin de dégustation, c’était largement attendu, poire, abricot et orange parviennent à s’exprimer dans la longueur, interminable par ailleurs, et dans la persistance impressionnante mais tout cela était attendu à l’issue de la dégustation de l’ensemble de la gamme. 98+. Une double côte de veau aux cèpes et aux copeaux de truffe blanche dans une quinzaine d’années ou une tourte aux ris de veau et au foie gras, un turbot sauce hollandaise, un homard rôti au beurre blanc, du classique en somme.
Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris
A sensual nose; honey, cinnamon, nutmeg; very typically Meursault; candied fruits with apple, pineapple, mango, orange; pastry elements such as Tuile biscuits, sponge fingers, almond powder; among the fruits, we can also detect pomegranate, apricot kernel, candied rhubarb; an atmosphere of exotic flowers precedes musky fragrances that evoke certain Guerlain perfumes or Opium from Dior. Finally, the zest of grapefruit, mandarin and orange; confit of orange and quince.
Full-bodied palate marked by spices; a complex mixture of aromatic plants and spices; we note verbena, rocket, saffron, curry, nutmeg, ginger confit, lemon, lime, kiwi, black radish and a stick of liquorice.
Intense finish, vibrating and deep; telluric, as is often the case with these very old vines – a kind of trip to the centre of the earth; the wine manages to remain sapid, despite the mass and weight of the material; again, a wonderful experience.
Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris
From the first nose, it’s clear this is an open-and-shut case – we are once again dealing with a grand cru; this is true almost every year, and in particular for this 2020. The roots have now gone so deep that they help describe the nose – unfathomable! This also explains such freshness; they easily triumphed in the dry vintages of 2005 and 2009 so, almost fifteen years later – fifteen more years for these vines that were 100 years old in 2013, if they were fresh then, what can we say about them today except that their task has been made even easier … A candied pear, a candied quince, a magnificent yellow peach and an equally wonderful pineapple, a candied orange, bergamot and frankincense, sublime oils made from hazelnuts, sesame, cashew nuts, peanuts, juniper berries, a magic camphor, incense in liquid form.
An extraordinary soft and sensual mouthfeel; mango, orange, pineapple, banana, apricot; yellow peaches in a tart, copiously buttered, and straight from the oven; oils and extracts of the same fruits; a collection of spices, and in particular four spices, Sichuan pepper, saffron here too, and curry, a hint of cumin … The kind of bottle you need to spend time with; the kind of wine that allows you to escape and find happiness.
A grandiose finish, even more interminable than the Genevrières – and that is saying a lot! Totally pervades the body, right down to the knees and the soles of the feet; amazing, and still majestic and sophisticated.
Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris
These old vines – 106 years old or thereabouts, with all their teeth intact; we are grateful to these old friends for being capable still of such a wonderful performance. The old vines at Charmes have been in the habit for many years of mimicking the spirit of Bâtard-Montrachet, but this year is an exception – this year Caillerets and Chevalier de Puligny have been convened. The elegance, the diaphanous and airy side of Caillerets, with lacey minerality; and the verticality, the focused, mineral purity of Chevalier. In 2019, these old vines demonstrated their insolent youth; the maturation, with its barely identifiable procession of dried fruits, sweet spices and white coffee, disappears behind the freshness and purity of this wine; there’s a whisper of white fruits, barely audible, as the fine herbs and those meadow flowers we struggle to name dominate the nose.
The palate, with white fruits that we wouldn’t have expected to be so mature, so opulent, so sensual; extremely ripe pear, somewhere between Passe Crassane and Williams; Reinette apple suffused with delicate caramel, very ripe apricot, and apricot and almond paste tart; these gourmet aspects managing to retain the freshness of the nose; orange peel, zest, liquorice root stick, a kind of honeyed butter – hollandaise sauce has sprung to mind. The finish resonates for a long time once swallowed, with the low harmonics of a Tibetan gong, or perhaps those of a Cistercian abbey? Patience and the ability to allow time to pass are more worthy than strength and rage – lay this wine down until the third and even fourth decade of the 21st century before wielding your corkscrew. Drink with braised turbot and white truffle risotto, the same hollandaise sauce and steamed Noirmoutiers potatoes.
Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris
As one might expect, the Charmes 1913 is not willing to tell us a lot of stories on this November 17, 2019.Sir is sleeping, we are disturbing him. We can clearly see this elegance, this sensual and refined honey, this subtle violet that reminds us of illustrious neighbours on a nearby hill, we understand that this Charmes, whose roots are in an area of the subsoil that can only be reached by very old vines, did not experience the vintage in the same way as the others. Basically, at this canonical age, is there a real difference from one vintage to another, can’t say for sure, it would be interesting to put a 2013 and a 2010 side by side, or a 2007 and a 2005, contradictory vintages and yet, it is highly likely that the differences are infinitesimal. The mouth offers a lot of fruit, tangerine, vine peach, orange, candied mirabelle plum, grape jam, yellow plum juice and spices, juniper, licorice stick but also Japanese green tea. There is obviously length, but the wine is still under construction, it will take its time, and yours.
Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris
Concentrated, dense, solid and serious, like the Charmes just now, judgement is reserved, let the wine breathe. Earth, mushrooms, chanterelles, porcini mushrooms, sublime white fruits somewhere between white peach and pear, flowers, trees, acacia, mimosa, white carnations, lily, Causses honey, resin, violet, Virginia tobacco and Turkish tobacco, a Middle Eastern side with a musky note, nutmeg, a jar of five spices, really complex, smoke, cardamom, metal-cast, bark … .. Palate with a huge fruit, a Pass Crassane, a Williams, a Boskoop, a Golden, solid wine with fantastic maturity, in the depths of the substance we encounter a phenomenal density without harshness, a colossal finish, what else is there to say !
Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris
Like their younger companions, these hallowed Charmes vines tilt more towards the Perrières than the Batard, towards which the gaze usually drifts. It is the hieratic, resolutely yang side of the vintage that carries the expression up the hill. This wine with a deep nose, provides concentrated aromas of white fruits and candied fruits, it is dense, it is also very pure, the incorporation of the wood perfectly expresses the freshness of the wine. You see white meat, and feathered game too, subtle and complex spices, juniper, Szechuan, even cardamom and ginger. The mouth is generous in fruit, grapes, pears, Comice and Williams, phenomenal length (not the first time), the persistence of a grand cru. I would just like to take a moment to dwell on the great grape that is Chardonnay, just to say, and it is the greatest tribute that can be paid, both to the wine and the winemaker, that we never think of it as a grape variety, as an end in itself, definitely not, it is the ideal medium, it is the zealous servant of the vintage and the terroir, favouring one, sometimes the other, often both, the faithful translator of what took place.
Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris
The 2005 and 2009 vintages were briefly mentioned in the short introduction, when those former vines thrived. And so it is logical that they repeat the feat in 2015, a vintage that shares many similarities with its two elder siblings. A refined and deep nose, great purity of the fruit, immediately reminding you of Batard, or even Montrachet. Density and concentration but always remarkably fresh, there is something for everyone, flowers, poached fruits, candied fruit, citrus ….. guava, grape, pear, milky and refined like a light Chantilly perfumed with violet. The substance is really difficult to move in the mouth as it is disproportionate, no heaviness, no trace of excessive alcoholic load, the fruit is always at balance with the structure. Then the finish hits, like a terrific punch to the sternum, the longevity is unreal and the balances are perfect during the good minute and a half that the feeling lasts. You may think you are dreaming and yet, this is all real.
Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris
A concentrated nose, white fruit (Belle de Boskoop apples and Williams pears), mountain honey, caramel, marzipan quatre-quarts cake, anise, violet flowers. Very solid, deep and serious, overtones from the mineral in the rock, the aromas of the wine freshen up considerably upon oxidation, making the fruit more joyful, with great style and elegance like a Bâtard-Montrachet wine. Very fruity in the mouth, meaty and dense, stays ample and flexible despite the concentration of matter, superlative length, becoming a very great wine, with a persistence of fruit which lasts until well after the finish.
Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris
For this wine, aeration changes the game and the wine is freed from its chains. Nose of fresh butter, praline, flowers, sophistication and class, a tendency toward Batard from Puligny (as the wine evokes each vintage, including this one). White and yellow fruits, squashed banana, yogurt, Comice pear, lavender honey. For a second I again picked up German Riesling. The mouth is full of juice and energy, white fruits, citrus-lime-guava-kiwi, something salty, this may evolve like a 2008, but more slowly. The finish—upright, intense and serious—reminds me of a mix between Perrières and Chevalier. Possibly a great wine, only time will tell.
The 2013 harvest will be the hundredth for these vines. If many winemakers write this “selling logo” on their labels, here, I think one really has the right to.
The expression of a Meursault Charmes is a bit surpassed by the colossal character of this wine who, surreptitiously, climbs the hill toward its neighbor farther north. The spirit of 2011, the age of the vines, evidencing how the roots are in contact with the bedrock, all compete to render this wine cooler, erasing a bit of the sensuality of Charmes, putting up front the magnificent rigidity of Perrières.
Toasted nose, dense, concentrated, doesn’t deliver much, which seems healthy. One smells the citrus of the landscape but they are really hidden behind, kiwi, passion fruit, blood orange. The palate moves, I write “quite colossal, this guy”, but the savory aspect, very balanced in the mouth, in a framework with permanent tension, makes one think that things can only improve with aging, as it is evident that this wine should not be drunk before a good ten years of cellaring time. Impressive length, even intimidating, the monster should be tamed over time.
One thought to have arrived at an extreme depth, but here we are brought even to the abyss of the planet, into the fathomless pits of the Marianne islands. The nose is indeed abyssal and the minerality is intimidating. White fruits, dried fruits, hazelnut, pine nuts, grilled almond (and not because of barrel aging), white and yellow flowers, nougat. Palette of fruit, grape, from white to yellow peach, no heaviness in this wine, only strength, the finish is indescribable, all I can say is that the invasion is complete and that I can measure it objectively, at least two minutes of persistence. What is a great wine if not this? I should give 100, in that I give the maximum that you would give if you were knocked over by these old Charmes vines.
Flowers, violet, nougat, milk chocolate, mushrooms, veal, praline, carnal. The palette is big, monstrous juice and fruit, superimposed layers of structure, praline again, veal bone, lactic, suckling lamb or piglet, one considers it the king of the appellation, I note to finish: it’s stunning. Very great wine.
- + 2022
-
Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris
Robe or très clair, lumineuse et translucide. Le nez requière de la patience, les arômes se font attendre, c’est la structure ressentie qui s’impose d’abord et surtout, un nez dense qui laisse deviner une matière considérable, la poire réussit la première à s’extraire péniblement de cette masse, elle est entourée d’un halo frais de fleurs blanches et d’herbes hautes, on devine sans pour autant pouvoir clairement les identifier que ces fleurs apportent avec elles fraîcheur et agrumes, on croit, mais rien n’est moins sûr, identifier le kiwi, le citron dont on n’arrive pas à identifier la couleur, le pamplemousse, la clémentine mais rien n’apparait vraiment comme évident. La sensualité du terroir progresse doucement et on découvre des arômes pâtissiers typiques du cru, des miels, des caramels, une Madeleine ici, un financier là, la crème pâtissière, le flan aux œufs, le puits d’amour ou le Saint-Honoré, les fleurs blanches s’ouvrent avec l’aération, la fraîcheur persiste et lavande, cerfeuil et aneth font désormais partie du tableau.
Bouche ample, toucher souple malgré la très grande densité de la matière, poire toujours mâtinée d’abricot, pomme caramélisée mâtinée d’orange, pamplemousse très mûr mâtiné de coriandre, un soupçon de fruit de la passion, la mandarine se précise accompagnée de radis noir et d’une pointe de céleri, la cardamome verte, le poivre vert, le bâton de réglisse, l’écorce de chêne (pas celui de l’élevage), malgré les quelques saveurs identifiées, l’ensemble reste massif et recroquevillé sur lui-même, c’est surtout de force dont il est question, de concentration, de puissance. A noter que le fruit croît de manière sensible à l’oxydation mais on ne parle pas d’agiter le verre deux minutes, non, on parle d’une grosse heure de carafe.
La profondeur et la puissance telluriques que révèle la finale ne peuvent surprendre en fin de dégustation, c’était largement attendu, poire, abricot et orange parviennent à s’exprimer dans la longueur, interminable par ailleurs, et dans la persistance impressionnante mais tout cela était attendu à l’issue de la dégustation de l’ensemble de la gamme. 98+. Une double côte de veau aux cèpes et aux copeaux de truffe blanche dans une quinzaine d’années ou une tourte aux ris de veau et au foie gras, un turbot sauce hollandaise, un homard rôti au beurre blanc, du classique en somme. - + 2021
-
Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris
A sensual nose; honey, cinnamon, nutmeg; very typically Meursault; candied fruits with apple, pineapple, mango, orange; pastry elements such as Tuile biscuits, sponge fingers, almond powder; among the fruits, we can also detect pomegranate, apricot kernel, candied rhubarb; an atmosphere of exotic flowers precedes musky fragrances that evoke certain Guerlain perfumes or Opium from Dior. Finally, the zest of grapefruit, mandarin and orange; confit of orange and quince.
Full-bodied palate marked by spices; a complex mixture of aromatic plants and spices; we note verbena, rocket, saffron, curry, nutmeg, ginger confit, lemon, lime, kiwi, black radish and a stick of liquorice.
Intense finish, vibrating and deep; telluric, as is often the case with these very old vines – a kind of trip to the centre of the earth; the wine manages to remain sapid, despite the mass and weight of the material; again, a wonderful experience. - + 2020
-
Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris
From the first nose, it’s clear this is an open-and-shut case – we are once again dealing with a grand cru; this is true almost every year, and in particular for this 2020. The roots have now gone so deep that they help describe the nose – unfathomable! This also explains such freshness; they easily triumphed in the dry vintages of 2005 and 2009 so, almost fifteen years later – fifteen more years for these vines that were 100 years old in 2013, if they were fresh then, what can we say about them today except that their task has been made even easier … A candied pear, a candied quince, a magnificent yellow peach and an equally wonderful pineapple, a candied orange, bergamot and frankincense, sublime oils made from hazelnuts, sesame, cashew nuts, peanuts, juniper berries, a magic camphor, incense in liquid form.
An extraordinary soft and sensual mouthfeel; mango, orange, pineapple, banana, apricot; yellow peaches in a tart, copiously buttered, and straight from the oven; oils and extracts of the same fruits; a collection of spices, and in particular four spices, Sichuan pepper, saffron here too, and curry, a hint of cumin … The kind of bottle you need to spend time with; the kind of wine that allows you to escape and find happiness.
A grandiose finish, even more interminable than the Genevrières – and that is saying a lot! Totally pervades the body, right down to the knees and the soles of the feet; amazing, and still majestic and sophisticated. - + 2019
-
Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris
These old vines – 106 years old or thereabouts, with all their teeth intact; we are grateful to these old friends for being capable still of such a wonderful performance. The old vines at Charmes have been in the habit for many years of mimicking the spirit of Bâtard-Montrachet, but this year is an exception – this year Caillerets and Chevalier de Puligny have been convened. The elegance, the diaphanous and airy side of Caillerets, with lacey minerality; and the verticality, the focused, mineral purity of Chevalier. In 2019, these old vines demonstrated their insolent youth; the maturation, with its barely identifiable procession of dried fruits, sweet spices and white coffee, disappears behind the freshness and purity of this wine; there’s a whisper of white fruits, barely audible, as the fine herbs and those meadow flowers we struggle to name dominate the nose.
The palate, with white fruits that we wouldn’t have expected to be so mature, so opulent, so sensual; extremely ripe pear, somewhere between Passe Crassane and Williams; Reinette apple suffused with delicate caramel, very ripe apricot, and apricot and almond paste tart; these gourmet aspects managing to retain the freshness of the nose; orange peel, zest, liquorice root stick, a kind of honeyed butter – hollandaise sauce has sprung to mind. The finish resonates for a long time once swallowed, with the low harmonics of a Tibetan gong, or perhaps those of a Cistercian abbey? Patience and the ability to allow time to pass are more worthy than strength and rage – lay this wine down until the third and even fourth decade of the 21st century before wielding your corkscrew. Drink with braised turbot and white truffle risotto, the same hollandaise sauce and steamed Noirmoutiers potatoes. - + 2018
-
Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris
As one might expect, the Charmes 1913 is not willing to tell us a lot of stories on this November 17, 2019.Sir is sleeping, we are disturbing him. We can clearly see this elegance, this sensual and refined honey, this subtle violet that reminds us of illustrious neighbours on a nearby hill, we understand that this Charmes, whose roots are in an area of the subsoil that can only be reached by very old vines, did not experience the vintage in the same way as the others. Basically, at this canonical age, is there a real difference from one vintage to another, can’t say for sure, it would be interesting to put a 2013 and a 2010 side by side, or a 2007 and a 2005, contradictory vintages and yet, it is highly likely that the differences are infinitesimal. The mouth offers a lot of fruit, tangerine, vine peach, orange, candied mirabelle plum, grape jam, yellow plum juice and spices, juniper, licorice stick but also Japanese green tea. There is obviously length, but the wine is still under construction, it will take its time, and yours.
- + 2017
-
Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris
Concentrated, dense, solid and serious, like the Charmes just now, judgement is reserved, let the wine breathe. Earth, mushrooms, chanterelles, porcini mushrooms, sublime white fruits somewhere between white peach and pear, flowers, trees, acacia, mimosa, white carnations, lily, Causses honey, resin, violet, Virginia tobacco and Turkish tobacco, a Middle Eastern side with a musky note, nutmeg, a jar of five spices, really complex, smoke, cardamom, metal-cast, bark … .. Palate with a huge fruit, a Pass Crassane, a Williams, a Boskoop, a Golden, solid wine with fantastic maturity, in the depths of the substance we encounter a phenomenal density without harshness, a colossal finish, what else is there to say !
- + 2016
-
Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris
Like their younger companions, these hallowed Charmes vines tilt more towards the Perrières than the Batard, towards which the gaze usually drifts. It is the hieratic, resolutely yang side of the vintage that carries the expression up the hill. This wine with a deep nose, provides concentrated aromas of white fruits and candied fruits, it is dense, it is also very pure, the incorporation of the wood perfectly expresses the freshness of the wine. You see white meat, and feathered game too, subtle and complex spices, juniper, Szechuan, even cardamom and ginger. The mouth is generous in fruit, grapes, pears, Comice and Williams, phenomenal length (not the first time), the persistence of a grand cru. I would just like to take a moment to dwell on the great grape that is Chardonnay, just to say, and it is the greatest tribute that can be paid, both to the wine and the winemaker, that we never think of it as a grape variety, as an end in itself, definitely not, it is the ideal medium, it is the zealous servant of the vintage and the terroir, favouring one, sometimes the other, often both, the faithful translator of what took place.
- + 2015
-
Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris
The 2005 and 2009 vintages were briefly mentioned in the short introduction, when those former vines thrived. And so it is logical that they repeat the feat in 2015, a vintage that shares many similarities with its two elder siblings. A refined and deep nose, great purity of the fruit, immediately reminding you of Batard, or even Montrachet. Density and concentration but always remarkably fresh, there is something for everyone, flowers, poached fruits, candied fruit, citrus ….. guava, grape, pear, milky and refined like a light Chantilly perfumed with violet. The substance is really difficult to move in the mouth as it is disproportionate, no heaviness, no trace of excessive alcoholic load, the fruit is always at balance with the structure. Then the finish hits, like a terrific punch to the sternum, the longevity is unreal and the balances are perfect during the good minute and a half that the feeling lasts. You may think you are dreaming and yet, this is all real.
- + 2014
-
Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris
A concentrated nose, white fruit (Belle de Boskoop apples and Williams pears), mountain honey, caramel, marzipan quatre-quarts cake, anise, violet flowers. Very solid, deep and serious, overtones from the mineral in the rock, the aromas of the wine freshen up considerably upon oxidation, making the fruit more joyful, with great style and elegance like a Bâtard-Montrachet wine. Very fruity in the mouth, meaty and dense, stays ample and flexible despite the concentration of matter, superlative length, becoming a very great wine, with a persistence of fruit which lasts until well after the finish.
- + 2013
-
Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris
For this wine, aeration changes the game and the wine is freed from its chains. Nose of fresh butter, praline, flowers, sophistication and class, a tendency toward Batard from Puligny (as the wine evokes each vintage, including this one). White and yellow fruits, squashed banana, yogurt, Comice pear, lavender honey. For a second I again picked up German Riesling. The mouth is full of juice and energy, white fruits, citrus-lime-guava-kiwi, something salty, this may evolve like a 2008, but more slowly. The finish—upright, intense and serious—reminds me of a mix between Perrières and Chevalier. Possibly a great wine, only time will tell.
- + 2011
-
The 2013 harvest will be the hundredth for these vines. If many winemakers write this “selling logo” on their labels, here, I think one really has the right to.
The expression of a Meursault Charmes is a bit surpassed by the colossal character of this wine who, surreptitiously, climbs the hill toward its neighbor farther north. The spirit of 2011, the age of the vines, evidencing how the roots are in contact with the bedrock, all compete to render this wine cooler, erasing a bit of the sensuality of Charmes, putting up front the magnificent rigidity of Perrières.
Toasted nose, dense, concentrated, doesn’t deliver much, which seems healthy. One smells the citrus of the landscape but they are really hidden behind, kiwi, passion fruit, blood orange. The palate moves, I write “quite colossal, this guy”, but the savory aspect, very balanced in the mouth, in a framework with permanent tension, makes one think that things can only improve with aging, as it is evident that this wine should not be drunk before a good ten years of cellaring time. Impressive length, even intimidating, the monster should be tamed over time.
- + 2010
-
One thought to have arrived at an extreme depth, but here we are brought even to the abyss of the planet, into the fathomless pits of the Marianne islands. The nose is indeed abyssal and the minerality is intimidating. White fruits, dried fruits, hazelnut, pine nuts, grilled almond (and not because of barrel aging), white and yellow flowers, nougat. Palette of fruit, grape, from white to yellow peach, no heaviness in this wine, only strength, the finish is indescribable, all I can say is that the invasion is complete and that I can measure it objectively, at least two minutes of persistence. What is a great wine if not this? I should give 100, in that I give the maximum that you would give if you were knocked over by these old Charmes vines.
- + 2009
-
Flowers, violet, nougat, milk chocolate, mushrooms, veal, praline, carnal. The palette is big, monstrous juice and fruit, superimposed layers of structure, praline again, veal bone, lactic, suckling lamb or piglet, one considers it the king of the appellation, I note to finish: it’s stunning. Very great wine.