Reviews

This is also markedly floral in character with its cool, airy and equally pure nose of the essence of red berries, forest floor, earth and similar hint of smoked game. The delicious, vibrant and somewhat denser medium-bodied flavors possess a super-sleek yet solidly powerful mouthfeel, all wrapped in a detailed, balanced and beautifully persistent finish. I very much like the fruit-acid-tannin balanced and this is so good that it could well be the finest Charmes of the 2022 vintage.

An admirably subtle touch of wood serves as a backdrop for the exuberantly floral-infused and perfumed nose that offers up notes of exotic spice, poached plum and jasmine tea. The equally tautly muscular yet refined and lilting flavors are blessed with excellent punch and power while exhibiting a pungent minerality on the hugely long built-to-age finish. This refined effort is both stylish and very classy.

Moderately firm reduction pushes the underlying fruit to the background. More interesting are the rich, punchy and appealingly textured medium-bodied flavors that possess a more sophisticated texture that carries over the dusty and moderately austere finale that also comes up somewhat short. I again suspect that this will better harmonize once it is in bottle.

Here too there is just enough wood to notice lurking in the background of the earthy and fresh aromas of red currant and forest floor. The racy, delicious and beautifully delineated medium weight flavors exude a subtle minerality on the youthfully austere, balanced and lingering finish. This too could use better depth but the potential is present for that to occur. Worth considering.

This is also agreeably airy with spicier aromas of pepper and floral-suffused black cherry and a vague hint of the sauvage. Like the La Justice the middleweight flavors possess a refined texture as well as notably more minerality that adds a sense of lift to the dusty, serious, compact and chiseled finish where a touch of austerity slowly emerges. This is excellent for its level and a wine that should repay up to a decade of keeping.

A more elegant and airier nose reflects aromas of various red berries, spice and a floral top note. The much more refined if not especially dense flavors also possess good energy as well as very good detail on the dusty, youthfully austere and harmonious finale. Lovely and a wine that could be enjoyed young if desired.

An elegant, spicy and very pretty, even perfumed, nose is comprised by notes of spiced tea, earth, red and dark currant and a very subtle application of wood. The refined, vibrant and utterly delicious middleweight flavors exude evident minerality on the compact, youthfully austere and much better-balanced finale. Lovely and built-to-age.

Firm reduction and oak toast are all that can be discerned at present. More interesting are the sleek, vibrant and moderately refined middleweight flavors that also flash plenty of minerality on the tautly muscular, linear and firmly austere finale. This is very good but the word Cistercian comes to mind so patience advised.

This too is elegant, airy and cool with its array of essence of red berries, spice and more obvious floral nuances. There is a bit more volume and concentration to the equally refined and intensely stony medium weight flavors that conclude in a sneaky long, moderately austere and attractively complex finale. Excellent.

Like the Les Cras, this too is firmly reduced and revealing nothing on the nose at present. The racy and more refined, if slightly less concentrated, medium-bodied flavors also brim with minerality on the balanced, long and less overtly austere finale though there is a trace. Lovely.