Charmes-Chambertin “Les Mazoyères” Grand Cru Reviews

The 2014 Charmes-Chambertin les Mazoyères Grand Cru includes 80% whole cluster fruit this year, a high percentage due to the age of the vines planted in 1902. There is fine delineation here, precise black cherry and cranberry scents with a touch of cold granite. It is a nose that demands respect, deservedly so. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, supple black and red fruit, very pure and smooth with a graceful, marmalade-tinged finish that lingers. This should grow up to be a very seductive, comely Charmes-Chambertin with a long future ahead.

Don't miss! This is almost exuberantly pinot in basic character with its cool, pure and spicy mix of various red berries combined with a broad array of warm earth and floral nuances. The big-bodied but round and mouth coating flavors are blessed with an abundance of structure-buffering dry extract that imparts a velvety texture to the mid-palate before terminating in a powerful and explosively long finish. Wow, this is very impressive as there is plenty of underlying tension as well as impeccably good balance.

The 2010 Charmes-Chambertin Les Mazoyeres is a kaleidoscopic wine that blossoms on the palate in all directions. Dark red fruit, smoke, incense and white flowers are all woven together in a fabric of nearly indescribable elegance. The Charmes boasts great intensity and fabulous balance all the way through to the finish. This is an utterly breathtaking effort. This parcel was planted in 1902 and is the domaine’s oldest. Vincent used 70% whole clusters on the Charmes and aged the wine in 80% new oak barrels. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2035. This is stunning set of wines from Pierre Vincent and Domaine de la Vougeraie. It is impossible to miss the attention to detail at this impeccably run domaine. No expense is spared. It takes 80 people to work the vineyards during harvest and another 20 in the cellar to take it from there. Production in 2010 was of course down significantly as it was everywhere else. Yields came in at 24 hectoliters per hectare for the Pinot and 29 for the Chardonnay. Vincent used between 30-80% whole bunches, depending on the wine. Readers who want to learn more might want to check out my video interview with Pierre Vincent on www.erobertparker.com. I will report on the domaine’s 2009s in the April issue. For now let me just say the 2009 Musigny is one of the wines of the vintage.

A background application of wood spice is sufficiently subtle to allow the otherwise intensely earthy, fresh, cool and agreeably pure aromas of wild red berries to shine. The reserved and quite powerful flavors are tightly wound, backward and overtly austere with excellent power and mid-palate concentration before terminating in a driving finish that delivers outstanding length. Impressive and the old vines really show.