2012 Ghislaine Barthod, Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru, Les Cras

Healthy medium red. Pure, reticent aromas of kirsch , licorice and calcaire minerality; less expressive in the early going than the Veroilles or Fuées. Then hugely concentrated and compellingly sweet in the mouth, but with outstanding sappy energy to the flavors of black raspberry, minerals and peach pit. Offers a near-perfect balance between flesh and mineral energy. Finishes with outstanding tactile persistence and a complicating saline quality, the tannins perfectly supported by the wine's strong extract.

Tightly-coiled and bristling with pure energy, the 2012 Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras is another super-impressive wine. Inky black cherries, savory herbs, cloves and mint jump from the glass. The 2012 is powerful and structured, yet it boasts incredible density, sweetness and inner perfume. Firm yet beautifully integrated tannins suggest the 2012 will age gracefully, but readers need to wait a few years for the tannins to soften a bit. As always, the Cras is the most intensely mineral and piercing of these wines. In 2012, it is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty.