2018 Domaine Duroche, Gevrey-Chambertin, Les Jeunes Rois

A lively, delicious village Gevrey-Chambertin from lieu-dit Les Jeunes Rois. Impressive precision, detail and freshness in this vintage with a linear, mineral finish. The mid-palate offers plenty of juicy, ripe cherries mixed with spices and silky tannins. This is an old vineyard planted in 1952. Matured in predominantly old barriques for a year.

For reports and full tasting notes, go toTim Atkin MW's website.

The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Jeunes Roi, which is completely de-stemmed, is tightly wound on the nose, quite strict and almost Morey-like in style. The palate is medium-bodied and delivers very pure, almost crystalline tart red fruit with a touch of white pepper toward the composed, persistent finish. Excellent.

The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Jeunes Rois has turned out very nicely in bottle, mingling aromas of sweet berry fruit with hints of licorice, wilted rose petals, forest floor and orange rind. Medium-bodied and supple, it's bright and enveloping, with lovely acids and melting tannins. As I've observed before, this cuvée derives from a parcel planted in 1953 that tends to produce lots of small, "millrandé" berries.

From Brochon. East facing, marl soils, waves of rock with blue marl in between. Planted 1952. Never gets water stress and seems very easy-going in any weather conditions, says Pierre Duroché. Tank sample but about to be bottled. Attractively light, dusty overlay on the fruit, open and inviting. Bright and fresh on the palate, so drinkable. Fresh, with fine-grained tannins, and already giving pleasure. (JH)