2008 Domaine Cecile Tremblay, Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru

Aromas of orange rind, red berries, wild plums, raw cocoa, rose petals and sweet spices introduce Tremblay's 2008 Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru, a wine that was harvested late, on 1 October. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's denser and richer than the supple, seamless 2007 but more tightly wound and reserved, with a tauter, less immediate profile that will reward further bottle age. Levels of malic acidity were especially high this year, and the wines were slow to evolve in barrel and in bottle.

Deep red-ruby. Reticent but pure aromas of dark fruits, smoked meat, minerals, pepper and sexy oak, plus a whiff of garrigue. Concentrated, aromatic and sweet, with enticing herbal and peppery lift to the dark fruit and licorice flavors. Not as fleshy as the Beaux Monts but very pure, scented and long. Always the best-looking grapes along with the Feusselottes, notes Tremblay.