2009 Domaine de la Vougeraie, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, Les Mazoyeres

The 2009 Charmes-Chambertin Les Mazoyères comes across a big, powerful and super intense. It bursts from the glass with huge dark fruit, freshly cut flowers, tar and licorice, all of which come together with notable intensity. The 2009 shows off superb textural richness all the way through to the finish. The Charmes is young, young, young.

50% whole clusters. Almost surprisingly as this is often quite reserved the bright red berry fruit nose cut with kirsch, warm earth, iron and underbrush aromas is exuberantly expressive and the rich, detailed and powerful broad-scaled flavors are firm but not imposingly austere while culminating in a relatively refined and lingering finish. This should be excellent in due time, which is to say 12 to 15 years hence.

Tasted out of barrel at the Domaine. After losing 30% due to the hailstorm in late May, this Charmes was raised in 80% new oak. It has ripe red-berried fruit on the nose that reminds me of a Suchots. Good definition and the mineralite starts to come through with aeration. The palate is showing a touch of hardness on the entry, the tannins a little coarse compared to some of the other wines. Similarly, the finish is a little stemmy from the 80% whole bunches and not quite in synch with the rest of the wine. Wait and see. Tasted November 2010.