2011 Chambertin

Rich, huge and explosive, the 2011 Chambertin bursts onto the palate with superb energy and pure density. Dark blue/purplish fruit, smoke, licorice and melted road tar are just some of the many notes that are alive. The 2011 is remarkably vivid and layered. There is something about these parcels that allows them to transcend vintage. What an utterly breathtaking wine this is.

The 2011 Chambertin Grand Cru comes from two parcels in Chambertin itself and Clos-de-Beze. It has a slightly meaty, introspective bouquet that is beautifully defined, but it is a little sulky at the moment and needs two or three years to open up. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe, juicy tannins on the entry. This is not a heavyweight Chambertin, but very focused with a feminine, silky-smooth finish. Drink 2014-2026. I have been visiting Jeremy and Alec Seysses at Domaine Dujac for several years now, and it is always one of my favorite ports of call. Alec, looking surprisingly chipper for a new dad had taken time off nappy duty to guide me through the 2011s this year. I have to confess that I was concerned by the conspicuous nature of the new oak on both their negociant label wines and the entry Village Crus. I felt that 35% new oak tended to overwhelm the fruit and terroir and occasionally impart drying finishes, which is why my scores are parsimonious here. As I tasted through the range toward the flock of Grand Crus the oak seemed better assimilated, although I would still maintain that the wine is of such quality that the present level of oak risks being superfluous to requirements. All the negociant label wines were bottled before Christmas. Importers: The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; tel. (415) 491-4724; Chambers & Chambers Wine Merchants, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 642-5500

Deep saturated red with ruby highlights. Deeply pitched aromas of dark cherry, mocha, earth and oak. Rich, suave and voluminous, but with a distinctly cool character and terrific clarity and grip to its flavors of black cherry, rare steak and orange peel. Most impressive today on the tactile, very long, expanding aftertaste. Offers stunning potential. Eighty percent of this fruit is from Clos de Beze; Dujac's parcel is situated at the top end of the appellation.