1999 Charmes Chambertin Vieilles Vignes

The 1999 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru represents one of the greatest wines that I have tasted from Bachelet. The bouquet soars from the glass with red cherry, raspberry and pomegranate, pulsating tension and mineralité that counterbalances the intense fruit. The palate is medium-bodied but so intense, building in the mouth towards its precise finish of tightly-coiled red berry fruit laced with orange zest and crushed flint. The energy is palpable - so is the pedigree of this fabulous Charmes-Chambertin. Tasted at Quality Chop House in London.

Good medium red. Explosive nose features nearly all of the mature Charmes food groups: dark fruits, flowers, roasted meat, earth and balsamic sandalwood. Very ripe, silky and accessible, but with terrific definition and lift. Flavors range from game and dried flowers to piquant mint, with a subtle saline quality emerging on the energetic, very long finish, which features sexy subtle sweetness and very suave, noble tannins. Denis Bachelet ranks this vintage of Charmes among his best, along with 2016 and 2002.

Tasted at the Denis Bachelet dinner at Quality Chop House. The Charmes-Chambertin 1999 might just be the best that Denis has made, or definitely one of them. It offers spellbinding definition on the nose – razor-sharp with heart-stopping mineralité and tension – almost clinical. The palate is medium-bodied with fabulous intensity, a gentle crescendo in the mouth before fanning out on the finish. Almost pixelated in clarity, this is one of those wines that will never cease to amaze.