1985 Domaine Denis Bachelet Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru

The 1985 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is the oldest vintage of Bachelet's crown jewel that I have encountered. His inaugural release was the 1981. The bouquet is refined and elegant with crushed strawberry, raspberry and a touch of petrichor, nothing ostentatious but displaying exquisite delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannin, almost symmetrical in terms of focus with an atypically understated finish one rarely finds on 1985s. Maybe it will soon run out of steam but for the moment this is sublime. Tasted at The Ledbury restaurant in London.