Domaine Denis Bachelet Charmes Chambertin 2022

The 2022 Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru is matured in 50% new oak. It has an exquisite bouquet amongst the finest I encountered within the appellation: brilliantly defined red and black fruit, hints of sea spray and shucked oyster shell, and a touch of violet. Entrancing. The palate is medium-bodied with a smooth texture but not silky - there's a pleasing subtle granularity here. Hints of black truffle emerge towards the structured finish. This wonderful Charmes- Chambertin deserves several years in a cool, dank cellar.

Bachelet's 2022 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru Vieilles Vignes is a beauty, bursting with aromas of cherries, red berries, rose petals, incense, exotic spices and licorice. Full-bodied, layered and velvety, with a textural attack and an unctuous core of fruit that's framed by sweet, supple tannins, it's gourmand, elegant and demonstrative, concluding with a long, expansive finish. I suspect it will have to take a close second place to its 2020 counterpart, but it will hit its prime sooner.