Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
by Kei Shiogai
Charmes-Chambertin
The largest of Gevrey-Chambertin's nine Grand Crus, spread across two lieux-dits on thin, limestone-rich soil. The style is the "feminine" end of Grand Cru Burgundy - silky, floral, aromatic in youth - from Burgundy's only Japanese winemaker.
Vintages
- 2021
The smallest Burgundy vintage in thirty years, hit hard by spring frost. What survived is cool-climate, classical Burgundy: lighter, moderate in alcohol, with a firm mineral core - built for drinking sooner rather than for the very long haul, and always going to be hard to find given how little was made.
- 2020
Another warm year, but one that avoided 2018 and 2019's occasional over-ripeness. Excellent phenolic grip and linear acidity, widely considered the best vintage since 2017 for capturing real differences between terroirs.