2005 Chapelle Chambertin

First sample slightly musty and definitely lacking concentration. Quite racy and lacy but not convincingly Grand Cru after the Bonnes Mares. Is this a sample thing? Second sample (scored) much richer and fuller and more charming. Very bumptious and mouthfilling and, perhaps not as fine as the Clos de beze but a real show stopper. (JR)

Jadot’s 2005 Chapelle-Chambertin smells brightly of ripe cherry, red licorice and smoked meat. Bitter-sweet cherry and smoky pungency on the palate are augmented by savory, meaty, salty, and bitter cherry pit. This positively blazes a path in its finish, with almost glaring brightness, mouth-watering salinity and invigorating hints of bitterness. There is nothing cuddly about the texture of this obviously age worthy beauty, however, its fine tannins are thoroughly covered by fruit and in no way weigh-down its dynamic personality. Jacques Lardiere has once again presided over a collection for the most part not intended to flatter in its youth, but rather to achieve an eventual balance of fruit acidity with (in this instance frequently quite prominent) tannin. Prolonged post-fermentative extraction promoted a formidably-structured group of wines, which Lardiere expressed no hurry about bottling. Certain of these – particularly from the Cote de Beaune – displayed a slightly drying finishing astringency or simply an austere lack of charm to match their concentration, traits Lardiere suggested might be traceable to drought stress in those sites. A brief July rain that reached the Cote de Nuits but not the Cote de Beaune was critical, he asserts, and all of Jadot’s vines in the northern Cote were picked before the harvest in the south commenced. (Wines from the Domaine Louis Jadot, Domaine Heritiers Louis Jadot, or Domaine Gagey, have been identified with a letter “D” in their listings.) Also recommended: 2005 Cote de Nuits-Villages Le Vaucrain ($25.00;86+?), 2005 Santenay Clos de Malte ($27.00; 85-87), 2005 Savigny-les-Beaune Aux Guettes (84-86+?), 2005 Nuits-St.-Georges ($37.00; 85-87+?), 2005 Chambolle-Musigny ($50.00; 85-87+?). Importer: Kobrand, Inc., New York, NY; tel.(212) 490 9300

Good red-ruby. Sappy, pungent aromas of black cherry and minerals. Sweet and creamy, with lovely lift to the pungent red cherry flavor. Very young but already boasts superb mouth coverage. The very long finish features suave, fine-grained tannins.