2011 Chapelle Chambertin

Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2011 horizontal tasting in Beaune. The Chapelle-Chambertin 2011 from Louis Jadot has a reserved but harmonious bouquet with raspberry, wild strawberry and briary scents that are nicely delineated and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannins, a fine line of acidity and plenty of poise on the feminine finish. This is understated but classy and here it outperformed some of Burgundy's more illustrious names.

A discreetly perfumed nose offers up cool and ultra-pure aromas of essence of wild raspberry and red currant that are liberally laced with exotic herbal tea, soil and game tones. There is an elegant mouth feel to the mineral-driven and equally pure medium-bodied flavors that possess outstanding depth and length on the firm but not especially austere finish. This is a beautiful effort that possesses better phenolic maturity than a number of these 2011s and while moderate patience will be required it is not as imposing as it often can be. Drink: 2023+

Bright, tull medium red. Knockout nose shows an almost candied character to the aromas of strawberry, cherry, dark berries, lavender, menthol and Indian spices. Dense, suave and juicy, with a distinctly silky texture to the broad flavors of red fruits, menthol and spices. Utterly seamless, suave, classically dry Chapelle with outstanding energy and definition. Still tight today but the wine's fine-grained tannins and superb breadth and length suggest that it will make a great bottle a decade hence.