2014 Chambertin

Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2014 tasting, the 2014 Chambertin Grand Cru from J L Trapet showed some stem addition on the nose, although there is sufficient fruit to support and absorb it over time. Indeed, with aeration it gains more harmony and the whole bunch influence seems to recede. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, a superb thread of acidity, grippy in the mouth with a tightly wound, quite firm and masculine finish and a hint of tobacco on the aftertaste. This is a Chambertin surfeit with personality and nobility. Tasted September 2017.

Palish medium red, like most of these 2014s. Subdued, musky, soil-driven scents of raspberry, plum, spices, flowers and earth. Wonderfully tactile and deep but a bit youthfully brooding today and distinctly less sexy and sweet than the Latricières. Salty minerality currently overshadows the wine's red fruits and flowers but this remarkably thick wine boasts the most authoritative, gripping finish of this set of 2014s. I suspect that extended aging will bring an even higher score but this wine is going to need a long time in a cool cellar.

This possesses an intensely floral nose with its equally cool and restrained array of rose, lavender and violet scents that add elegance to the distinctly spicy and earthy red and dark berry fruit scents that are also tinged by herbal tea nuances. There is excellent volume to the fleshy yet well-detailed and explicitly powerful big-bodied flavors that exhibit excellent power on the palate staining and hugely long finish. This intensely mineral-driven effort is most impressive but again note well that I would recommend buying this only if you have the requisite patience to cellar it accordingly as it's absolutely going to need it. As an aside it's going to be very interesting to see over time which wine among these three grands crus is ultimately the most interesting.<br />