2009 Charmes Chambertin
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Tasting notes
The 2009 Charmes-Chambertin is an open, radiant wine graced with generous fruit and an engaging personality. It should be ready to go with a minimum of cellaring. Magnien farms this parcel directly. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025. Frederic Magnien bottles two lines; the Domaine Michel Magnien range is made predominantly from estate-owned grapes, although a few wines include purchased fruit as well. Magnien also issues a negociant label, Maison Frederic Magnien, exclusively from purchased grapes. If that sounds confusing, welcome to Burgundy! In layman’s terms the Domaine bottlings carry a black label, the Maison wines carry a white label. The Maison Frederic Magnien wines are made in a large, more spacious cellar in the same facility as the Michel Magnien wines also reviewed in this issue. In 2009 cuvaison lasted 14-15 days, including a 3-4 day cold soak. The malos were later and slower here than at the Domaine, so the Maison wines received an additional racking prior to being bottled. In general the Maison wines tend to emphasize a more red expression of fruit, while the Domaine wines are more towards the blue/black end of the spectrum. All of the 2009s were bottled in February 2011. Importer: Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300
Critic scores
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
(real Charmes) Good full, deep red. Sexy, highly aromatic nose combines briary raspberry, crushed stone, clove, cumin, dried flowers and smoke. Wonderfully silky and seductive on the palate, with compelling inner-mouth perfume. But much less expressive on the back half and in need of substantial bottle aging. Still, this extremely promising Charmes is already wonderfully subtle wine.