2012 Ruchottes Chambertin
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
Tasted blind at the annual "Burgfest" tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Ruchottes Chambertin Grand Cru from Christophe Roumier does not have the pedigree of the best Mazis-Chambertin from Faiveley that was the standout tasting of the flight. Part of the reason is that there remains quite a bit of oak on the nose and there is also just a touch of reduction. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, masculine and very structured, sturdy and broad-shouldered. There is density to the Ruchottes-Chambertin and one suspects that its finesse will only be revealed with bottle age.
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Full medium red. Cooler and more discreet on the nose than the Charmes, with blueberry and menthol aromas lifted by a sexy rose petal topnote. Dense, strong and backward but not at all hard, showing terrific medicinal reserve and a fine-grained texture to the dark fruit and crushed rock flavors. Finishes horizontal and very long, with a touch of saline crushed-rock austerity and lovely perfumed lift. Roumier described this wine as "Cistercian," especially compared to the less forbidding Charmes. I would not be surprised if this wine merited an even higher score a decade from now.
Bright, dark red. Wild crushed strawberry, raspberry, rose petal, minerals, mocha and game on the knockout nose, plus a whiff of white truffle. Then precise but quite tight in the mouth, showing far less early texture and volume than the Charmes. But the powerful, mineral-driven back end of this beauty shows another dimension entirely, with the rising, extremely long finish boasting superb grip and energy. Roumier believes that this has even sweeter fruit than the 2010 version.
About the producer
Based in Chambolle-Musigny, the domaine was established by Georges Roumier in 1924. The domaine started to bottle their own wines in 1945.