2013 Domaine Tortochot Chambertin Grand Cru

“The domaine has sixty year-old vines in their excellent parcel of Chambertin and there is a great wine under its veneer of new wood in 2013. The bouquet jumps from the glass in a blend of red and black cherries, plums, cocoa, dark soil tones, woodsmoke and plenty of spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and offers a very good core, with excellent soil signature, sound acids and a long, tannic and focused finish. I get the sense that the wine is starting to rise up from under its new wood and will come right with bottle age, with the fruit and soil tones taking over the center stage in the wine, but it will take some years for this to happen. If Jean-Louis Trapet can make such a brilliant Chambertin with forty percent new oak, why not try a bit less here? However, this is still going to be a very good wine when the wood integrates and will be well worth drinking down the road.” (04/2015)

“The 2013 Chambertin Grand Cru, which comes from the limit with the forest that produces a low yields (in one year they cut the trees and the yields increased by 20%). Matured in five new barrels, it has a perfumed bouquet with red currant, cranberry and sous-bois notes with a touch of oyster shell. The palate is very well balanced with crisp red berry fruit, fine mineralité with a sense of energy and poise on the finish. There is a fine sustain here, a great contribution to the vintage and the domaine's top wine in 2013. (NM)” (06/2015)

“There is a distinct top note of herbal tea to the equally fresh and cool aromas of various red berries, spice, earth, game and gentle wood. There is fine intensity to the delineated and pungently mineral-driven flavors that exhibit evident power and punch on the impressively complex and long finish that is lean and linear. This will undoubtedly flesh out somewhat with time but I suspect that it will always be on the leaner side.” (01/2016)

“Just five barrels, bottled in January 2015. Mid crimson. Definitely the most concentrated of the Tortochot stable. Something almost medicinal on the nose. Chock full of fruit though not the richness of the great Chambertins. Lacks the freshness of the Clos de Vougeot. But it’s certainly impressive. 17.5/20 points (JR)” (01/2015)