2023 Domaine Duroché Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

The 2023 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is very charming, unfurling in the glass with aromas of cherries, berries, sweet spices and incense. Medium to full-bodied, supple and fleshy, it's bright and sensual, with a soft, giving profile, wearing its heart on its sleeve. This is another lovely set of wines from Pierre Duroché, emphasizing supple, sensual structures and expressive aromas. After the hailstorms of 2022, 2023 was less eventful, with warm weather punctuated by showers that alleviated any hydric stress. Harvest began on September 5, as usual with the Griotte-Chambertin. As readers may remember, Duroché has been experimenting with "tressage"—rolling vines' canopies instead of trimming them—in some parcels. In the cellar, new oak continues to make a minimal contribution, but the historic emphasis on Tonnellerie Cadus has diminished to avoid any one cooper defining the domaine style. Vinifications continue to be rather delicate, with comparatively short macerations and little in the way of pigéage. Fully renovated winery facilities, complete with a battery of made-to-measure stainless steel tanks, facilitate precision vinification, something that was a particular advantage in 2023.(WK)