2012 Meursault Charmes du Dessus
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Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2012 tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Meursault 1er Cru Charmes du Dessus from Vincent Girardin has a rather feisty nose with hints of peppermint and orange sorbet that unfolds gradually in the glass. The palate does not quite deliver the finesse of the nose and feels just a little attenuated at the moment. Perhaps it will gain more presence with time, but at the moment, this is a Meursault Charmes that is not quite firing on all cylinders.
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Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
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Bright yellow. Sexy aromas of lemon zest, mandarin orange and apple complicated by ginger and exotic tea, with a note of saltwater taffy emerging with air. Densely packed and serious, showing a restrained sweetness to its stony, salty mineral and citrus flavors. A bit youthfully clenched on the finish, but shows noteworthy intensity and length.
(these 70-year-old vines produced just 25 hectoliters per hectare in 2012, according to enologist Eric Germain): Bright lemon-yellow color. Peach, lemon and hazelnut on the nose, along with a faint leesy quality and a hint of stone; very Meursault. Ripe, dense and fat, offering impressively concentrated citrus and spice flavors. Very solid, tactile wine with excellent framing acidity. This is 13.3% natural alcohol. Superb potential. (I will hold off on the Chassagne-Montrachet Clos du Caillerets, as that wine was the last to finish its malo and was going through a tired phase and needed a racking.)