Wine Advocate (97)

Aromas of ripe cherries and cassis mingled with notions of licorice, anise, sweet spices, dark chocolate and peonies introduce the 2019 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru Très Vieilles Vignes, a full-bodied, layered and concentrated wine that's rich and velvety, with a broad-shouldered, textural profile and a long, resonant finish. Framed by beautifully ripe, powdery tannins, it's an especially sensual rendition of this perennially great wine.

Wine Advocate (97+)

There were only seven barrels of the superb 2020 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru Très Vieilles Vignes, as the Roty family's ancient vines yielded a mere 18 hectoliters per hectare. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cherries, cassis and plums mingled with licorice, sweet spices, violets and loamy soil, it's full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with huge concentration, velvety tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long, resonant finish. This monument in the making will require a decade's patience, and prove essentially immortal thereafter.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (95)

A rich and even darker purple. Very intense crushed dark strawberries, gorgeously hedonistic. Then it is. A-fresher style of strawberry, plus raspberry, on the palate, an excellent fruit acid balance with tamed tannins. Do I still get a touch of something smoky to finish, a slight intrusion of the barrel toast while the wine is young? Drink from 2030-2038.

Wine Advocate (97)

The 2022 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru Très Vieilles Vignes is terrific, unwinding in the glass with notes of cherries and dark berries mingled with notions of licorice, violets, rose petals and spices. Full-bodied, deep and layered, it's concentrated and multidimensional, with the most body and incipient complexity of any wine in the range, concluding with a long, expansive finish.

Vinous (88)

Bright dark red. Very ripe aromas of plum and redcurrant. Musky and saline in the mouth, with red fruit and menthol flavors coming across as a bit flat. Finishes with light but slightly drying tannins. I wanted more lift and personality.

Vinous (90-92)

The 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Champs-Chenys offers mostly red berry fruit on the nose, which is maybe just a little smudged compared to Roty’s other Village Crus at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with a fresh entry and a fine bead of acidity. The precise, chalky-textured finish compensates for the aromatics. I am sure the nose will gain more clarity during the remainder of élevage.

Vinous (91-93)

The 2021 Gevrey-Chambertin Champs-Chenys has a composed, quite elegant bouquet with red cherries, crushed strawberry and autumn leaves, just a faint hint of pine. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy red berry fruit, gentle grip, good substance for a Village Cru with a lively, brown spice-tinged finish. Very fine.

Vinous (93)

The 2017 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Fontenys 1er Cru has a very tight bouquet at the moment, offering a little leather and game and sufficient red fruit intensity. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, orange peel, white pepper and clove and hints of pain d’épices toward the focused, persistent finish. Very fine.

Vinous (93)

The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Fontenys 1er Cru comes from a single 0.5-hectare parcel. It possesses quite a complex bouquet of violet-infused black fruit and a light marine influence (shucked oyster shells). The palate is medium-bodied with fleshy black cherry and mineral-rich blueberry fruit, fine backbone and a very saline finish. Excellent.

Vinous (94)

The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Fontenys 1er Cru is perfumed and floral, with plenty of black cherries, cassis fruit infused by violet and iris flower scents. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins, beautifully balanced, silky smooth on the finish with great persistency. Superb.

Vinous (94)

The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Fontenys 1er Cru is perfumed and floral, with plenty of black cherries, cassis fruit infused by violet and iris flower scents. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins, beautifully balanced, silky smooth on the finish with great persistency. Superb.

Vinous (92-94)

The 2021 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Fontenys 1er Cru has quite a sensual nose with black cherries, vanilla pod, blueberry and light pressed violet scents that cohere nicely with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, fine acidity, quite focused with a sapid, blood orange infused finish that lingers. Afford this 4-5 years in bottle.

Wine Advocate (96)

The 2014 Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru has a very refined nose not a million miles away from the Mazis-Chambertin, perhaps with even more delineation and mineralité. The palate is very refined with ripe tannin, lively and energetic; it is blessed with super-fine tannin and immense purity of fruit, as well as sensual and captivating on the finish. This is just a divine Griotte - divine. I expect it to ultimately rest at the top of my banded score. Returning to Domaine Joseph Roty two weeks after the untimely passing of Philippe Roty at 46 after a three year battle against cancer, as you would expect, one is filled with emotion far beyond that of appraising a new vintage. However, regretfully I have been in this same situation two or three times before and found that after obligatory condolences, there is always a desire to get back to some kind of normality and restore that sense of life going on. The blood stops running but the sap will always keep rising. And in a sense, Philippe is a strong spirit, a guiding influence at the domaine. Chatting with Pierre-Jean Roty, he told me how his brother had never relinquished until the very end, constantly asking him about the 2015 vintage. Photos and videos of the vines were bought in to his hospital and up until his last visits, he was still inspecting the vines and doing his best to continue as if he didn't have a matter of days left on this Earth. Perhaps one small consolation is that he died knowing that the domaine had been blessed with the 2015 vintage.

Vinous (95)

The 2018 Griottes-Chambertin Grand Cru has a more open bouquet than the Mazis-Chambertin, offering nicely focused blackberry, briar and pencil box aromas and good intensity. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh and zesty, with fine tannins and blood orange infusing the blue fruit on the persistent finish. Superb, though it needs several years in the cellar.

Vinous (88)

The 2020 Marsannay Blanc has a delightful bouquet with apple blossom and lime flower scents that opens in the glass. The palate is well balanced with fine acidity, very harmonious with a touch of spice towards the finish. This will offer several years' drinking fulfilment.