Vinous (96-98)

The 2020 Chambertin Grand Cru has a magnificent bouquet with delineated redcurrant, raspberry and strawberry scents, quite pixelated in style, very focused and shimmering with tension. The palate is extremely well balanced with fine but firm tannins that frame some exquisite red fruit with real mineralité that just floods through on the finish. Brilliant.

Vinous (93-95)

The 2021 Chambertin Grand Cru offers a touch more complexity and nuance than the Clos-de-Bèze with red berry fruit, orange rind, crushed stone and wilted rose petals. It's a little more delineated and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, again, quite creamy in texture with a bit of new oak on the finish (though there is a prudent use of new wood - one new barrel out of three). Quite seductive, this should age well in bottle, though afford it four to five years at least.

Vinous (98)

The 2017 Chambertin Grand Cru is just a glorious success. Vivid red fruit, Morello cherries, wild strawberry and pressed violets on the nose, the aromatics here feel so animated and exquisitely defined. The palate is perfectly balanced with a killer line of acidity: crystalline red fruit, filigree tannins and more freshness than it knows what to do with. There is a sense of "channeled intensity" in this Chambertin and whilst there is no question that it is a 20- to 30-years wine, I felt no guilt in polishing this off in its youth. Tasted at Maison de Colombier in Beaune.

Vinous (98)

The 2018 Chambertin Grand Cru has a very intense, brilliantly-defined bouquet with laser-like precision, incredibly focused and perfectly integrated oak. Less generous than Bichot's Chambertin at the moment though - this is biding its time. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, insistent grip and plenty of freshness. Maybe just a little more confit in style than others. Still, a fabulous Chambertin that gains clarity and precision in the glass. Effortless. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 red tasting.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

Just about pure perfection, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Helms Vineyard comes from vines around the estate, just outside of Rutherford, which were planted in 1997. Sensational notes of crème de cassis, burning embers, bay leaf, and graphite all flow to a full-bodied 2015 that has a deep, layered, multi-dimensional texture that’s hard to describe. With building structure and a beautiful floral character that emerges with time in the glass, perfect balance, and a huge finish, this quintessential Napa Cabernet will benefit from a few years of bottle age and cruise for 3-4 decades. Bravo!

James Suckling (99)

Sweet white chocolate with currant, plum and subtle hazelnut on the nose. Some other spices, such as nutmeg and cloves. Floral. Full-bodied with extremely fine tannins that go on and on. Beautiful center plate that is dense yet polished and fine and continues on. Exceptional. Fantastic finish. Drinkable now, but needs four or five years to show it’s true greatness.

Vinous (95-97)

The 2018 Chambertin Grand Cru is matured entirely in new oak with 40-50% whole-bunch fruit. It displays sublime purity on the nose, which offers layers of brambly red fruit mixed with crushed stone, pressed rose petals and freshly tilled soil. The medium-bodied palate delivers supple tannins and a perfect line of acidity. Tighter than the Mazis-Chambertin, with a precise and quite conservative finish. This is another profound Chambertin from Arnaud Mortet.

Immerse yourself in the exquisite presentation of the Henri Rebourseau Chambertin Grand Cru 2019. A legendary product from the esteemed vineyards of Chambertin Grand Cru, part of France's cherished wine region, Burgundy, it replicates the reputable legacy of its producer, Henri Rebourseau. This majestic wine crafted in 2019, showcases a perfect blend of Pinot Noir grapes. Following traditional protocols of fermentation and maturation, it exemplifies the exemplary commitment to authenticity that is synonymous with the Henri Rebourseau estate.

Boasting characteristic vivacious ruby hues, the Henri Rebourseau Chambertin Grand Cru 2019 reveals nuanced aromas of red fruits, spices and earthy undertones. On the palate, it is rich and layered, balancing complexity with finesse. Each sip culminates in a long, persistent finish, echoing the wine's inherent elegance.

The Henri Rebourseau Chambertin Grand Cru 2019 reverberates the classic essence of Burgundy. It is a definitive embodiment of the region's terroir and a testament to the artistry of French winemaking.

James Suckling (100)

If every Chambertin was like this, we could give up our job. So much spice, earthy and meaty character, but in the end it's the amarena-cherry fruit that wins out. Enormous concentration and finesse. Staggering purity of flavor. Then comes the spectacularly uplifting finish that just doesn't want to stop. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (99)

This is beautifully polished with firm, dusty tannins to the blue fruit, as well as chocolate and cedar character. Some much earthier character, too, from mushrooms to bark. Forest flowers. Perfumed. It’s full-bodied with round tannins and a soft, creamy finish. Some iron and iodine to this. So attractive at the finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Better after 2023.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Scheduled to be released in March of this year, the deep ruby-colored 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon would give the 2015 Château Margaux (that’s what leaped into my head as I tasted this) a run for its money and is an utterly perfect bottle of wine that does everything right. Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from very old, dry farmed vines in what was previously known as the J.J. Cohn Vineyard, its deep purple color is followed by a heavenly perfume of blueberries, spring flowers, lead pencil, exotic spices, and graphite. Slightly more focused and poised than the M. Etain release, with full body, ultra-fine tannins, and no hard edges, it’s a wine of incredible elegance paired with remarkable intensity, and it’s rare to find a wine that marries both so effortlessly. As with the vast majority of truly great Cabernet Sauvignons, it’s great today and will be great in 30 years.

Vinous (100)

The 2018 Sloan is a flat out stunner. Rich, dramatic and full-bodied, with striking energy, the 2018 is viscerally thrilling right out of the gate. Black cherry, plum, mocha, licorice and gravel all build as this towering, statuesque Cabernet shows off its pedigree. The 2018 is simply magical, and just as breathtaking from bottle as it was as a barrel sample last year. It is the very finest Sloan I have ever tasted. I can't wait to see how it ages.

Vinous (95)

The 2019 Chardonnay Estate is superb. Deep and beautifully layered, the 2019 offers up a striking mélange of tangerine peel, passion fruit, pineapple, white flowers and a kiss of French oak, all kicked up in a racy, voluptuous Chardonnay that is immensely captivating. Even with all of its intensity, the 2019 retains gorgeous freshness and tons of nuance. Once again, the Chardonnay is beautifully done.

Intensely dark, black fruits fill the glass with the blackberry, blackcurrant, boysenberry and ripe Damson plum taking center stage. Unctuous and resinous, the complex notes of leather, coffee extract, cocoa liquor and crushed rocks are given lift and lightness by an integrated essence of camphor, anise and potpourri. While the palate is initially a bit compact and focused, it quickly blossoms into a wonderfully mouth coating elixir with a fine-grained structure and a lively, granular texture that keeps on keeping on. This 2013 Salus Cabernet Sauvignon is at present a big, structured and tightly wrapped wine that will give and grow when given time and air.

Wine Advocate (96)

Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2014 tasting, the 2014 Chambertin Grand Cru from J L Trapet showed some stem addition on the nose, although there is sufficient fruit to support and absorb it over time. Indeed, with aeration it gains more harmony and the whole bunch influence seems to recede. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, a superb thread of acidity, grippy in the mouth with a tightly wound, quite firm and masculine finish and a hint of tobacco on the aftertaste. This is a Chambertin surfeit with personality and nobility. Tasted September 2017.

Vinous (97)

The 2015 Chambertin Grand Cru has a captivating bouquet of blackberry, raspberry, crushed iris petals and orange sorbet, so beautifully defined that you can pick out each and every nuance. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, well-judged acidity and perfectly integrated oak, fanning out silky-smooth and harmonious on a finish that has class and panache. One of the best Chambertins you will find. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting.

The wines of Domaine Trapet are the epitome of Burgundian elegance, purity, and finesse. Vinification techniques depend on the vintage but generally consist of a brief period of cold maceration, followed by fermentation in open top wood fermenters with partial inclusion of stems (30 to 50%). Maceration is long and slow, with delicate extraction via punch-down and then gentle pump-overs in the later stages. Sulphur is added only at bottling, in minute doses.

 

The three magnificent Grand Crus Domaine Trapet owns in Gevrey-Chambertin are in top echelons and again in 2016, Le Chambertin under Jean-Louis’ care, has received outstanding reviews. The Trapet Pere & Fils Chambertin Grand Cru 2016 is awarded a 95-97 pts from Neal Martin (Wine Advocate) and 93-96 pts from Allen Meadows (Burghound).