This wine has the distinction of being the first case of wine I ever bought ‘en-primeur’, and is the first case (x12) of Grand Cru that I ever bought – I think I can still count on the fingers of one hand the number of GC 12-packs I’ve bought! I now have just 6 bottles of this left…

1996 Dominique Gallois, Charmes-Chambertin
Deep and vibrant – lovely colour. The nose has lots of maturity about it, and certainly plenty of complexity; depth, a little morel mushroom, also a little cigar-box that slowly morphs into cedar-ish hints, not unlike the of 2004 pyrazines but in no way over-powering. In the mouth there’s lots of intensity here; super acidity and very understated tannin – very long with a quite mineral flavour. Sweetness of fruit remains an undertow. You could get a great idea of of a mature Charmes by drinking this already – and that’s a very different personality to a young Charmes – but have no fear, there’s another 20 years of interest here for sure. Yum.
Rebuy – Yes