The slightly cooked nose of the Clos de la Roche is turned up a notch on this Charmes, together with very dusty/powdery red fruit that makes the nose slightly unattractive for my taste. The colour is medium-plus ruby. On the palate the wine seems not that well integrated, deep red fruit, and forward, velvetty tannins that show a bitter edge. The last quarter of the bottle was vacuvined and left overnight – subsequently showing a little more balance and intense red fruit, but this time the acidity seems too forward. A wine that doesn’t find the right balance and isn’t in the same league as the superb 1999.

Deep cherry red colour. Wow! the nose is a rather fine, pronounced and concentrated cherry cordial, perhaps just a little cream too. Really good concentration with fresh, well balanced acidity and very smooth and well covered tannins. The finish is just a little tart but with pretty good length. Super aromatics here – normally I buy Castagnier’s Clos de la Roche, but it seems that I also need space for the Charmes from 1999!