2012 Roi Chambertin

Update 4.6.2017(17.12.2013)billn

logo-roi-chambertinTasted on 14th November 2013.

Well-done Gevrey-Chambertin! Not just for the brilliant quality of their 2012 wines – and they really are brilliant – but the organisation and fortitude that the Syndicat displayed to make this such a good event!

This is the third-such tasting from the Syndicat of Gevrey-Chambertin producers. The first was for the 2010 vintage, in Beaune, and timed to capture the many trade visitors to the Hospices wine-auction. As I chronicled, the presentation was excellent, but the attendance something to shout and complain about. The second (for the 2011s) was also in Beaune, and if anything, even more poorly attended – what could the Syndicat do? Crawl away and forget the whole exercise? I’ve no doubt that certain producers may have felt this way. But instead, the Syndicat – maybe out of desperation – chose to relocate the tasting to Gevrey, away from the hustle and bustle of the Hospices Auction weekend, also moving the tasting to later in the day and arrange for a dinner, afterwards – still in Gevrey – with many of their members and tasters together. And what a success! I think, and I hope, that finally they have found the right formula – though clearly the superb quality of the 2012s on display helped to fabricate this ‘success’ mindset.

If anything, I might actually complain that there were too many wines to taste(!) With 45 minutes left before dinner, and needing a shower, and already having tasted almost 100 wines in 3 hours and 15 minutes, I had only got as far as completing the whole table of Charmes-Chambertin Grand Crus – there were still all the other Grand Crus to taste – perhaps another 30 bottles – but I decided that enough was enough! Such is life, still, we were to be regaled with wines from (mainly) 2002 over dinner, and those were for drinking, not spitting!

The Tasting…

Interested party...
Interested party…
Of-course these were (95%) barrel samples or samples from wines already assembled in barrel. Some of those samples show way too much oak or way too much reduction – some are just poor samples, showing volatility, for instance. Yet the overall quality set a brilliant standard!

The Villages Wines:

2012 Charles Audin, Gevrey-Chambertin
Fab, clean, dark-red cherry aromas. The palate is concentrated and has a lovely balance and finish – great start – only 130 wines to go!

2012 Vincent & Denis Berthaut, Gevrey-Chambertin Clos de Chézeaux
The nose is wide and high-toned, with a faint floral backing. A little less concentrated than the Audin wine but perhaps finer. A lovely finish!

2012 René Bouvier, Gevrey-Chambertin Racine du Temps
The nose has deep spicy oak. The palate likewise offers a sweet, oaky mix but with good density and balance.

2012 René Bouvier, Gevrey-Chambertin Les Jeunes Rois
Also rather oaky aromas but just a little more modest. Wide and fine, the palate has good energy and seems pretty even under the oaky make-up.

2012 Alain Burguet, Gevrey-Chambertin Mes Favourites
Really odd aroma that mixes patisserie, oak and some reduction. Fortunately the flavours are fresh, with good acidity and shows a nicely high-toned personality.

2012 Alain Burguet, Gevrey-Chambertin Symphonie
Also reduction and oak here. I find the flavour profile finer and with nicer fruit complexity than the Mes Favourites, more intense too – just need the nose sorting out…

2012 Château Marsannay, Gevrey-Chambertin
Here is a lovely floral nose (stems?). Intense flavour, more tannin, but fine enough textured and a lovely fresh finish. Very good wine!

2012 Philippe Charlopin, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles-Vignes
Plenty of toasty oak on the nose. Fresh flavour with slightly blocky tannins – currently just quite good.

2012 Sylvie Esmonin, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles-Vignes
A curate’s egg of a nose, with reduction but stems and flowers too. Reductive flavours on the palate too. There’s width and interest but the presentation’s not perfect today.

2012 Dominique Gallois, Gevrey-Chambertin
The nose has some volatile notes – also on the palate – not a good sample.

2012 Jerome Galyrand, Gevrey-Chambertin La Justice
Pretty floral notes from the whole clusters. Sweet fruit and a little CO2 on the palate – but pretty wine.

2012 Jerome Galyrand, Gevrey-Chambertin En Billard
Deep colour. Stems and flowers plus a little baked bread on the nose. Width, plenty of structure and high-toned fresh-fruit flavour – this is lovely.

2012 Jerome Galyrand, Gevrey-Chambertin La Croisette
Another with flowers, though the toasty notes are more forward. Wide and concentrated – really expansive on the palate. Very, very good!

2012 Geantet-Pansiot, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles-Vignes
The aromas are a little volatile. Lovely in the mouth though, ripe and fresh, concentrated wine.

2012 Pierre Gelin, Gevrey-Chambertin Clos des Meixvelle
The nose is high-toned and (unusually) smells a bit like Beaujolais – the only wine noted still to complete malo – but no obvious malo aroma. The flavour surprises – tastes like oranges! Still, the finish is lovely. Basically a wine that’s far too young to taste…

2012 JM Guillon, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles-Vignes
Faint vanilla-oak aroma. There’s a lovely depth of concentration – really lovely vine here. It just needs to rid itself of the vanilla flavours too!$

2012 Harmand-Geoffroy, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles-Vignes
Faint oak with high-tones on the nose. Lovely dimension to the flavours, if limited depth, yet the flavour intensity grows and grows. Lovely!

2012 Olivier Guyot, Gevrey-Chambertin Les Champs
The nose has a little bubblegum and licorice. From a narrow entry, this grows and grows, but this sample seems a little volatile.

2012 Heresztyn-Mazzini, Gevrey-Chambertin Clos des Village
The nose is a little oaky. Wide with a slightly cushioned texture in the mouth. Intense, though with a faintly reductive character. Has plenty of potential this wine…

2012 Philippe Leclerc, Gevrey-Chambertin En Champs
High-toned. Concentrated, intense, very fine flavour. This is very, very good!

2012 Philippe Livera, Gevrey-Chambertin, Clos du Village
The nose offers both wood and reduction, but little of the wine. Seems softer, but is concentrated and nicely textured. Fine intensity…

2012 Pierre Labet, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles-Vignes
The nose is rather reluctant – just a little faint fruit. Fine texture, concentration and dimension. Nice!

2012 Lou Dumont, Gevrey-Chambertin
Pretty high-tones. In the mouth it starts narrow but there’s a growing intensity – there’s far more interest in the finish than the start.

2012 Francois Leclerc, Gevrey-Chambertin
Very bright fruit aromas. Sweet, concentrated and finely balanced. This is fresh and has growing intensity – Yum.

2012 Marchand-Grillot, Gevrey-Chambertin En Créot
Tight yet fine and precise aromas. The intensity quickly grows in the mouth and there’s a salty tang too in the very good mid-palate. Yum, very nice!

2012 Jean-Philippe Marchand, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles-Vignes
High-tones and flowers with just a hint of oak too. Very pretty. Round, with a concentration that grows and grows. Very good intensity here…

2012 Thierry Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin Vigne Belle
Here there is heavy reduction. Concentrated and balanced but with reduced flavour too…

2012 Thierry Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin
Also too much reduction to appraise…

2012 Denis Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles-Vignes
This nose also has a little reduction – but it’s sufferable. Lovely mid-palate width of flavour and fine finish that really lingers – Fine!

2012 Philippe Naddef, Gevrey-Chambertin En Songe
Pretty aromas that are faintly oaked. Fine balance and lovely concentration.

2012 Pierre Naigon Gevrey-Chambertin, Les Marchais
Dark but beckoning aromas. Full, with a lovely flavour and texture – this is rather super!

2012 Oudul-Cocquard, Gevrey-Chambertin
A very pretty, high-toned nose. Fine width, texture and concentration. This is very, very good, and there’s a lovely finish too.

2012 Henri Richard, Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Corvées
The nose is high-toned but also a bit four-square. The texture is okay and there is a growing, mouth-watering flavour. Quite nice.

2012 Marc Roy, Gevrey-Chambertin La Justice
The nose is deep and a hint lactic. Lovely dimension of flavour and a super mid-palate. The nose has to improve a little for ‘excellent’ – but it’s already close!

2012 Marc Roy, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles-Vignes
High tones and a little bread. Lovely width and fresh dimension. Just lovely…

2912 Marc Roy, Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Prieur
This has the best nose of the three from this domaine – just lovely. Full and as concentrated as most 1er Crus. Simply excellent.

2012 Gerard Seguin, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles-Vignes
CO2 and a little oak. Despite the nose, this is bright, interesting and even very impressive in the mid-palate. Yum.

2012 Serafin, Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles-Vignes
The nose has faint oak and a few high-tones but is rather tight. Full-on concentration with fine tannin and growing intensity. Excellent.

2012 Francois Trapet, Gevrey-Chambertin Les Carougeots
The nose is modest but shows fine fruit. Lovely flavours with a little dried fruit. Not so expansive as some here but the flavour is very fine.

2012 Trapet, Gevrey-Chambertin
A modest but very pretty nose. Fine and (a rarity) rather mineral flavoured and subtly long too – super.

2012 Drouhin-Laroze, Gevrey-Chambertin
Warm fruit. Fresh with a lovely intensity. I’m surprised how ‘alround excellent’ this wine is

The Premier Cru wines…

1-altAmGGfl36Ebgaw854i7HD1sKQjib609kNV8MZxNw2x4hP_jpg2012 Odoul-Coquard, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Les Combettes
Hmm – fresh raspberries and blackberries – lovely. Not as concentrated as some, but this has very fine, insinuating fruit flavour and even finishes a little stony. Very, very good.

2012 Thierry Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Clos Prieur
After the village wine this has a good, indeed fine nose. Wide on the palate and nicely complex. The flavour is not so deep, but has a growing intensity – yum!

2012 Marchand-Grillot, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Les Perrières
Concentrated, dark-red fruit nose. Wow! Lovely mouth-watering, gorgeous flavours – easily my favourite wine so far.

2012 Francois Leclerc, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Les Corbeaux
Here the nose is not so clean. Depth, dimension and lots of interest on the palate, however, really good! I expect that the nose will have been sorted by bottling time…

2012 JM Guillon, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er La Petite Chapelle
Very pretty dark-red fruits. Real depth with a faint salty minerality and a growing, fresh intensity. Impressive but not yet gorgeous – give it time.

2012 Humbert Frères, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Petite Chapelle
A little reduction and CO2. More wiry than the Guillon version, equally impressive but a bit closer to gorgeous today.

2012 Marchand-Grillot, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Petite Chapelle
Modest aromas of ripe red fruits. Wide, intense and mineral. This is very good indeed, but I still prefer their Perrières.

2012 Francois Trapet, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Petite Chapelle
High tones of gorgeously detailed red fruits. Wide, and as the nose, very interesting and insinuating fruit. Very fine and lovely.

2012 Serafin, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Fontenys
Dark fruited but with a faint reduction and some CO2. Wide and concentrated – there is certainly some distinction in the dimension of flavour here. Impressive stuff.

2012 Bruno Clair, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Clos du Fontenys
High-toned and with some pretty floral anecdotes, yet rather modest. Lovely depth – really impressive – much more-so than the nose prepares you for. Very fine.

2012 Heresztyn-Mazzini, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Champonets
Pretty red notes if some bubblegum too. Wide, nicely intense with some salty references. High-toned length – this is very tasty.

2012 Gerard Seguin, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Craipillots
The nose offers nice high tones. Insinuating depth and finely wrought acidity – very good flavour – Yum!!

2012 Jean-Philippe Marchand, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Craipillots
High-toned and quite interesting nose. A lovely intensity of sweet, fresh fruit – very yum!

2012 Denis Berthaut, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Lavaux St.Jacques
Very pretty, though faintly volatile aromas of red fruits. There’s a fine balance of acidity and concentrated fruit. Tasty!

2012 Harmand-Geoffroy, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Lavaux St.Jacques
Modest, but pretty red-fruit notes. Lovely width and nice intensity with a salty reference. Fine.

2012 René Leclerc, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Lavaux St.Jacques
High-toned but a bit dirty. The fruit is very, very tasty though, and there’s a lovely length too – better to wait for the bottling.

2012 Lou Dumont, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Lavaux St.Jacques
Dark aromas – but there’s reduction, so… There’s a lovely width and depth of flavour though. Very impressive.

2012 Frederic Magnien, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Lavaux St.Jacques
Here is a lovely mix of high and low tones. Intense and faintly salty too – really super depth. Very fine.

2012 Maume, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Lavaux St.Jacques
High-toned, yet this nose is not yet completely formed. The flavour starts modestly but soon removes its coat, growing and growing in interest. Today it seems less intense than many but perhaps more mineral.

2012 Denis Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Lavaux St.Jacques
A little too much reduction on the nose. There’s width, dimension and a nice texture – but also a little too much reductive flavour. Wait for the bottle…

2012 Pierre Naigon, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Lavaux St.Jacques
Modest colour. Pretty stems and flowers on the nose. Lots of dimension from a fine base of acidity.

2012 Trorochot, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Lavaux St.Jacques
Quite a modest nose, that’s not yet fully formed. Fine depth and concentration but this also needs a little time to work on its flavours too.

2012 Varoilles, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Clos des Varoilles
Lots of high-toned notes. Round, with quite fine tannin and a growing, growing intensity. Very, very good.

2012 Geantet-Pansiot, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Le Poissenot
Here the nose is too volatile. Round and soft – judgement deferred – seems only so-so…

2012 Humbert-Frères, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Le Poissenot
There’s plenty of oak but there’s also good depth to the fruit aromas too. Very good dimension. Plenty of tannin and lovely flavour intensity.

2012 Varoilles, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er La Romanée
Fresh, high-toned fruit. Width, interest and dimension – lovely. Sweet fruit leeches from your gums into the finish. Fine.

2012 Bruno Clair, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Clos St.Jacques
Understated but very pretty aromas. A little mineral and cool – impressive detail. Lovely wine!

2012 Sylvie Esmonin, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Clos St.Jacques
Reduction and stems on the nose – lots of both. Slightly mushroomy flavour – not a great sample I think.

2012 Denis Berthaut, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Les Cazetiers
Clean, modest, fresh fruit. Neither the depth, nor impact of some but lovely, lovely, growing flavour.

2012 Michel Magnien, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Les Cazetiers
Smells rather good this with dark-red fruit. Wide and mineral, a hint saline too. Lovely intensity – fine!

2012 Philippe Leclerc, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Les Cazetiers
A very pretty, high-toned nose. Once more there’s a salinity here, this time coupled to an impressively intense mid-palate – exciting wine.

2012 Dominique Gallois, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Combe aux Moines
Dark and finely presented berries on the nose. Like the previous Cazetiers, similarly textured with a hint of salinity.

2012 Philippe Leclerc, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Combe aux Moines
High-toned but also volatile. Very salty, intense and with good texture. I like this very much, but the nose has to be better.

2012 Château de Marsannay, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Champeaux
High-toned. Lots of dimension and concentration. Very good wine.

2012 Olivier Guyot, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Champeaux
Too reductive – nose and flavours.

2012 Maume, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Champeaux
Shy but with pretty high tones. Lots of intensity and furry tannin too. Excellent follow-through into the finish. Yum!

2012 René Leclerc, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Champeaux
Aromas and flavours not really formed. Wait.

2012 Denis Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Champeaux
Very pretty aromas. Wow –wide and very impressive vista of flavour on the palate – this could be Grand Cru. Bravo.

2012 Philippe Naddef, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Champeaux
Hint of reduction. Very nice, bright and intense fruit. Not the most concentrated, but very lovely wine.

2012 Heresztyn-Mazzini, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Les Goulots
Pretty but slightly tight aromas. Nice depth, and excellent dimension of flavour. Really super – yum!

Just a few Grand Cru wines…

2012 Rene Bouvier, Charmes-Chambertin
Hint of reduction. Wide with lovely fruit flavour and growing intensity. Whilst very, very nice, it’s not ‘better’ than a number of these 1er crus…

2012 Philippe Charlopin, Charmes-Chambertin
Mainly reduction. Despite that, the flavours are lovely, showing width and depth. However, another ‘modest’ Charmes.

2012 Dominique Gallois, Charmes-Chambertin
A nice, slightly spicy nose with darker fruit. Here is much more impressive intensity – super GC Charmes.

2012 Geantet-Pansiot, Charmes-Chambertin
A little volatile. Nice, pretty fruit, but no real distinction.

2012 Humbert Frères, Charmes-Chambertin
Smells fine, tastes excellent! Good GC wine.

2012 Drouhin-Laroze, Charmes-Chambertin
Modest but prettily high-toned nose. Nice depth and dimension here.

2012 Lou Dumont, Charmes-Chambertin
A subtle but rather prettily red nose. Lovely width and depth with ripe tannin texture. finishes strongly – good wine.

2012 Michel Magnien, Charmes-Chambertin
Nose reduced. Plenty of potential in the mouth though – concentrated and textured, a hint saline too. This could turn out very well.

2012 Frederic Magnien, Charmes-Chambertin
A little less reduced – otherwise could be exactly the same wine as Michel Magnien’s…

2012 Jean-Philippe Marchand, Charmes-Chambertin
Fresh and pretty aromatics. Lots of width and dimension – very nice!

2012 Pierre Naigon, Charmes-Chambertin
Faint reduction and equally faint stems. Hmm – there’s lovely flavour dimension here, and finer tannin than most, yet lots of flavour complexity. Very good wine.

2012 Odoul-Coquard, Charmes-Chambertin
Lovely, indeed very lovely aromatics. More modest entry but growing. Growing flavour and a really fine, finishing intensity. Very fine.

2012 Henri Richard, Charmes-Chambertin
Hmm – very nice and mineral nose. The palate is wide and shows impressive concentration. Very good!

2012 Perrot-Minot, Charmes-Chambertin
A modest yet pretty nose. Modest entry too yet this grows beautifully in the mouth – gorgeously flavoured. One of the best Charmes without a doubt.

2012 Varoilles, Charmes-Chambertin
Flowers and high-toned fruit on the nose. Lots of dimension and concentration – impressive stuff, even after the Perrot-Minot!

Agree? Disagree? Anything you'd like to add?

There is one response to “2012 Roi Chambertin”

  1. Michael Warner19th December 2013 at 12:29 pmPermalinkReply

    A new wine for Denis Berthaut in 2012 I see – I’ll look forward to trying it !

    Thanks for the Christmas reading Bill !

    Have a good one.

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