2012 Charmes Chambertin Les Mazoyeres
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Tasting notes
Tasted blind at the annual "Burgfest" tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Charmes Chambertin les Mazoyères Grand Cru from Domaine de la Vougeraie has a glorious bouquet, more Vosne-Romanée in style than Gevrey-Chambertin perhaps, with some top quality new wood on the nose that is assiduously entwined with the bright red berry fruit. The palate is very well balanced with sappy red and black fruit. It is more backward than the aromatics at the moment, but the acidity is well judged and there is a sense of backbone and purpose towards the finish. It needs two or three years to fully assimilate the wood, but it will coalesce and eventually turn into a very fine Charmes-Chambertin.
Critic scores
Average Score
Allen Meadows, Burghound
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
(from vines planted in 1913; 12.8% natural alcohol in 2012, from a crop level of just 18 hectoliters per hectare owing to widespread millerandage; 80% vendange entier; 70% new oak): Saturated bright ruby-red. Deep, superripe aromas of black raspberry, violet, mocha and smoked meat. Fat, sweet and voluminous without coming across as heavy. Chewy with extract, with the stem component giving good lift to the middle palate. There's something a touch dry and peppery on the middle palate but the finish is long and the tannins sweet, and this rather uncompromising wine improved steadily in the glass. For now, I'll give this one the benefit of a slight nagging doubt.
Vougeraie's 2012 Charmes-Chambertin Les Mazoyères, from 100 year-old vines, is incredibly primary and intense at this stage. A huge core of blue and black fruit, savory herbs and graphite struggle to emerge. The 2012 is broad-shouldered and structured, not to mention a wine for the patient. The 2012 was vinified with 80% whole clusters. There is a lot to look forward to.
Once again reduction dominates the underlying fruit. There is excellent size, weight and power to the vibrant flavors that possess excellent mid-palate concentration and while the supporting tannins are relatively fine there is some of the hallmark rusticity of Mazoyères present on the otherwise strikingly long finish. This should reward mid to longer-term cellaring. Tasted: Jan 15, 2014. Drink: 2024+
About the producer
Based south of Nuits-Saint-Georges in Prémeaux-Prissey, Domaine de la Vougeraie was created in 1999, grouping all of Jean-Claude Boisset’s holdings under one name. The property has a total 40 hectares of vines, with extensive holdings in Vougeot as well as plots in six Grands Crus.