2002 Domaine Frédéric Magnien Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
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Tasting notes
(a blend of Charmes and Mazoyères): Bright dark red, showing little sign of evolution at the rim. Aromas of youthful purple fruits with a sauvage leathery quality (serve this with hare with foie gras, suggests Fred Magnien). Penetrating, slightly funky flavors of blackberry, black cherry and game are lifted by a violet topnote. Young and full of energy despite carrying a relatively high pH. Finishes very long, with sweet tannins. This wine was quite reduced and austere in the early going, noted Magnien; today it's sexy and wild, and has the vivacity to support another decade-plus of aging. Incidentally, Magnien used very low levels of sulfur back in 2002 ("my philosophy then was not politically correct").
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Good red-ruby color. Aromas of black raspberry, sassafras, mocha, brown spices and underbrush. Broad, rich and silky, with sweet dark berry fruit flavors complicated by sassafras and dried flowers. Broad, pliant and accessible. Finishes firmly tannic and persistent, with a lot of spicy oak showing today. (I originally gave the Chambertin-Clos de Beze a 91-point score for its exhilarating crushed fruit character and thickness with verve, but it was still so reduced 48 hours later that I wondered if it would ever make a civilized drink.)
Enthralling aromas of red cherries, spices, and flowers are found in the nose of the 2002 Charmes-Chambertin. This sweet, deep wine of great breadth offers candied red and black fruits, freshly cracked black pepper, and spices in its pure, medium-bodied, and lengthy personality. Concentrated, seamless, and hedonistic, this is a top-flight wine for drinking over the next 12 years. Importer: David Hinkle / Peter Vezan, North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA; tel. (800) 266-6585
Good full ruby. Expressive, nuanced aromas of black fruits, violet and bitter chocolate. Large-scaled, rich and powerful, with highly concentrated, sweet flavors of black raspberry and chocolate. Vibrant and rich. Strong and long on the ripely tannic finish.