1993 Domaine Leroy Chambertin Grand Cru
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Tasting notes
Approaching maturity, Leroy's 1993 Chambertin Grand Cru is a magical wine, wafting from the glass with complex aromas of dark berry fruit, peonies and wilted rose petals, mingled with hints of musk, sweet soil tones and orange rind. Full-bodied, deep and layered, it's still tightly wound, with a racy spine of acidity and fine, powdery tannins framing its core of intensely concentrated fruit. Concluding with a long, perfumed finish, it comes across as a somewhat more brooding, austere stylistic cousin to the stunning 2001 Chambertin—another year when Leroy crafted some of the wines of the vintage.
Critic scores
Allen Meadows, Burghound
Allen Meadows, Burghound
More reviews and scores
I don't know whether I seriously misjudged the two prior bottles of the '93 Cham that I have had or whether there is significant bottle variation but the latest bottle (which comes only three years after the last example) was simply head and shoulders above the other two. In fact, I have always wondered why the Chambertin did not seem to be at the stupendously high level of the other Leroy '93s and perhaps it is because this bottle was served side by side with the brilliant '93 Leroy Musigny and while not quite as good, it certainly held its own. As to the wine itself, a fantastically complex and explosive nose of truffles, tea, leather, fresh earth and minerality is followed by delicious, intense and impressively broad-scaled flavors that are austere,, beautifully focused and extremely precise before exploding into a palate staining finish of incredible length. The '93 Chambertin has arrived at a point in its evolution where it could be drunk with pleasure though personally I would be inclined to cellar it for another 3 to 5 years; still, after an hour of air this bottle was singing so if you're in the mood to enjoy this wine, don't hesitate. Three inconsistent notes.
About the producer
For many, Domaine Leroy represents the pinnacle of fine Burgundy. Owned and run by the legendary Lalou Bize-Leroy, the domaine in Vosne-Romanée is one strand of the Leroy empire, along with Maison Leroy and Domaine d’Auvenay.