1992 Domaine Claude Dugat Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

The 1992 Charmes-Chambertin is a candidate for the "wine of the vintage." A superb expression of red Burgundy, it possesses a huge, forceful, sweet, jammy nose of black and red fruits, smoke, and oak. Full-bodied, with layers of ripe fruit that cascade across the palate, this sensational, marvelously rich, well-delineated red Burgundy is a marvel to smell and taste. This grand cru offering is a profound example of red Burgundy. Robert Kacher, among all of our specialty importers, is breaking new ground with the intense pressure he has put on Burgundy growers to crop thin, to do little or no racking, and to bottle with minimal levels of sulphur and no fining or filtration. Every bit of the essence of the wine that comes from the vineyards is presented in the bottle in as natural a way as possible. There is no better evidence of his success in what can be a diluted vintage than this great, concentrated wine from Dugat. This producer makes microscopic quantities of wines that have long been the backbone for some of the best cuvees from negociants who used to buy regularly from Dugat. Dugat now estate bottles nearly all of his production, so consumers can see just how talented he is. His 1992 offerings are winemaking gems, particularly in view of the difficulties encountered by so many other Cote d'Or producers in 1992. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083.