1993 Domaine Joseph Roty Charmes-Chambertin Tres Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru
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Tasting notes
Medium red; not as saturated as the last few samples. Wonderfully complex, showy aromas and flavors of raspberry, dried flowers, smoke and tobacco complicated by torrefaction notes of mocha and cocoa powder and a suggestion of dried fruits. Silky and expressive in the mouth, with its appeal heightened by subtle salinity and a sexy, almost exotic suggestion of dried apricot. The discreet, well-integrated tannins dust the palate on the suave aftertaste, with notes of dried fruits and fig emerging with air. I've checked in on this wine regularly in recent years and it has been consistently alluring. (14.15% alcohol; 3.3 pH; 23 h/h)
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
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Readers who buy the three grand crus will notice (by Roty's standards) a lack of color saturation. The finest wine Roty produced in 1993 is the Charmes-Chambertin Tres Vieilles Vignes. It may prove to be outstanding with another 2-3 years of cellaring. The wine exhibits a medium to deep ruby color, a big, smoky, vanillin, rich berry-scented nose, medium body, fine extraction of fruit and concentration, moderate tannin, a vibrant personality, and a long, spicy finish. The tannin possesses considerable grip in the finish, but the wine's fruit should hold up to the structure. Cellar it for 4-5 years and drink it over the subsequent 10-12. Roty has enjoyed modest success in 1993, managing to avoid the harsh tannin and hollow mid-palates exhibited by many wines. Nevertheless, his 1993s are not of the same quality level as his 1990s and 1985s. They possess good concentration, but the colors are less intense than expected, and the extraction and intensity of flavor, while impressive, are not as great as in other top vintages. I recently had the 1985 Mazy-Chambertin and I do not see any of these 1993s approaching the levels of richness and complexity that wine exhibits. Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173