Denis Bachelet Charmes Chambertin 2017 Magnum

95-97 pts Vinous

The 2017 Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru is one of the most backward. I can remember tasting this wine from barrel over the last 15-odd years. Patience is needed. It gradually opens to reveal exquisitely defined blackberry, hawthorn and crushed stone aromas, hints of rose petal emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple and filigree tannin, perfectly judged acidity, the intensity flooding towards the back end with such effortlessly ease. This is yet another magnificent masterclass in Charmes-Chambertin courtesy of Bachelet and his century-old vines.

94-96 pts Wine Advocate

There are eight barrels of Bachelet's superb 2017 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru Vieilles Vignes, a captivating wine that bursts from the glass with expressive aromas of wild berries, orange rind, peonies, sweet spices, dark chocolate and grilled meat. On the palate, it's full-bodied, ample and layered, with superb depth and energy at the core, satiny structuring tannins and a long, expansive finish. As Bachelet fans will know, this hails from two plots, one planted in 1907 and the other in 1917, so it truly merits its "Vieilles Vignes" designation.