Domaine Odoul-Coquard Charmes-Chambertin 2020

The Charmes-Chambertin is the wine that most completely reveals the ambition at Domaine Odoul-Coquard — and Sébastien's understanding of his grand cru parcel is intimate and precise. The cuvée is a blend of 85% from Charmes-Chambertin at the northern end of the appellation, close to Griotte-Chambertin and described by Sébastien as the most elegant part of the climat, with the remaining 15% from Mazoyères-Chambertin where his 70-year-old vines add depth and flesh — with the rules permitting both to be labelled as Charmes. The fruit is entirely from 70-year-old vines, matured for 15 months in oak barrels with 60% new wood — a proportion that at this level of concentration and terroir depth integrates seamlessly, François Frères barrels chosen for what Sébastien describes as a sucrosity and class that is hard to find elsewhere. 

A very pure and seductive bouquet with macerated black cherries, blueberry, incense and hints of Earl Grey tea, all very well defined and gaining intensity with aeration; the palate medium-bodied with fine tannin, quite focused and tensile, with a satisfying salinity that comes through on the finish. The fragrant sour-cherry nose is very enticing, but the most impressive thing about this well-structured and refined grand cru is the very long finish, which keeps pumping out fruit and mineral freshness. Of the nine grand crus of Gevrey-Chambertin, Charmes is consistently the most approachable in its youth and the most generously expressive in its aromatics — and in Odoul-Coquard's hands, from one of the appellation's finest positions, it is a grand cru of real distinction.