Domaine Duroché - "Charmes-Chambertin" Grand Cru 2023

What a complete explosion of classic “Charmes-Chambertin” fruit, showing ripe raspberries and cassis liqueur with a subtle, smoked meat element.

Domaine Duroché has become an overnight superstar in Gevrey-Chambertin, and is a true winemaking fairy tale. Only five years after taking the helm of his family Domaine, Pierre Duroché gained global recognition with exceptional his exceptional Pinots grown on a myriad of Gevrey-Chambertin’s best plots. These comprise well-located village holdings, powerful Premier Crus and blockbuster Grand Crus. Domaine Duroché’s wines are some of the purest expressions of Pinot Noir in the Burgundy region. Pierre’s “Charmes” comes from a 0.41-ha plot sitting higher on the slope. The vines were planted in 1959 and 1998.

Dense mid purple, there is more concentration here, plenty of charming fruit up front but with more backbone than sometimes. Fine balance between fruit, tannin and acidity, with a clean long finish where the fruit keeps growing. Some eggs in use as well as barrels here. Drink from 2030-2037. 94-96 points, Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy 

Technical notes

Pierre picked from 4th to 11th September. All the wines are between 12.5 and 13% alcohol. They were vinified briskly across 12 days, without sulphur, until after the malolactic fermentation which was fairly early this year. When I tasted the wines had been assembled in tank for imminent bottling. A curiosity of this Domaine is that Pierre only uses new wood in his two big volume cuvées, Gevrey-Chambertin and the single vineyard "Champ", where the effect can be lost in the blend. He uses 20% whole bunch vinification from "Etelois" upwards, with 100% for "Cazetiers" and the tiny Griotte-Chambertin bottling.