Domaine Taupenot-Merme Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2001

91 Points Vinous

Medium red with an amber rim. Sweet scents of plum, mocha, truffle, cedar and clove. There's little primary fruit character remaining but the palate conveys good energy to the flavors of spices, earth and woodsmoke. Finishes with a firm dusting of tannins. Incidentally, 2001 was the first vintage that Romain Taupenot vinified on his own, after joining the estate in 1998. He told me that the vintage was acidic and austere early on and that the acidity of the wines reinforced their tannins but that the tannins "were not bad." He likes the balance of this wine better today, but says it still needs time to open. Taupenot suggested pairing it with boeuf bourguignon.