2022 Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru

It is always a pleasure to visit Denis Bachelet, although I worry that he worries too much. He is rightly concerned about the changes in the growing season due to global warming, with memories of the destructive torrential rain in June 2022 fresh in his mind. “We saw some coulure after the June storms,” he tells me. “Consequently the older vines suffered some court noué. There was a bit of stress in the vines. I picked from September 1 over the next five-and-a-half days, and they will be bottled in March according to the lunar calendar. At the moment, they are not as expressive as 2020 at this stage.” I have adored Bachelet’s wines since I started buying them around the millennium, when cognoscenti mostly overlooked them. They still exude poise and refinement, an effortless quintet full of energy. They are crowned by his sublime Charmes-Chambertin from some of its oldest vines, along with Roty’s, seeming to elevate them above all else.