2022 Chambertin Grand Cru

It is always a pleasure to chat with Carel Voorhuis, one of the most candid winemakers in the Côte d’Or. “It was easy,” he tells me in his typical relaxed manner as I roll up my sleeves to tackle 40-odd cuvées, almost entirely from purchased fruit. “There were fewer issues than in other years, and we had rain at key moments. It appears to be drier than in 2018 and 2020, and yet the vines did not suffer as much. Maybe the root system is deeper, plus there is less leaf cover? Maybe the stomata are closing faster? We picked from August 31 in Puligny and finished September 9 with Chambertin, Hautes-Côtes and the Mercurey Blanc. There was hardly any sorting needed, just a few leaves to take out, and the vinification was straightforward. I used around 20% more whole bunch in 2022 because, at the beginning of maceration, I really liked the aromas the stems were imparting, so I decided to increase the percentage. We are trialing different levels of whole cluster in our Savigny vineyards.”