2013 Chambertin Grand Cru

Christophe Perrot-Minot's 2013 are beautifully transparent wines that once again bring home just how much things have evolved here over the last few years. The 2013s are aromatic, tightly wound and very much classic in their expression of site. Winemaking is now much gentler, with punchdowns greatly reduced and new oak way down. All of that allows the purity and depth of these old-vines sites to show beautifully. Lastly, readers will note there is no Combe d'Orveau Chambolle this year. Perrot-Minot told me he is moving towards just making a single wine each from Combe d'Orveau and La Richemone (the Ultras), as the market finds two wines from each of those sites too confusing. For what it's worth, I agree. Most of the wines were made with fully destemmed fruit, with the exception of the La Combe d'Orveau Ultra, La Richemone Ultra, Mazoyères and Charmes and all of the cuvées were lightly chaptalized. Readers should note that most of these wines are now labeled as 'Vieilles Vignes.'

Christophe Perrot-Minot slightly reduced his percentage of new oak in 2012 and 2013; he then made further cuts in 2014 as he liked the "greater terroir expression" shown by the '12s and '13s. (In fact, some of his 2013s got no new oak at all because he had a number of two-barrel lots and did not want to age any of them in 50% new oak.) "The rot started in July and August in 2013 due to alternating rain and heat," he told me. He started picking on October 4 and the harvest lasted for 12 days, as there was a lot of sorting to do (Perrot-Minot told me he eliminated 15% of his fruit due to rot or underripeness, and this strict sorting goes a long way toward explaining the high quality of these wines). He then did a longer cold soak than usual "but with much less pigeage" than normal (just four to seven punchdowns per cuvée). Perrot-Minot ventured the opinion that the village of Vosne-Romanée performed best in 2013 "due to receiving less rain during the entire season." He particularly likes the freshness of the 2013s and predicts that they will be for drinking after the 2012s. "I am convinced that they will have more longevity," he told me in November.