Wine Advisor
Taupenot Merme, Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru 2013
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2013 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is a wine that I have not tasted since in barrel. It has blossomed on the nose with charming redcurrant, Morello and tertiary scents, a subtle damp moss and undergrowth aroma gradually becoming more prominent with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, a palpable sense of energy and impressive precision towards the finish that leaves the mouth tingling with glee afterwards. Impressive and this comes highly recommended. Tasted at Flint Wines’ Taupenot-Merme retrospective.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2013 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru has a gorgeous floral bouquet with ebullient red cherries and wild strawberry scents, a fine mineral core just underneath. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, touches of orange rind and spice toward the finish that is linear and strict at the moment, but will open up once in bottle. Very fine.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2013 Corton Rognet Grand Cru has a very elegant and pure bouquet with raspberry, cranberry leaf, sous-bois and orange blossom scents. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red berry fruit on the entry, good acidity, nicely poised with a precise and refined finish. This is well worth seeking out once released.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2013 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru la Riotte has a reticent nose at first, gradually unfurling in the glass, quite refined with floral notes accompanying the red berry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied and quite intense with tart red cherry fruit mixed with raspberry and cranberry flavors, leading to a harmonious, textured finish. This is an impressive la Riotte that should drink well over the next 12-15 years.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2013 Chambolle-Musigny Village has a tightly-knit bouquet with strawberry pastille scents emerging from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, quite sturdy in the mouth with a mixture of black and red fruit on the inward-looking finish. Speaking to Romain Taupenot, I think this was just a bit withdrawn on the day, but it will be fine by the time of bottling.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2013 Morey-Saint-Denis Village has a conservative bay-leaf-tinged bouquet, the fruit a little blacker than Taupenot's other village crus. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, grainy tannin. There is a palpable sense of energy here and fine tension toward the finish. A modest Morey-Saint-Denis, but one that has character and personality that will doubtlessly become more expressive post-bottling.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2013 Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru has a little more intensity on the nose compared to the village cru, though it retains those floral aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. It is a little more masculine and structured than the village cru but it is nicely proportioned on the saline finish.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2013 Gevrey-Chambertin Village has a sense of airiness on the nose. There is fine transparency here, very terroir-driven. The palate has a minerally entry, fine acidity, slightly rustic red fruit, with tart cherries popping up on the cohesive finish. This is a decent Gevrey-Chambertin Village that is well crafted, but just lacks a little length.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2013 Auxey-Duresses Village has a perfumed floral bouquet with wilted rose petal infusing red berry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with light but fine, slightly grainy tannin. It is light weight but nicely focused and easy-drinking.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2013 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is a wine that I have not tasted since in barrel. It has blossomed on the nose with charming redcurrant, Morello and tertiary scents, a subtle damp moss and undergrowth aroma gradually becoming more prominent with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, a palpable sense of energy and impressive precision towards the finish that leaves the mouth tingling with glee afterwards. Impressive and this comes highly recommended. Tasted at Flint Wines’ Taupenot-Merme retrospective.
About the Producer
Romain Taupenot is the ninth generation to run this family domaine in Morey-Saint-Denis. While records show his ancestors practiced viticulture as far back as the 17th century, the domaine as we know it today truly came to be after the marriage of Romain’s parents, Denise Merme and Jean Taupenot, in 1963. The domaine’s diverse vineyard sites across both the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune can be traced back to this union of holdings from the Taupenot family, based in Saint-Romain, with those belonging to the Mermes, from Morey-Saint-Denis. With 9 hectares in the Côte de Nuits and another 4.5 hectares in the Côte de Beaune, Romain and Virginie now produce nineteen different wines across seventeen appellations. A significant portion of their holdings are in premier cru and grand cru appellations, and all of their premiers crus are enviably placed. Old vines represent a significant proportion of the domaine’s holdings, with new plantings created from sélection massale cuttings of their best vines. Having farmed organically since 2001, the Taupenots seek to respect the character of each climat to yield wines of purity and grace that are faithful to their appellation of origin. Romain jokingly refers to himself as a “lazy winemaker,” prioritizing work in the vineyard in order to minimize the need for intervention in the cellar. Their hand-harvested grapes are de-stemmed and undergo a cold soak before fermentation with wild yeast, a method pioneered by the late, great Henri Jayer. Cellar operations like pigeages and remontages are gentle and performed with the goal of expressing the nuances of each site. Accordingly, commercial yeasts, bacteria, enzymes and other additives are out of the question, and new oak is used judiciously. With few exceptions, the wines are bottled unfiltered, while sulfur doses are kept to a minimum.
