Charmes Chambertin Tres VV 1990

Full medium red. Huge, deep, lightly medicinal nose combines scents of raspberry, blueberry coulis, mocha, coffee, clove, minerals and licorice. Hugely rich and mouthfilling without being weighty, boasting outstanding concentration and sweetness but also noteworthy finesse. Conveys a distinctly ripe kirsch aspect but there's nothing cooked about this monumental wine, which fills the mouth with subtle notes of spices, tobacco, cocoa powder and violet. Surprising acidity emerges with air, along with a sexy element of dried flowers. This huge, thick, mouthfilling wine is most impressive on the back half, finishing with big, silky, sweet tannins, extraordinary palate-saturating persistence and outstanding grip thanks to a piquant point of acidity. Wonderfully plush, full and sweet but with buns of steel, this wine is as thick on the finish as it is on entry. (Incidentally, my first bottle of this wine showed sexy aromas of spices and cherry liqueur but was lightly corked, so the Rotys simply uncorked and poured this brilliant second bottle.) (13.9% alcohol; 3.29 pH; 39 h/h) The Roty family’s Charmes-Chambertin from ancient vines has established a half-century track record as one of Burgundy’s monumental collectibles. Full disclosure: I may have a genetic susceptibility to the wines of Domaine Joseph Roty, particularly their marvelous Charmes-Chambertin. In fact, I have more bottles of Roty’s Charmes-Chambertin Cuvée de “Très Vieilles Vignes” in my cellar than any other Burgundy, and they rarely disappoint.

Score: 98

Stephen Tanzer, Vinous.com Maturity: 2019-2040 01 December 2018