2012 CHARMES CHAMBERTIN GRAND CRU CHRISTIAN SÉRAFIN - 3x75cl

Tasting Notes

• 

  Goedhuis, January 2014

  Soft ripe unctuous crystalline fruit characters, this is a beautiful example of Grand Cru quality with its composed intensity, fresh bright red fruit mouth feel. This is rounded, full and very uplifting on the finish. Very rewarding.

• 

  Neal Martin, December 2013,
  Score: 90-92

  The 2012 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru comes from 70-year old vines. It has a quintessential Charmes-Chambertin bouquet with precocious blueberry and cassis aromas that are very well defined. The palate is sweet and intense on the entry with bold, grippy tannins that are lacquered in the sweet black fruit that inform the structured, linear finish. This will require several years in bottle to mellow and absorb the new oak, but there is plenty of potential here for a great wine.

• 

  Burghound, January 2015,
  Score: 93

  (from 55+ year old vines totaling .31 ha with .125 ha in Charmes and the other .18 ha in Mazoyères). Here the wood treatment is a bit more subtle though it’s by no means invisible on the gamy dark berry fruit nose that possesses plenty of forest floor and earth influences. There is impressive mid-palate density to the powerful, intense and muscular full-bodied flavors that possess fine richness and seriously good depth on the palate coating, very firm and hugely long finish. This too will need extended keeping, though 12ish years should be sufficient in this case. In a word, impressive. Drink 2024+

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Producer

Domaine Sérafin Père et Fils

The Sérafin family are part of the establishment in Gevrey Chambertin. From when he took over from his father in the 1960 until his recent retirement, if you ever want to get in touch with Christian, you either had to call him as the rooster crowed in the morning or long after the sun had set. The rest of the time, he was working out in the vines or deep in his cellars. The domaine is now run by cousins Frédérique and Karine who are continuing the family tradition of making bold and structured wines. Their Pinots benefit from a period of bottle age and typically express fine tertiary characteristics. They do not fine or filter their wines, and only rack when necessary. Not shy of new oak, they use up to 50% on their straight Bourgogne and often 100% on the rest of their cuvées depending on the concentration. The wines tend to be ample and fleshy, and the richest ones need some cellaring in order to better integrate the spicy, cedarwood flavours.