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Taupenot-Merme, Grand Cru Charmes-Chambertin

Other, France 2014 (750mL)
$165.00
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Taupenot-Merme, Grand Cru Charmes-Chambertin

While I’m eager to come right out and tell you the logic-defying price of today’s epic 2014 Grand Cru, I’d much rather tell you what it should cost. The very best Charmes-Chambertin bottlings warrant a $300-$500++ expenditure because they are soul-stirring, built-for-the-cellar titans powerful enough to mesmerize connoisseurs of any level. I’m talking legendary producers like Dujac, Roty, Rosseau, Dugat-Py, Bachelet, Confuron, and, yes, today’s 2014 from Taupenot-Merme is part of that elite shortlist too.
But it comes nowhere near the aforementioned lofty prices, despite being a Grand Cru dripping with royalty, richness, and age-worthy appeal. So, you can imagine how stunned we were when this tiny batch of ‘14s was unlocked from their importer’s vault and exclusively made available to us. Not only is this powerful Grand Cru from one of my personal favorite vintages of the decade, but it’s also in a perfect drinking window right now—seriously! While you absolutely should stow a bottle or two for the long haul, this beautiful, finessed, unabashedly luxurious Charmes-Chambertin is ready to trigger fireworks the moment it arrives at your door. We can allow up to four bottles per person!
Founded after the marriage of Jean Taupenot and Denise Merme in 1963, Taupenot-Merme is the product of two merged wine legacies—the Taupenot family since the 1700s and the Merme side even earlier. For many years Taupenot-Merme operated out of two separate estates simultaneously, one from each side of the family. But Jean and Denise’s son Romain took over in 1998 and promptly consolidated the two. Romain is famously soft-spoken but single-minded in his dedication to crafting pure, unadulterated red Burgundy. 

Romain amassed a wealth of knowledge throughout his childhood and refused to miss a harvest during his decade-long career in finance. He is very much a vineyard man, drawing on his hereditary knowledge to preserve his family’s key philosophies while maintaining an uncompromising eye on the future. Over three years Romain fully converted the estate to organic viticulture, although he’s never pursued certification. He continues to practice a very hands-off style of winemaking, perfectly illustrated by his preference for the term “infusion” over “extraction.”

While based in Morey-Saint-Denis, Taupenot-Merme has a remarkable diversity of carefully curated vineyard holdings: 13 hectares throughout 20 Côte d’Or appellations, including today’s envy-inducing, old-vine plot in one of the undisputed Grand Cru champions of Gevrey: Charmes-Chambertin. Romain preserves the intricacies of this Grand Cru terroir with the gentlest élevage possible: ambient yeast fermentation, approximately 40% new oak, aging for 12-14 months, no racking, and several months in stainless steel tanks before bottling unfined and unfiltered. It’s a long, hands-off process that best illustrates the raw power and indelible elegance of Charmes-Chambertin. 

For all of the elegance that Charmes-Chambertin is historically famous for, there’s a lush intensity to today’s powerful Grand Cru. In the balanced, structured, “classic” 2014 vintage—a huge favorite of ours, as longtime subscribers are aware—this succulent Pinot Noir provides an explosive aromatic mix of mixed wildflowers, black cherry, strawberry, juicy red plum, black tea, underbrush, licorice, moss, and baking spice. Medium-plus bodied and richly concentrated on the palate, this is about as “sexy” as a wine can get. At six years old, it has retained its youthful, ripe-fruited vigor while gaining some ultra-savory secondaries—meaning, it has the best of both worlds! Dripping with kirsch, forest flora, and spice that lingers on the palate for minutes, this Charmes-Chambertin is is a grand drinking experience. I recommend decanting for about 60 minutes before serving in your best Burgundy stems around 60-65 degrees. Sip slowly, and contemplatively: this is soul-stirring stuff! What’s more, it will be even better, broader, and more exquisitely perfumed when you pull it from your cellar in 2025, 2030, and well beyond. Cheers!
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Country
France
Region
Other
Sub-Region
FranceCharmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Soil
Limestone & Gravelly Clay
Farming
Organic
Blend
Pinot Noir 100%
Alcohol
13.5
OAK
40% New French Oak
TEMP.
60-65
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2040
Decanting
60 Minutes
Pairing
Magret de Canard

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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