(NM93-94 points) This is one of the better Charmes-Chambertins that I tasted during the week. It is a little stalky on the nose with red-berried fruits, a touch of forest floor and dark chocolate. Perhaps a little disjointed at the moment. The palate is better with firm structure, a really dense rich, quite toasty mid-palate with an irony quality on the finish which leave you with a lingering aftertaste of milk chocolate. Drinking 2012-2020.

This is notably ripe yet still fresh and quite pretty with violet, plum and black cherry liqueur aromas that are trimmed in plenty of earth. The big, powerful and solid-concentrated middle weight plus flavors have really deepened and broadened since I last saw this in barrel. While I would stop short of describing it as robust the tannic structure is quite firm and this is clearly built to last for another 20 years. An impressive effort that it best left in the cellar for another 7 to 10 years as it will require at least that long for the tannic spine to mellow. This is definitely a lovely effort with excellent potential because despite all of the size, weight and punch, there is an impeccable sense of balance.

The parade of Dujac grand crus begins with their 2005 Charmes-Chambertin assembled from several parcels in both Mazoyeres and "Ur-" Charmes. Especially coming after the striking contrast of the two Vosne crus this smells and tastes like the proverbial bowl of cherries. Polished and incipiently creamy it's like a pillow after the firm mattresses offered by the two Vosnes for long resting in the cellar. Licorice chalk dust and slight hints of game lend complexity to this wine's forward fruit and inform a finish of refined structure and imposing length that should drink well early. -David Schildknecht