(92-94) This is the first wine to display more than trace amounts of wood influence and the heavy reduction flattens the fruit. However the flavors are blessed with ample amounts of dry extract that causes the mid-palate to be round, supple and surprisingly accessible, all wrapped in a more elegant and slightly longer if perhaps slightly less complex finish.

(92+) Resin, talcum, and dark fresh berries scent the Claude Dugat 2008 Griotte-Chambertin, which displays a formidable concentration of cassis and boysenberry on a palate supported by fine tannins. Cherry pit bitterness, peat, and licorice lend dark diversity to this grand cru’s long finish, while a sense of chalkiness pulls it in a slightly austere direction, accentuated I suspect by its recent bottling. This long, strong Griotte should have at least 15 years’ potential. -David Schildknecht