Lucien Le Moine’s 2012 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is a Pinot Noir from Gevrey-Chambertin in Burgundy’s Côte de Nuits, made by the négociant house founded in 1999 by Mounir Saouma and his wife, Rotem. Lucien Le Moine works exclusively with top vineyards—only premiers and grands crus—and is known for an élevage built around lees aging with occasional bâtonnage and no racking, a regimen intended to emphasize texture and polish.

The 2012 Burgundy vintage was defined by low yields and a demanding growing season, yet this bottling drew consistently strong critical attention, with several excellent reviews. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate rated it 94 points, calling the bouquet “ripe redcurrant and cranberry-scented…full and voluminous,” and describing a palate that is “ripe and sweet with a candied core of strawberry fruit and a long succulent finish.” Neal Martin also framed it as “a quintessential Charmes-Chambertin in the making, harmonious and poised,” underscoring both typicity and balance.

Wine Spectator likewise delivered an excellent 93-point review, emphasizing darker fruit and structure: “Black cherry and blackberry fruit is supported by dense tannins,” with “baking spice and black pepper accents” and an “excellent finish.” The magazine suggests patience, recommending it “Best from 2019 through 2035,” a window that points to both concentration and stamina.

Burghound (93 points) highlights a more cellar-influenced first impression, noting “reduction and pungent wood presently comprise the nose,” but finds the wine “very supple, round and almost soft,” with “good size, weight… and a sense of refinement.” Burghound adds “a discreet minerality” and calls the finish “balanced and persistent,” even if it is “not quite as complex as the finest of these Gevrey grands crus.”

Taken together, the reviews present a Charmes-Chambertin that pairs ripe fruit and spice with firm tannins and a notably harmonious, refined shape—built to reward cellaring.