Chambertin, Launay-Horiot 2014

The 2014 Chambertin Grand Cru comes from 0.16-hectares next to Lalou Bize-Leroy and the boundary of Clos-de-Bèze. It has a more taciturn bouquet than the 2014 Latricières-Chambertin at the moment, yet one can already discern the precision and the mineral nature, and a few swirls reveals some gorgeous Morello cherry and crushed strawberry scents. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, tensile tannin. This is nicely focused, fresh and tensile in the mouth, gently building towards a very precise and detailed finish that really exudes the essence of Pinot Noir. This is a succinctly crafted, transparent and expressive Chambertin that comes highly recommended. Chapeau Xavier Horiot, considering that this is his debut vintage.

Moderate but not dominant wood sets off spicy, cool and distinctly earthy and sauvage-inflected aromas of plum, violet and dark currant. There is impressive richness and power to the broad-shouldered flavors that exude a fine bead of minerality that continues onto the dusty and balanced finale that is shaped by relatively fine grained tannins. This is presently not as complex as the Rugiens but the underlying material appears to be of sufficient quality such that more will almost certainly develop and my projected range takes this improvement into account.