The 2012 Domaine Fourrier Griotte-Chambertin is another stunning wine in the making, soaring from the glass in an pure and perfumed constellation of red and black cherries, gamebirds, very complex, chalky minerality, woodsmoke, a nice touch of fresh herbs, cocoa and a very discreet base of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, pure and very sappy at the core, with excellent soil signature, great focus and backend energy, silky tannins and great nascent complexity on the very long and very elegant finish. A beautiful example of the vintage. (Drink between 2025-2075) 96+

The 2012 Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru comes from 0.26-hectares of vines planted in 1928. It is initially broody on the nose; sulky and withdrawn, biding its time as it opens in the glass, eventually revealing candied orange peel, raspberry, wild strawberry and just a hint of fresh apricots. The palate is medium-bodied with fine structure thanks to the tensile tannins. There is a wonderful sense of symmetry here with a gradual build towards the powerful finish. Yet overall, this is a nonchalant and self-effacing Griotte-Chambertin that is happy in its own skin. (NM)

Bright, deep red. Extremely primary, sappy nose shows outstanding lift to the aromas of raspberry, stone and rose petal. On the palate the wine's super concentrated, utterly seamless texture is leavened by superb floral lift and stony perfume. Really compelling sweetness here, in the style of the vintage, but with great energy and lingering saline, stony perfume to enable this beauty to transcend the vintage. I usually find this grand cru tougher to taste in the early going than Fourrier's consistently splendid Clos Saint-Jacques, but this was a spectacular showing. (ST)

Here the nose is a bit more deeply pitched than that of the Clos St. Jacques with its beautifully layered aromas of red and black cherry, plum, spice, earth and soft game hints. There is the same ultra-refined mouth feel to the intense and strikingly well-detailed middle weight plus flavors that are also supported by very fine-grained tannins on the explosively long and palate coating finish that delivers just a bit more overall complexity than the Clos St. Jacques. This is a harmonious effort, indeed so much so that the word Zen comes to mind.