“I really admired these wines from Romain and Virginie Taupenot.”
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate
“I think that they’re going to please everyone from Burgundy neophytes to purists as there are good ripeness and concentration levels combined with vibrancy and excellent terroir transparency,” Romain Taupenot mused to Allen Meadows of Burghound. “It’s just about an ideal vintage.” Meadows wasn’t only moved by the words; he was persuaded by what he tasted. “I, too, liked Taupenot’s 2015s as there are a number of lovely wines,” he wrote in his report.
Neal Martin of Wine Advocate also expressed his admiration for Romain and Virginie Taupenot, who have assembled a crop of wines, in this warm Burgundy vintage, that were pure, focused and fresh across the board. “In some ways, they represent the kind of wines, the level of quality that they have been threatening to do in recent vintages,” reported Martin. “What I loved was the purity of fruit, the way that any over-exuberance of over-ripeness was mastered, even though relative to other growers, they were exactly the earliest to go out and pick. What marks the 2015s is a consistency across the board.”
Please read on for more information on these wines, which are set to arrive in Australia at the end of June.
2015 Taupenot-Merme Bourgogne Rouge RRP $64
2015 Taupenot-Merme Saint-Romain Rouge RRP $80
2015 Taupenot-Merme Gevrey-Chambertin RRP $149
The 2015 Gevrey Chambertin Village has a slightly more exotic bouquet compared to both the Morey Saint Denis and the Chambolle Musigny, perhaps the vintage character impressing more upon the character of the wine here? The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannin, vivacious raspberry and wild strawberry fruit, good depth with a touch of pepper on the composed finish. Enjoy this very well-crafted Gevrey-Chambertin over the next 4-7 years. 88-90 points. Neal Martin, Wine Advocate December 2016
This is aromatically similar to the Auxey villages but with better depth though there is notably more volume, richness and mid-palate concentration along with a good level of dry extract, all wrapped in a firmly structured and lingering finale where the only nit is a hint of warmth. This is worth considering provided you can allow it a few years of cellar time first. 89-91 points. Allen Meadows, Burghound January 2017
Good medium red. Pure, high-pitched scents of raspberry, pomegranate and blood orange. Juicy flavors of tart red berries and spices are a bit youthfully ungiving for village wine but convey excellent definition and lift. Tannins are firm but nicely supported by the wine’s material. Plenty of energy here, along with attractive floral lift. 89-91 points. Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media January 2017
2015 Taupenot-Merme Chambolle-Musigny RRP $163
The 2015 Chambolle Musigny has a fragrant bouquet with raspberry, wild strawberry and rose petal aromas that are very well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannin, a keen thread of acidity, energetic and very fresh with a lively, vibrant finish. I doubt whether the domaine has ever made a village cru as good as this. 90-92 points. Neal Martin, Wine Advocate December 2016
A sombre if pretty nose features mostly a variety of red berries and soft floral nuances. There is a lovely sense of refinement to the pure and lacy middle weight flavors that possess solid richness and a certain sleek muscularity, all wrapped in a lingering finish that also displays a subtle hint of warmth. This should drink well young if desired. 87-90 points. Allen Meadows, Burghound January 2017
Medium red. Good musky complexity and lift to the aromas of raspberry, minerals and spices. More supple on the palate than the Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru but without quite the same cut. Aeration brought up an element of crushed-cranberry tartness, though, and the wine’s edgy acidity and slightly dry-edged tannins will need a couple years of bottle aging to harmonize. Finishes with decent length. 87-89 points. Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media January 2017
2015 Taupenot-Merme Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru “La Combe d’Orveau” RRP $297
MAGNUM RRP $660
The 2015 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru La Combe d’Orveau has raspberry coulis, bilberry, sous-bois and cedar aromas that gently unfold in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a gentle grip on the entry, a keen thread of acidity, a little saline with a conservative, quite structured finish that just needs a little more persistence on the aftertaste. This may develop after racking, so I look forward to tasting this after bottling. 90-92 points. Neal Martin, Wine Advocate December 2016
A cool, pure and elegant nose combines aromas of essence of red cherry, lilac, violet, lavender and plenty of spice components. The sense of refinement continues on the sleek, mineral-driven and wonderfully textured medium weight flavors that deliver fine persistence on the firm, complex, classy and well-balanced finale This is lovely juice. 90-92 points. Allen Meadows, Burghound January 2017
(from the same original plot of 70-year-old vines as Perrot-Minot’s Combe d’Orveau; Taupenot’s and Perrot’s mothers are sisters): Healthy dark red. Pungent red berries and crushed stone on the nose. Tightly wound and sharply delineated, offering superb floral lift to the tart cranberry, pomegranate and spice flavors. Finishes firm and long, with an exhilarating balance of sweetness and acidity. 90-92 points. Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media January 2017
2015 Taupenot-Merme Mazoyères-Chambertin RRP $495
MAGNUM RRP $1072
The 2015 Mazoyères-Chambertin Grand Cru has a very intense bouquet with lifted redcurrant, raspberry, spice box and quite a noticeable marine influence coming through with time. The palate is medium-bodied with tensile tannin. This is very focused, almost athletic in terms of tension and somehow “nimble” in the mouth, no heaviness here (a great attribute in such a warm growing season). This is one of the best Mazoyères-Chambertin that I have tasted. 94-96 points. Neal Martin, Wine Advocate December 2016
Once again there is ample sauvage character to the underbrush, humus and earth nuanced dark currant and floral-scented nose. The mouth feel of the big-bodied flavors is quite interesting in that it’s at once succulent yet powerful with plenty of punch to the imposingly-scaled, firm and impressively persistent finish. This is excellent but this will require at least 8 to 10 years of patience first as it’s not likely to make for especially good early drinking. 92-94 points. Allen Meadows, Burghound January 2017
Good dark red. Aromas of raspberry, game and earth accented by spices. Juicier and tighter today than the Charmes-Chambertin, displaying excellent definition and lift, but also less silky and more muscular and in a distinctly less sweet style. Finishes with serious building tannins and pronounced salty minerality. 91-93 points. Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media January 2017
Savoury and very different from Charmes. Very juicy. Rich but much more structured than Charmes. Leathery and lively, long and vibrant. Just a bit dry on the very end. 17.5/20 Jancis Robinson, jancisrobinson.com November 2016