Romain and Virginie Taupenot have afforded us the luxury of expecting constant refinement every time we visit. They’ve faced stiff challenges over recent vintages and have risen above them all. 2014 wasn’t a picnic but it worked out beautifully for the best in Burgundy. Taupenot-Merme, thanks to fine sites and the excellent focus of this brother-and-sister act, has firmly earned its place in this rank.
“I’ve been visiting Romain Taupenot at Domaine Taupenot-Merme for quite a few years now, and the name appears to be gaining more and more attention because of the quality of their wines,” noted Neal Martin of The Wine Advocate in his wrap of the latest wines. “In my humble opinion, they have improved significantly in recent years.”
We humbly share that opinion, and happily commend these to you.
2014 Taupenot-Merme Passetoutgrain RRP $36
2014 Taupenot-Merme Bourgogne Rouge RRP $62
2014 Taupenot-Merme Chambolle-Musigny RRP $158
Two parcels. Mainly Bussières and also La Taupe. Vines over 40 years old. Broad and quite rich. Could taste quite like a spicy Morey. Very good for a village wine. 17/20 Jancis Robinson, Jancisrobinson.com
2014 Taupenot-Merme Gevrey-Chambertin RRP $144
Broad and purple perfumed. Very fresh and pure. Fluid and expressive. Very Gevrey. Precise. 17/20 Jancis Robinson, Jancisrobinson.com
2014 Taupenot-Merme Chambolle-Musigny Combe d’Orveau 1er Cru RRP $256
(these 67-year-old vines, planted by Taupenot’s mother’s grandfather, share the same plant material as Christophe Perrot-Minot’s parcel of Combe d’Orveau): Healthy dark red. Pungent, ripe scents of cherry, raspberry, mocha, cinnamon and stone. Lovely silky, sappy wine with excellent juicy lift to its flavours of red berries, spices and flowers. A step up in precision, energy and length from the village wines here, finishing with silky tannins and lingering perfume. 90-92 points. Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media
2014 Taupenot-Merme Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru RRP $400
The 2014 Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru has a pretty, quite floral bouquet with wilted rose petal infusing the brambly red berry fruit, nicely defined and more expressive than the Corton Rognet at the moment. The palate is succulent and fresh on the entry with a gentle grip in the mouth, quite saline and structured; it is more Mazoyères than Charmes in some ways, demonstrating impressive density and backbone on the finish. This is a sublime expression of the vineyard, a great wine with a long future ahead. 93-95 points. Neal Martin, Wine Advocate
2014 Taupenot-Merme Mazoyères-Chambertin Grand Cru RRP $432
The 2014 Mazoyères Chambertin Grand Cru has a crisp blackberry and bilberry-scented nose, more reticent than the Charmes-Chambertin at the moment and yet it is undeniably extremely focused. There is a subtle marine influence here that adds a little intrigue, some “je ne sais quoi.” The palate is medium-bodied with supple ripe black fruit struck through with a keen thread of acidity. There is a little more body and weight on the finish compared to the Charmes-Chambertin, a residue of cold stone and a little pepper on the aftertaste. You come away thinking…that is a very serious wine. Cellar it for 4-5 years and you should have an outstanding counterpart to the domaine’s 2014 Charmes-Chambertin. 93-95 points. Neal Martin, Wine Advocate