Chambertin Clos de Bèze, Domaine Bruno Clair 2012

**Note: two-thirds of the .98 ha parcel of vines was planted in 1912 and the remainder in 1973**
A discreet hint of wood allows the slightly riper and definitely spicier aromas of earth, humus, dark berries and soft sauvage notes to shine. There is excellent power to the muscular and broad-shouldered flavors that also brim with structure-buffering dry extract that coats the palate on the mineral-driven, punchy and seriously persistent finish. This is a Bèze of power and finesse though note that unlike many 2012s this is clearly built for the long haul.

Tasted blind at the annual "Burgfest" tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru from Bruno Clair has just a touch of volatility on the nose, underneath lies some tertiary red berry fruit waiting to surface. Will it or won't it? We'll have to wait and see. The palate is medium-bodied with fine saturated tannin. Tart and edgy as it showed in barrel and yet it seems to have forsaken some of its substance that it then displayed. It is not the most persistent Clos-de-Bèze in the making, but the bottom line is that it doles at the pleasure and it improves remarkably in the glass. It's not close to my perhaps over-enthusiastic assessment from barrel...but let's see what bottle age brings.