Roche de Bellene Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru

Nicolas Potel’s Charmes-Chambertin from both 2006 and 2007 vintages represents an exceptional expression of this Grand Cru vineyard, located in the Gevrey-Chambertin appellation in the Côte de Nuits. Charmes-Chambertin is known for producing wines with power and elegance, often combining rich fruit concentration with a refined, silky texture.

2006

Nose: Aromas of ripe dark fruits such as blackberries, black cherries, and plums, with hints of earth, forest floor, and sweet spices (cinnamon, clove).

Palate: Expect a lush and round mouthfeel, with fine tannins and well-integrated acidity, offering layers of fruit, mineral notes, and an underlying earthiness. A hint of oak influence brings subtle vanilla and toast characters.

Ageability: The 2006 vintage has the structure to age for over a decade, but by now (2024), the tannins would have softened, with more secondary notes like dried fruits, leather, and mushrooms coming to the fore.

2007

Nose: Expect brighter red fruit aromas—cranberries, red cherries, and raspberries—along with floral notes like violets, and earthy, mushroom-like characteristics that develop over time.

Palate: The wine would have a lighter body compared to 2006, but still retains good complexity. The acidity would be more pronounced, giving the wine a lively freshness, while the tannins would be more subtle and refined. Delicate flavours of red fruit, herbs, and minerals dominate, with a softer texture overall.

Ageability: Though not as structured as the 2006, the 2007 Charmes-Chambertin still ages gracefully. By now, it likely shows more tertiary notes like truffle, forest floor, and savoury spices, while maintaining its elegant fruit core.

2008

Wine Advocate 89-90+: The Bellene 2008 Charmes-Chambertin (from the -true- Charmes) smells of creme de cassis; and resin; offers palate-staining berry concentration and imposing sweetness though also enormous underlying tannin; and finishes with formidable grip but for now not much differentiation or refinement of flavor, and certainly not much charm. This had been racked from its original new barrels to older wood the week I tasted it and thus might have been laboring under a handicap. Certainly the raw material for at least a decade of thriving seems present.

Wine Spectator 93: Starts out with sweet strawberry, cherry and floral aromas and flavours that quickly give way to the lively structure. There's purity, focus and balance, but this needs time for the two halves to come together. Best from 2014 through 2026.