We are happy to release the tremendous 2022s from Domaine Taupenot-Merme.
 
It is always insightful to talk with Romain Taupenot. To begin with he outlined “the challenges of each of the last four vintages. 2019, heat. 2020, hydric stress. 2021, rain. 2022, none of note”!!
 
Whatever the challenges, or lack thereof, the Taupenot-Merme wines have turned out very well in 2022, showing beautiful fruit and mineral intensity allied to wonderful harmony and, in many cases, despite the concentration of fruit, an ethereal quality and mouthwatering freshness.

This freshness is interesting and, for those of you with a more technical interest, was addressed head on by Romain. It is one of the big questions of recent years, and something particularly talked about in relation to the 2022 vintage. How are so many wines retaining such freshness in these, increasingly common, warmer vintages? Firstly, he explained that an excess of potassium that had built up on the soils of Burgundy through the middle and late twentieth century has taken 20-30 years to deplete. Potassium has a detrimental impact on acidity in the fruit and therefore the resultant wine. In warmer vintages more would be drawn up from the soil by the plant, reducing the acidity of the resultant wine. This is now less impactful. Secondly, a more recent and widely recognised change, is that viticulture has evolved dramatically in the last decade or two, with much greater focus on protecting the grape bunches than ever before with changes to training and trellising to promote healthy, clean fruit.
 
There is a lot to like and a lot to look forward to as these wines should develop magnificently.

Domaine Taupenot Merme, Gevrey-Chambertin 2022
£350 per 6 bottle case in bond

On the nose there is a sweet, ripe fruit quality in a dark, forest fruit style. This follows through onto the palate which also shows a welcome structure and firmness, assertive and stony, but which gives way to a mouth-watering dark berry fruit length – raspberry, black cherry, loganberry – and an excellent fruit persistence and sense of balance. Drink 2027-2033 (ROM)

90-92 points, Jasper Morris MW
A bright purple, rich generous ripe fruit on the nose with a suggestion of velvet texture to follow, then a higher toned fresh red fruit, some strawberry beneath with a lifted acidity at the back. Very good. Drink from 2028-2034. Tasted: November 2023.

Domaine Taupenot Merme, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru, Bel Air 2022
£750 per 6 bottle case in bond

Beautiful, ripe fruit combined with freshness and a perfectly integrated structure. Mouthwatering, sapid, saline. This is very good again this year. Expressive, vibrant, harmonious. Drink 2027-2035 (ROM)

92-95 points, Jasper Morris MW
A royally deep crimson purple. Fresh on the nose despite being clearly properly ripe, yet the altitude gives its own freshness, and the wine is very precisely balanced right across the palate. A lovely example. Drink from 2030-2037. Tasted: November 2023.

Domaine Taupenot-Merme, Morey-St Denis 1er Cru, La Riotte 2022
£660 per 6 bottle case in bond

Scented blue fruit and a spicy, peppery note so typical of this site. The palate is pure, linear and full of mineral tension. Wonderful finesse and persistence. Riotte has a greater depth of clay-based soils which absorb and hold water, a great benefit in warmer, drier vintages. This is very successful in the vintage. Drink 2027-2035 (ROM)

93-95 points, Jasper Morris MW
Medium deep crimson purple. Sterner stuff on the nose. Then the dark red fruit swells on the palate, forming a fine backbone to the wine, with refined class right at the back, enough tannins to provide structure, but still dominated by the fruit. Red and black together. Drink from 2030-2037. Tasted: November 2023.

Domaine Taupenot-Merme, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru, Combe d’Orveaux 2022
£750 per 6 bottle case in bond

Perfumed sweet red fruit on the nose. Floral. There is a wonderful sense of harmony and fine persistence of pure, scented, ripe red fruits. Mouthwatering, saline and elegantly long. Romain commented that this is unusually elegant for a warm vintage. An excellent Combe d’Orveaux. Drink 2027-2035 (ROM)

95-97 points, Jasper Morris MW
A bright dense purple, clearly more intensity even though at first not so demonstrative on the nose. A regal quality of fruit though on the palate, very sensual, and stretching out beautifully behind. Ripe cherries, with adequate acidity and very fine-grained tannins. Exceptionally long. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted: November 2023.
 
Domaine Taupenot-Merme, Nuit-St Georges 1er Cru, Les Pruliers 2022
£635 per 6 bottle case in bond

An unusually expressive Pruliers with wonderful, lifted aromatics. The tensile, mineral, white stone palate is long and fine – less assertive than is often the case, more harmonious. But full of energy and direction on a long finish. Drink 2028-2037 (ROM)

93-95 points, Jasper Morris MW
A bright mid purple. The bouquet speaks well of the place, with its bright ripe plums, plenty of vibrancy but also clearly in balance. Bright, dense, concentrated red fruit with a compact yet dynamic energy throughout. Finishes with a balanced freshness, tannins and acidity in the right proportion. Drink from 2032-2038. Tasted: November 2023.
 
Domaine Taupenot-Merme, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2022
£1,500 per 6 bottle case in bond

Flowing red fruit spreads across the palate after a relatively closed nose that slowly opens in the glass. There is a silky elegance through the palate with incredibly fine tannins lending a subtle power and depth. Excellent precision and balance in this Charmes-Chambertin that should evolve beautifully. Drink 2028-2039 (ROM)

94-96 points, Jasper Morris MW
Bright, attractive crimson purple. Not as explosive as it might be on the nose, a little more discreet. Then the fruit does absolutely swell on the palate, rediscovering the strawberries and cream aspect of this vineyard, with adequate acidity and some fine tannins. Drink from 2032-2040. Tasted: November 2023.
 
Domaine Taupenot-Merme,  Mazoyères-Chambertin Grand Cru 2022
£1,690 per 6 bottle case in bond

The fruit is dark and powerful – compact, layered and with a spicy, mineral energy. The tannins are very refined, present but ripe. There is a floral lift at the end that suggests to Romain that this is going to develop very, very well. Despite the fruit density there is an ethereal aspect towards the end too. Fascinating and very fine. Drink 2028-2040 (ROM)

95-97 points, Jasper Morris MW
Bright mid purple. The bouquet has a little crunchier fruit than Les Charmes. Quite detailed, fresh red berries with some riper elements too. There is a greater intensity of fruit, more raspberry compared to the Charmes strawberry, with ripe cherries at the seamless finish. A beautiful wine in the making. Drink from 2032-2040+. Tasted: November 2023.

Please let us know of your interest. We will endeavour to get back to you as soon as we can