1988 Domaine Maume Charmes-Chambertin

Domaine Maume is a 10-acre estate in Gevrey-Chambertin, Burgundy. It is currently run by Bertrand Maume, who represents the current generation of a family that has owned the small domain for more than a century. The estate has Grand Cru parcels in Mazis-Chambertin and Charmes-Chambertin, as well as Premier Cru parcels in Mazis-Chambertin, Gevrey-Chambertin and Charmes-Chambertin. Clive Coates has written that “what I like about Maume’s wines is their rampant individuality. The Mazis is sexy and exotic, wanton and dangerous. The Charmes is more refined.”

Charmes-Chambertin is a 78-acre Grand Cru vineyard in Gevrey-Chambertin that traditionally includes the acreage of nearby Mazoyeres-Chambertin. For nearly 200 years the growers of Mazoyeres have been legally allowed to sell their wines under the more famous name of Charmes-Chambertin, and virtually all of them do. Charmes-Chambertin is the largest of the Gevrey-Chambertin Grand Crus, and it generally has an excellent reputation. The slope of the vineyard is gentle and the surface soil poor. But producers including Joseph Roty, Christian Serafin, Domaine Dujac, Faiveley and Joseph Drouhin are acclaimed for their Charmes Chambertin. Principal landholders are Camus, with 14.75 acres; Perrot-Minot, 4 acres; and Armand Rousseau, 3.5 acres.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.