95 points Robert Parker
As intimated in my Issue 196 report, Duperray acquired a new parcel of ancient (90-year-old) vines that have debuted in his 2010 Moulin-a-Vent Chassignol Tres Vieilles Vignes, which (after suffering two bouts with hail) yielded the smallest of Duperray’s cuvees from its vintage. (That noted, the production figure of 1,569 bottles is misleading since, in addition, he bottled 959 magnums!) These were also Duperray’s last-harvested fruits of their vintage, not having been picked until October 12. A maritime alliance of salty and alkaline notes is evident from the nose on, and the palate here offers an especially striking instance of wine that seems mingled with oyster liqueur whose savor in this instance goes far beyond salt, alkali, or stone to an ineffable, saliva-liberating alliance of animal, mineral, and vegetable matter. With apologies to those who may find such analogies glib, where this vintage’s Les Moriers suggested a mingling of great Gamay with Gruner Veltliner, here a dosage of Chablis Preuses comes to mind! Black currant, black berry, and cherry also abound, in fresh, albeit very ripe, concentrated form, shadowed by their spirituous counterparts as well as by haunting inner-mouth perfume of iris, gentian and jasmine. The sense of sappy brightness, buoyancy, and ultimate elegance on display is also more than merely noteworthy – almost uncanny, in fact, considering the evidently elevated accompanying ripeness, viscosity and extract, not to mention this wine’s forceful finishing grip. Surely this will merit following through 2022 if not beyond.
