95-96 John Gilman - View from the Cellar

"And the one lone grand cru in the Bachelet cellars? Simply stunning in the 2006 vintage, the Bachelet Charmes finished up its malolactic in June of ’07, making the wine the easiest to read in November. The lion’s share of these old vines (planted prior to 1920) lie in the finest section of Charmes-Chambertin, at the apex of the vineyard, right in the middle of Charmes and lying just below Chambertin itself. Monsieur Bachelet’s immediate neighbors in this section are Christophe Perrot-Minot, Bernard Dugat and Claude Dugat. There is also one other small parcel of Bachelet vines in Charmes, lying a bit further down the slope and even older, which are planted right next to those of Joseph Roty, and are about the same age as the Roty centenarians. From these great old vines Denis Bachelet has made a stunning example of this underrated vineyard in 2006, as the wine soars from the glass in a brilliant mélange of black cherries, sweet cassis, grilled meat, bitter chocolate, a touch of vanillin oak and a very complex base of black minerality. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, very deep and very pure, with stunning mid-palate intensity, laser-like focus, tangy acids, and great length and grip on the soil- driven finish. Like the Corbeaux, there is a coolness to the fruit tones here that is anything but jammy, and a freshness and precision that will clearly result in one dramatic and stunning bottle of wine at its zenith. 2017-2040."

94 David Schildknecht - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"Pre-selection and rigorous sorting appear to have eliminated any negative impact of hail in Bachelet's 2006 Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes, but with the result that this virtually always intense and well-structured wine from 80 year old vines is even more so than usual. Bitter-sweet herbal, tarry, and almost liqueur-like dark berry concentrates (cassis and black raspberry) – along with low-toned roast meatiness – inform a seamless palate, softer to the touch and with a more restrained impression of acidity than the old vines village Gevrey, yet still plenty of vivacious primary fruit juiciness. Hints of sealing wax and inner-mouth perfume of peony, heliotrope, and rose add intrigue and allure. Resin, iodine, and wet stone convey a sense of depth in the lingering finish, and speaking of "lingering," the empty glass smells so sweetly fruited and floral as well as intriguingly mineral that its perfume alone will seem worth the price of admission. "I was really concerned to retain acidity here," comments Bachelet, who professes to be less than completely happy with some of his wines from the ripest vintages. "I'm looking for a wine with vivacity and equilibrium," he adds, "not a California style." He certainly got a beauty, and you would be well advised to give any bottles 3-4 years rest before following for another half dozen or more."

91-94 Allen Meadows - Burghound

"Despite being harvested first, this is clearly the ripest wine in the range where the wonderfully dense fruit is highlighted by a background touch of wood that continues onto the refined, pure and concentrated flavors that are supported by dense but fine tannins and flat out terrific length. This is a lovely wine in every respect and while not exactly understated, everything does seem to be in perfect proportion."