Tasting of Philippe Pacalet 2012 from Cask – Grand Cru

Philippe Pacalet is, as mentioned before, one of my favorite winemakers in Burgundy. I love the style of the wines, the drinkability, the lightness, the purity, the delicate expression of pinot fruit and the terroir.

The 2010 vintage was a big succes for Pacalet, the quality was very high, and the transparancy of some of the reds were almost second to none. The 2011s were also very fine for the vintage, and I was therefore eager to visit Philippe and taste his 2012s.

It was quite a big tasting with more than 20 wines, and in this article I will only cover the red grand cru wines. The village wines and the red 1er crus were covered in two earlier article – Tasting of Pacalet village 2012 – Tasting of Pacalet 1er cru 2012 – and the whites will follow shortly in a separate article. So off to the Grand Crus!

Notes from tasting March 19th 2013 – Red 1er crus

The wines were all very accessible and charming and they showed deep and nuanced pinot aromas already at this early stage.

The fruit in the 2012 Pacalet grand crus is multi layered and juicy, with a very fine expression of the terroir. The wines are very transparent, with a lovely nerve and energy. The wines have more weight and body than the 2011s but are nevertheless very refined and somehow still lightfooted and classic in style. The acidity is quite fresh and with a good nerve – very promising indeed.

Charmes Chambertin 2012

The Pacalet Charmes 2012 is both a intense and charming wine in the making. The bouquet is bursting with nuances of enegetic red berry fruit – spiced with allspice and cinnamon. On the palate layers of delicate and intense red berry fruit with elements of sweet red coulis fruit. It’s balanced and refined – it’s quite dense for a Pacalet wine – but still fresh and vibrant. The fine display of terroir in the long finish offer adds focus and nerve. A truly beautiful Charmes.
(Drink from 2024) – Very Fine (93 -95p) – Tasted 19/03/2013 from CASK

Echezeaux 2012

The Echezeaux 2012 from Pacalet is another succes in this vintage. The bouquet offer lovely quite expressive organic red berry fruit – with lovely spicy notes of violets, white peppar and peony rose. On the palate layers of quite dense and focused red fruit – with a slightly darker expression than the two Gevrey grand crus. It’s balanced, focused and quite tightly knit – with a fine freshness and minerality. A fine Echezeaux in the making – is it matching the beautiful 2010?
(Drink from 2024) – Very Fine (93 – 94p) – Tasted 19/03/2013 from CASK

Ruchotte Chambertin 2012

The Ruchotte Chambertin 2012 is a true beauty. The bouquet is currently slightly closed but still offer layers of lovely organic red berry fruit and a quite stunning display of minerality and terroir. On the palete very intense red berry fruit – multible layers of juicy fruit. The minerality and complexity is very inmpressive adding a wonderful energy and nerve to this wine. It’s rich, refined and charming – love this terroir.
(Drink from 2024) – Very Fine+ (94 – 95p) – Tasted 19/03/2013 from CASK

2012 compared to the 2010 and 2011 vintages

Philippe Pacalet has produced very fine wines in both 2010 and 2011. In my view both vintages really suits the domaine style, as the quite transparant style of the vintages is a perfect match for the organic low SO₂style of the domaine. The 2012s have much more weigth and fruit concentration than the 2011s – but somehow the transparancy and energetic style is maintained dispite the more dense fruit.

The 2012s are very different from the 2011 vintage – and in my view the 2012s are a full step up in quality from the otherwise fine 2011s – and they could perhaps even rival the fantastic 2010s from this domaine. The Ruchotte Chambertin 2012 is certainly one of the best Pacalet wines I have tasted.

Tasting Notes for this producer

• Philippe Pacalet, Chambolle Musigny 1er cru 2009 July 26, 2018
• Philippe Pacalet, Corton Charlemagne 2011 May 15, 2018
• Philippe Pacalet, Chambolle Musigny 2015 September 7, 2017
• Philippe Pacalet, Vosne-Romanee Les Chaumes 2014 August 25, 2016
• Philippe Pacalet, Chambolle Musigny 1er cru 2014 July 24, 2016
• Philippe Pacalet, Gevrey Chambertin 2002 May 17, 2016
• Philippe Pacalet, Chambolle Musigny 1er cru 2004 May 17, 2016
• Philippe Pacalet, Chablis Beauroy 2005 May 9, 2016
• Philippe Pacalet, Chablis Beauroy 2004 May 9, 2016
• Philippe Pacalet, Echezeaux 2010 April 28, 2016
• Philippe Pacalet, Chambolle Musigny 2010 January 17, 2016
• Philippe Pacalet, Vosne Les Chaumes 2013 November 12, 2015
• Philippe Pacalet, Chambolle Musigny 2013 September 18, 2015
• Philippe Pacalet, Chambolle-Musigny 1er cru 2010 August 21, 2015
• Philippe Pacalet, Corton Charlemagne 2010 February 5, 2015
• Philippe Pacalet, Vosne Romanee 2012 February 4, 2015
• Philippe Pacalet, Puligny Montrachet 2013 January 16, 2015
• Philippe Pacalet, Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2013 November 13, 2014
• Philippe Pacalet, Chambolle-Musigny 1er cru 2009 September 17, 2014
• Philippe Pacalet, Gevrey Chambertin, Laveaux St. Jacques 2013 September 13, 2014
• Philippe Pacalet, Gevrey Chambertin, Bel Air 2013 September 11, 2014
• Philippe Pacalet, Vosne Romanee, Les Chaumes 2013 September 9, 2014
• Philippe Pacalet, Chambolle Musigny 1er cru 2013 September 5, 2014
• Philippe Pacalet, Nuits-Saint-George 1er cru 2013 September 4, 2014
• Philippe Pacalet, Pommard 2013 August 19, 2014
• Philippe Pacalet, Nuits-Saint-Georges 2013 August 16, 2014
• Philippe Pacalet, Chambolle-Musigny 2013 August 15, 2014
• Philippe Pacalet, Vosne-Romanee 2013 August 13, 2014
• Philippe Pacalet, Gevrey-Chambertin 2013 August 12, 2014
• Philippe Pacalet, Chambolle-Musigny 2012 August 10, 2014

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