Visit to Château de Charodon – Tasting the Red 2020s

Château de Charodon, under Louis Vallet, is a new name on the Burgundy scene, although Vallet has long worked at different estates here – most recently at Domaine Pierre Bourée, his old family domaine.

However, he’s turned the page and started a new negociant business in the buildings of his parental home, the Château de Charodon just outside Beaune in Montagny-les-Beaune.

There is little doubt that Louis Vallet will harvest the fruits of the family vineyards one day. But starting out here, he has other vineyards in focus.

Vinous background

Louis Vallet learned his trade from people like Pascal Marchand, and I see qualities in the Château de Charodon wines influenced by Marchand’s visionary ideas. I also see influence from Bernard Zito, another prominent personality in Louis’ development as a vigneron.

These influences result in wines with generous and pure mid-palate fruit, drinkability and enjoyability, and complexity without being over-engineered. They keep the simplicity while revealing palpable potential. These are wines of quite high hedonistic quality, enjoyable yet controlled due to their relatively high sulphur levels.

Let’s taste them!

Château de Charodon Bourgogne Côte d’Or 2020

The Bourgogne Côte d’Or is showing great liveliness and juiciness. The nose is bursting with cherries and millerandage flavours – pomegranate and other red berries. Not a big wine, but a true vin d’emotion and un vrai vin de soif. Not a wine for points; rather one for pleasure.

(Drink from 2023) – Good – (87p) – Tasted 24/06/2022 –

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Château de Charodon Hautes Côtes de Beaune 2020

Lively, and with fine acidity, the 40-year-old vines give a bit more depth and thoughtfulness than the Bourgogne. That said, this lacks the astonishing energy of the regional wine, although it’s a bigger, and rather delicate, wine.

(Drink from 2024) – Good – (87p) – Tasted 24/06/2022 –

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Château de Charodon Côte de Nuits Villages 2020 –

The Côte de Nuits Villages is from the Brochon area, and is an elegant wine with plenty of fresh fruit and depth. It’s deep and intense, with good liveliness. A delight!

(Drink from 2024) – Very Good – (88-89p) – Tasted 24/06/2022

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Château de Charodon Vougeot Les Petits Vougeots 2020

A rare bird from the village part of Les Petits Vougeots. This is from a special, almost pink, pinot, and it produces a lively, joyfully expressive wine. Almost a form of Pinot Rose – 50% new Rousseau barrels help firm things up – with elegant and delicate fruit. What a treat.

(Drink from 2027) – Very Good – (89-90p) – Tasted 24/06/2022 –

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Château de Charodon Gevrey-Chambertin Les Jeunes Roys 2020

This single-vineyard village shows significant depth and complexity. It has a lovely peony note and is quite floral and spicy. It’s somewhat delicate, coming from the Brochon side of Gevrey. A bit less expressive than the 2019, but still a vivid wine with a lovely expressive side. And 40% new oak does give it some oompf!

(Drink from 2030) – Very Good – (89-90p) – Tasted 24/06/2022 –

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Château de Charodon Vosne-Romanée 2020

From Les Communes, this is a muscular wine with discreet notes of lilac, peony, rose, and violets. The sulfur and/or oak is not letting the wine show itself fully at the moment, leaving it with a rather tight, dense feel. This could be fine over the longer term, but I feel the wine is being restrained somewhat unnecessarily.

(Drink from 2032) – Very Good – (90-91p) – Tasted 24/06/2022 –

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Château de Charodon Pommard Clos des Arvelets 2020

The Pommard Arvelets is slightly reduced, but still shows lively fruit. It is airy, and with some clear signs of its origins on the northern side of Pommard. What can I say? This is in fine form, but I would love to see this reveal more of itself.

(Drink from 2030) – Very Good – (89p) – Tasted 24/06/2022

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