Aromas of dark cherries, licorice, peonies and sweet spices, framed by a deft touch of classy new oak, introduce the 2020 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, a full-bodied, ample and satiny wine that's fleshy and gourmand, its sweet, powdery tannins entirely concealed in an enveloping core of vibrant fruit. Such is its underlying substance and incipient complexity, however, that I suspect its immediate charm is deceptive.

Aromas of orange rind, red cherries, plums, licorice, spices and peonies introduce the 2019 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, a full-bodied, ample and layered wine that's deep and concentrated, with a generous core of fruit, melting tannins and a long, rose-inflected finish. As ever, this is the domaine's most immediate, sensual grand cru.

Offering up aromas of cherries, wild berries, licorice and loamy soil that only hint at the aromatic range to come with a little bottle age, the 2018 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is full-bodied, layered and sumptuous, its deep and multidimensional core fruited by rich but refined tannins and lively balancing acids, concluding with a long, beautifully defined finish. This is a serious, concentrated Charmes that—as I wrote last year—fully vindicates Lo?c Dugat-Py's decision to harvest early, as well as his move to a reduced percentage of new oak (only 66%) for this cuvée.

I have already tasted the 2017 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru three or four times since it was bottled, and it is an immensely appealing young wine that exemplifies the stylistic evolution that Lo?c Dugat-Py has subtly enacted at this estate since taking the helm a few years ago. Soaring from the glass with an expressive bouquet of cherries, licorice and sweet coniferous forest floor, it's full-bodied, ample and exquisitely velvety, with a deep and concentrated core, mouthwateringly succulent acids and a long, intense finish. More immediate and overtly charming than the Lavaux Saint-Jacques, anyone who wants to understand contemporary Dugat-Py could be forgiven for tasting a bottle young.