Always the apex of the Chauvenet experience, Les Vaucrains—in which Christophe works a 0.41-hectare parcel of very old vines—all but dares not to be considered a grand cru. While the finely wrought and articulate Les Perrières above leaves little to improve upon, this wine indeed reaches just that little bit higher. A stunning nose of exotic spice, damp soil, black fruit, and a perfectly measured dose of animale ushers in a palate of raw power with a nearly opaque density of material. Still, through all this mass, a vibrating kineticism prevails, spotlighting Christophe’s uncanny ability to render fine detail amidst formidable volume.