Terroir-istes International - France, Burgundy, Chambolle Musigny
Bishopscourt
Tasted June 3, 2019 by rikipedia with 36 views
Introduction
Chambolle-Musigny created the AOC in 1936 and covers an area of 93 hectares of village Chambolle-Musigny (40 Lieux-dit), 61 hectares of Premier Cru Chambolle-Musigny and 26 ha of Grand Cru. AOC allows for Pinot Noir only.
There are 2 Grand Cru, Musigny and Bonnes Mares and 15 Premier Cru. Les Amoureuses, Les Charmes, and Les Fuées are the most highly rated premier Crus. Les Cras has seen its quality rise, with some commentators suggesting global warming has helped it ripen better. More on this.
Stylistic: The wines of Chambolle-Musigny are known for their floral elegance and finesse rather than power and are often described as the most "feminine" among the red wines of Burgundy. Not often that deep in colour, they are graceful and charming but not the most structured, delivering a sensuous fruit and a lacy texture. Some find them seductive, with a "sheen" overlaying the glistening fruit. Velvety with a richness that caresses the palate. Many note the finish is like a peacock's tail, the flavours gaining breadth and dimension. Aromas of Indian spices (cumin, cardamom)
Returning to the global warming point, Jasper Morris mentions that the vineyards in C-M have ripened easily in the past and may, with climate change, lose that sweet spot of ripening such that the grapes may become overheated or wrinkle before ripeness.
The soils are more limestone than clay in the clay-limestone mix with a high proportion of active limestone i.e. the amount of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) that can be uptaken into the vine to be utilized is high) that can cause mild chlorosis.
Well-known producers include Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé, Domaine Ghislaine Barthod, and Domaine Georges Roumier.
Flight 1 - Same Producer and site, three different but consecutive vintages (3 notes)
Red
2014 Domaine Fourrier Chambolle-Musigny Vieille Vigne
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny
(Tasted Blind): A light cherry red hue. Captivating bouquet of savoury, earthy and undergrowth tones mixed with violet, Bing cherry, raspberry and blood orange. Fairly fragrant.
A soft fleshy entry, that gradually grows in intensity. Plenty of primary fruits with a crushed velvet texture, bright fruits and a fresh acidity parsing through the mid-palate. The wine has concentration, elegance and depth of flavour and finishes long with grippy tannins and a notable umami twist. In glass, a charry oak emerges later, and there is a pithy, almost bitter quality as more oxygen enters the glass.
Red
2013 Domaine Fourrier Chambolle-Musigny Vieille Vigne
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny
(Tasted Blind): Light+ garnet with some orange on the rim. Fairly lifted, perfumed note with charming Chambolle notes showing fresh earth, warm spices and dark fruits. A complex entry with depth of flavour, silky smooth succulence and flavours of cherry compote, grapefruit and rhubarb.
Beuiatfiully structured, the wine exhibits precision and concentration whilst dancing gracefully on the palate. It certainly embodies the elegance expected of Chambolle-Musigny. Fairly noted acidity suggests a cooler year (2013?). Long, length with that purity of fruit, it closes on raspberry and tinned red cherries and, in glass, unveils layer after layer of flavour.
Red
2012 Domaine Fourrier Chambolle-Musigny Vieille Vigne
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny
(Tasted Blind): A clear light to mid crimson. Youthful intricate aromas of fresh ripe cherries with rhubarb and spice. Feels cooling. The palate is intense and defined with fresh Morello cherry, spice unfolding to tilled soil and umami notes with a sandy texture and crisp acidity. The wine has richness and vibrancy with an athletic, muscular (almost angular) feel, subtly powered. The tannins are dense, and perhaps its gait sacrifices some of its charms; I enjoyed the wine. Closes with sour cherry and florality and a long, seamless length.
Old vines. ±90 yrs old
Flight 2 - Three consecutive vintages: 2009, 2008, 2007 from three producers. One wine is not 1er Cru (3 notes)
Red
2009 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Aux Beaux Bruns
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
(Tasted Blind): A light to mid-crimson. The nose shows clear signs of evolution with savoury notes of undergrowth dominating. Hints of tar and darker fruits. The wine shakes off some of the evolution with a burst of black cherries, rhubarb and raspberry. Tilled soil and marmite complement rather than distract, and the wine reveals plenty of complexity. Fairly full-bodied and extracted, a lively acidity pushes the wine forward. Concentrated with sinewy and grainy tannins, the alcohol slightly overshadows the balance whilst the medium to long finish leans more savoury, despite a touch of cherry paste and spice, towards boiled vegetables, carrion, stewed fruits and cooked rice. Still has some depth and, apart from its quirks, is intriguing, if nothing else!
Red
2008 Louis Jadot Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Baudes Domaine Gagey
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
(Tasted Blind): Light to mid crimson towards a browning rim. Distant aged bouquet with savoury, smoke, farmyard, umami and some marinated cherry and gentle spice. The palate is ripe with cooked fruits and the tertiary evolution comes to the fore with earth, undergrowth, forest floor and plenty of that umami/sea kelp quality. The tannins are granular and the acidity crisp along with a mineral edge, giving an overall raw expression. Cooler year? It finishes well, and the depth is quite smart. Closed with better notes of potpourri and dried cherries, it became a little juicier as the wine opened. Changed score upwards. 89-90
Red
2007 Joseph Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny
(Tasted Blind): Light+ crimson to browning rim. A shy nose that slowly reveals savoury, spicy notes (cloves into orange). Tertiary but not too evolved. A gentle entry, good intensity of flavours with noted savoury qualities. A powdery texture with fairly crisp acidity that runs to granular tannins. As it opens the wine show tarry qualities, iron oxide and the savoury notes increase. Whilst a long finish, the acid become a little overwhelming and tannins feel drier and more aggressive.
Flight 3 - 2010 vintage. All 1er Cru. Two wines from the same producer (3 notes)
Red
2010 Domaine Bertheau (Pierre et François) Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
(Tasted Blind): Light crimson to brown rim. Fairly fresh and bright with ripe fruits and earth. A crisp acidity, good fruit concentration with subtle power underneath. Pure fruited, lift with grippy rather austere tannins and a long farewell. Feels a little lean and bony and could do with a little more flesh. Closes rather earthier and a little volatile.
Red
2010 Domaine Bertheau (Pierre et François) Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
(Tasted Blind): Light ruby to browner edges. The nose has savoury, umami aromas showing plenty of age. Fresh, bright fruits of rhubarb and some plum with crisp acidity, pure but with good concentration, power, and grippy texture underneath. However, it does feel a little spindly, and I would have liked a little more flesh to coat the bones. Medium to long finish. Whilst it maintained a piercing intensity throughout, in the glass it began to show an element of volatility. Was in two minds on this wine.
Red
2010 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cherbaudes Vieille Vigne
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
(Tasted Blind): Light to mid ruby towards a browning rim. Again, savoury, umami notes dominate, but red and black cherry appear as it opens with toasty oak. A crisp fresh acidity, lovely intensity and depth to it, grip and pose, with richer flavours of black cherry, rhubarb, spiced oak and blood orange. There is power here with sandy tannins, complexity and a reasonably broad palate structure, yet I loved its elegance and alluring notes and the wine has a lightness of touch. Long and lingering, it does veer a little on the finish toward charred oak, coffee grinds and some felt geranium but has more than enough fruit to cover that as it ages. Perhaps I thought this was fab!
Closing
A massive hiccup as the last wine was incorrectly drawn from the cellar and ended up winning the tasting! So a Gevrey won in the Chambolle section!
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