Corton Charlemagne 1993 fra Bonneau du Martray er en fantastisk hvitvin !

Vinmøte Jon 17.4.13

Chablis 1cru La Forest 1995, Vincent Dauvissat

Gul farge med grønnskjær. Mye kalk og mineraler. Slank, lang ettersmak og bra syre. Tydelig chablis. Kanskje servert litt for varm. En fantastisk bra chablis, og vinen har hatt stor flaskevariasjon de siste 10 årene. Prisen var rimelig priset i sin tid. (ca kr. 250,-?) 92-94 poeng.

Vi har drukket denne flere ganger tidligere i Vinklubben 

Vinmøte Øistein 27.10.11; Lett gylden med snev av lynghonning, oksidasjon og marsipan. Ikke noe vin for Roar dette ! Kommer tilbake med smør og blir bedre og bedre i glasset. Alle var i Meursault ! 89 poeng. 

Vinmøte Jon 28.4.11; Jon tok opp 3 stk. og mente at alle var premox. 
Vi smakte de alle med svært interessant resulat;

Flaske smakt 6t. etter åpning; frisk, deilig og citrusfrisk. 93 p.
Flaske smakt 4 t. etter åpning; noe mere brun, men frisk. 89p
Flaske smakt 2 t. etter åpning; oksidert gone. ikke poeng.

Chablis Les Clos 2005, Duplessis

Mere gul og gylden.. Lime på nesa, litt anonym, noe reduktiv, skjellsand og mineralsk. Undermoden og grønn. Uren, alkoholsniff på nesa.. Plastelina og igjen en litt rar Duplessis. 87 poeng

Meursault Les Luchets 2005, Domaine Roulot

Rik nese, fat og tydelig sentralburgunder. Puligny eller Chassagne ? Brent toast og lang, harmonisk ettersmak. Utvikler fine rene nyanser etterhvert i glasset. Grønn og ung. Bør lagres. Litt svovel og kruttlapp. Øyvind var sikker på at dette var en Kistler. 90-92 poeng

Beaune du Chateau 1cru 2005, Bouchard Pêre & Fils

Anonym på nesa og vi visste ikke helt hvor vi skulle. Litt anonym, streif av eik, litt mye alkohol og tung. Mangler eleganse. Kantete og vinen gir ikke tydelig beskjed. Fruktig, men for lite definisjon. 88 poeng.

Corton Charlemagne 1993, Bonneau du Martray

Gylden farge med røkt nese og whiff av bål. Rikt fatpreg, fet og tydelig "Grand Cru" kvalitet. Et veldig godt integrert fatbruk, full harmoni, vinen roer seg noe etterhvert, men blir bare bedre og bedre. Tykk og lubben kraftplugg med lang ettersmak. Denne vinen har vi drukket i over 10 år i Vinklubben og skuffer aldri. Men den har lagt på seg en rikere stil. Før var den slankere og mere mineralsk. 94-95 poeng.


Vinmøte Roar 22.9.11: Noe kork med lukt av gamle støvsugerposer. Litt kjemsk merkelig duft, men den whiffer bort etterhvert. Veldig bra kjølig frukt med en begynnende utvikling på gang. Stor lengde, en rustikk vin og må trekkes for litt urenhet. Flere var i Chablis, men vi endte i Corton. Overraskende mye fat og skallmaserasjon, denne vinen var sylskarp og citrusbasert for 5 år siden. Men fremdelse med en veldig god mineralitet. Uenighet om poeng. 90-94 poeng.

Fra Dn.no: Å kjøpe hvite burgundere er ingen sikker øvelse for normale vinelskere. Vinene er svindyre, variable i kvalitet og de beste kommer ikke i regulært salg, de blir umiddelbart utsolgt. Det finnes i alle fall ett spektakulært unntak: Corton Charlemagne fra Bonneau du Martray! 

Vi vandret i Corton Charlemagne med eieren av Domaine Bonneau du Martray; Jean-Charles de la Gault de la Moriniere (54). Hans store andel av Corton-Charlemagne gir kanskje den aller beste vinen fra Corton Charlemagne for tiden. Det gir en friskere, kjøligere vin enn for eksempel konkurrenten og naboen Louis Latour. 
Jeg synes selv at jeg er perfekt plassert i Corton Charlemagne. Vinmarkene til venstre side for meg får litt for lite sol noe som gir mindre modne druer. Vinmarkene til høyre for meg får mer sol en mine, men de gir ikke like elegant vin. 
Han har svært gamle vinstokker med en snittalder på 45 år, som gir bedre vin, men mindre kvantum. Avkastningen er lav nok (ca 40 hektoliter/ hektar) til å gi flott konsentrasjon i vinen. Jean-Charles orienterer seg nå mot mer økologisk vindyrkning, men er pragmatisk. 
Jeg har noen svært gamle vinstokker som det er vanskelig å konvertere til økologisk vindyrking. Da må jeg replante. Hvorfor skulle jeg gjøre det når de gir noe av den beste vinen jeg lager? 

I Burgund og særlig i Grand Cru-vinmarker er det vanlig å være generøs med eikefatene. 100 prosent ny eik er ikke uvanlig og gir vin med kraftig tresmak. Jean-Charles sverger til en blanding av Allier- og Nevers-eik hvor en tredjedel er nye fat, en tredjedel ett år gamle fat og en tredjedel to år gamle fat. Dette gir en noe mer integrert og diskret eikekarakter, mener han. 

Eik er viktig, men jeg vil også lage elegante viner som smaker av jordsmonnet. Jeg vil derfor ikke bruke for mye ny eik på min Corton-Charlemagne, forklarer Jean-Charles. 

I Burgund har vinprodusentene normalt bare ørsmå parseller i de beste Grand Cru-vinmarkene. Det er ikke uvanlig at produksjonen kan være så liten som 300 flasker av enkelte viner. Bonneau du Martray lager 48.000 flasker Grand Cru Corton Charlemagne i året. Det er riktignok bare en liten del av dette som kommer til Norge, men alle som bestiller raskt bør kunne sikre seg noen flasker. Heldigvis selges det mer av denne vinen i Norge enn i USA. Dette er viner som passer perfekt til hummerfesten. En Corton Charlemagne har nok intensitet, syre og kraft til å takle selv de mest intense hummerretter og hummersauser. 

50173 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2000
Bonneau du Martray. Frankrike, Burgund. Kroner 660,00 Bestilling
95 poeng. Red & White
Dette er den beste unge Corton Charlemagne vi har smakt fra Bonneau du Martray siden 1988-årgangen. Det er litt for tidlig å si om dette blir en vin som legendariske 1979-årgangen, men balansen i vinen er like perfekt. Fantastisk kompleks duft av sitrusfrukter, diskret eik, hint av mandler og mineraler. Smaken er svært intens, med rik frukt, men høy syre og lang stram ettersmak som virker nærmest uendelig. Bør lagres i syv års tid, men du kan drikke den nå hvis du lufter den i 2-3 timer i karaffel. 

13906 Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 1999
Bonneau du Martray. Frankrike, Burgund. Kroner 635,70 Basis
89 poeng. Red & White
Dette er godt selv om den ikke er fullt så god som 2000-årgangen. Den har utviklet seg relativt fort og drikker godt allerede. Den mangler konsentrasjonen og intensiteten til 2000-årgangen. Men den finnes godt representert rundt om på mange polutsalg siden den er basislisteført. 

33422 Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 1993. 
Bonneau du Martray. Frankrike, Burgund. Kroner 666,20 Bestilling
94 poeng. Red & White
Dette er en vin fra en kjølig årgang som lenge har vært en av våre favoritter. Intens lime- og eplepreget fruktighet, med fine mandeltoner, hint av sjø og elegant eikepreg. Smaken er svært stram og intens med høy syre og lang finish. Den begynner så vidt å bli moden. En stor vin fra en undervurdert årgang. 

50172 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 1989 
Bonneau du Martray. Frankrike, Burgund. Kroner 816,00 Bestilling
91 poeng. Red & White
Dette en den strake motsetningen til 1993-årgangen. Her gir en varm årgang høy alkohol søtlig frukt og stor fedme. Vi foretrekker litt strammere og sure saker, men dette er en delig vin til tunge hummersauser. 

50167 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 1987
Bonneau du Martray. Frankrike, Burgund. Kroner 685,10 Bestilling.
92 poeng. Red & White
Dette er en sjokkerende god vin fra en svak årgang. Det er denne årgangen vi drikker nå! Den er helt perfekt moden, med flott aromaer av sitrus, tørket aprikos, hint av nøtter, sopp treverk og skalldyr (krabbe). Smaken er rik fyldig, frisk og lang men intens mineral jordsmonnskarakter. Utrolig vin. Har du aldri smakt en topp moden burgunder så har du sjansen nå! Akkurat nå utsolgt, men nytt parti er på vei inn. 

Vinguidens anmeldere gjennomførte nylig en vertikalsmaking av Corton Charlemagne fra Bonneau du Martray tilbake til 1979-årgangen. De beste vinene var 1979, 1988 og 2000. 1995, 1993, 1992, 1985 og 1978 var også strålende. Dette er en vin som lagrer uvanlig godt. Og til de som vil følge med så er den supre 88-årgangen også på vei inn til landet om kort tid. 

Pol Roger 1986

Vinmøte Jon 17.4.13

Champagne Bereche & Fils NV Brut Reserve

Stram, elegant og syrerik. Mangler kompleksitet og litt for spinkel kropp. Distinkt syre og eplekart. Vi gjettet på en eldre vin. Base 2010. Degorgert oktober 2012. Vi har ikke drukket noe fra denne produsenten tidligere i Vinklubben. 87 poeng

Pol Roger 1986 Brut Chardonnay

Strågul farge mot gylden. En deilig aromatisk eldet champagne. Moden med ristede nøtter, champignon, skogbunn og snev av sherry. Ikke lett å ta denne som en Blanc de Blancs. Kim tok champagne og årgang ! 92-95 poeng.


Kim tok denne med på Champagne of the Yera 2011 (21.5.11) Frisk og strågul. Epler og autolyse med et forfriskende bitt. Servert litt varmere enn de andre. En rik og utviklet stil. Noe slapp mousse etterhvert i glasset. Deilig sjøpreg. Toner av honning. En rik og karakterfull champagne. En enormt surt og friskt bitt hever vinen synes jeg. På toppen nå ? 94 poeng.

Pol Roger founded this eponymously named house in 1849, although it was not quite as we know it today. The house was named simply Roger, and Pol, who was the son of a notary and owned no vineyards at all, made his living largely by making Champagne for other houses. But when the thriving family business came to his sons, Maurice and Georges, in 1900, they honoured their father by changing their surname to Pol-Roger. And thus the family business also became Pol Roger. Maurice was very much the public face of the company, whereas Georges was much more active in the blending and tasting rooms. Maurice Pol-Roger was a legendary figure in the history of Épernay and Champagne. His iconic status was assured when, as mayor of Épernay, he resisted the efforts of an invading German army to enter the town in 1914. The grateful townspeople continued to re-elect Pol-Roger as mayor until 1935 when, anxious that he may step down after so many years in post, they bestowed the honour upon him for life. But death comes even to mayors, and so in 1959 Pol Roger passed to Maurice's son, Jacques, and nephew, Guy. This partnership ran the firm until 1963 when the fourth generation, Christian Pol-Roger and Christian de Billy, took control. The two Christian's run the show still, with assistance from Hubert, son of de Billy, since 1988.

Although the business started without a scrap of vineyard to its name, a situation that persisted until 1955, Pol Roger currently owns 55 ha largely in and around Épernay. On the Côtes des Blancs these include sites in the Grands Cru villages Cramant, Chouilly and Avize, and Premier Cru villages Grauves and Cuis. On the Montagne de Reims they own vineyards in Grand Cru, Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzy, and Premier Cru Trépail, as well as numerous lesser vineyards. I always find great style and finesse in Pol Roger. There are a number of non-vintage and vintages cuvées available. The non-vintage cuvées, of which there are two, are characterised by the inclusion of one-third each of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. In my experience the Brut Réserve is an excellent example of the style. I have little experience of the demi-sec Rich. The Chardonnay Vintage is the Pol Roger blanc de blancs, and is very good indeed, and there is also a vintage Rosé. But the two wines on which the house has earned such a tremendous reputation are the vintage Brut and the prestige cuvée, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill.

The Brut Vintage Champagne is one of Champagne's greatest wines, and is certainly a contender for 'wine of the vintage' in many years. It is a blend of 40% Chardonnay and 60% Pinot Noir, the only relatively recent exception being the 1966, which had 65% Pinot Noir, although some vintages from the first half of the 20th Century were up to 80% Pinot, and the 1928 was, exceptionally, 100% Chardonnay. The persistent high quality of the Brut Vintage is down to the combined efforts of the Pol-Roger family, with increasing input from Hubert de Billy, together with chef de caves James Coffinet, who was replaced in 1999 by Dominique Petit, who came to Pol Roger from Krug. 
Finally, I cannot fail to discuss in more detail Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. Pol Roger was Churchill's tipple, and his relationship with the house was cemented when entranced by Odette Pol-Roger, Jacques' wife, when he met her at the British Embassy in November 1944. Churchill became Pol Roger's best, and certainly most influential, customer. He named a winning race horse after Odette, which I think is a compliment. After his death, Pol Roger placed a black border around the labels of Brut NV shipped to the UK. And, in 1984, they released a prestige cuvée named after the great man, starting with the 1975 vintage. The launch of the wine was a grand affair, attended by Lady Soames, Churchill's daughter, who commented of her father, "I saw him many times the better for it, but never the worse." The blend for this cuvée is a closely guarded secret, but it is likely to be a Pinot-dominated cuvée, reflecting the style of wine that Winston preferred. My personal experience of mature vintages would seem to bear this out; the 1986 seemed very Pinot dominated. The 1985 was less so, but was not at full maturity. 

Champagne Gold Label 1996

Gul og gylden Blanc de Blancs ? Sure rips, zalo og gule plommer. Aggresiv syre. Powerfull munnfølelse, litt for dominant syre. Kraftig og generelt sier folk det er mye flaskevariasjon på denne. Men de Vinklubben har hatt har vært bra. 91 poeng

Fra Vinforum:


Champagnene til Lanson kjennetegnes ved å være nonmalo, altså laget uten malolaktisk gjæring, noe som skaper en relativt syrlig stil. I tillegg er den sublime årgang 1996 i seg selv karakterisert ved en distinkt syre, og med en høy andel pinot noir resulterer dette i en svært rik og relativt syrlig champagne av eksepsjonell kvalitet. Den er god å drikke allerede nå, men vil fint tåle ti år til i kjelleren.



Lanson Gold Label Brut 1996
Champagne
#42609, kr 369
53% pinot noir og 47% chardonnay. Frisk, ren og eplepreget champagne med innslag av lime og toast på duft. Rik, syrlig, stram og flott vin med distinkt eplepreg også i munnen og sublim lengde. Intens, rik og elegant vin som fortsatt har mange år å gå på.
Mat: Aperitiff, fisk, kylling, juleribbe.

En skuffende Chambolle Musigny 1990 fra Comte de Vogue

 

Vinmøte Lars Ivar 21. mars 2013

 

 

Nuits Saint Georges 2009, Tesco

Middels anonym nese med enkel rødbærsfrukt. Frisk og grei sommervin. Lett Pinot, noe grønn og får nok litt hjelp av årgangens rike stil. Men under kr. 200,- for en Nuits St. Georges er helt OK (£ 19.99) 85 poeng

Chambolle Musigny 1cru Derrière la Grange 1993, Maison Roche de Bellene

Pen munnfølelse, holder seg veldig godt, frisk og grei. Litt kjemisk/grønn note. Lars Ivar prøvde å prate opp denne uten hell. Viser årgangens holdbare stil. 88 poeng.

 

Pinot Noir 2010, Domaine Drouhin-Williamette Valley Oregon

Lilla, parfymerte sommerblomster, vulkansk, granittaktig, plommer, sjokolade og mye nyanser. Litt eksotisk med spontangjær-aktig nese og en deilig sådan. Kim sa dette ikke var Burgund, Roar veddet imot ! Kim var både i Beajoulais og i Rhone. Fjøsaktig, men fremdeles en ren og skarp, fin fruktprofil. En del fat med innslag av flosscandy/sukkertøy. 86-89 poeng.

Chambolle Musigny 1990, Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue

Mørkere frukt med skogbunn, sopp og rosin. Tørr og skarp syre. Ikke en optimal flaske. Øyvind var i Piemonte/Barbaresco. Synd, dette skal være bra. 80 poeng.


Fra burgundy-report:

It was around 1880 when the Côtes de Nuits village of Chambolle decided to improve its profile by appending the name of its most illustrious vineyard, thus to become Chambolle-Musigny. Despite this early attempt at marketing, Chambolle-Musigny has remained a working village rather than a place for tourists. Today, however, you will find two restaurants and a good hotel, though fifteen years ago all three were missing; there was once a vegetable shop too, but it didn’t last…
The village nestles in a small cleft at the base of a steep wooded hillside, the Combe de Chamboeuf. Through the centre of the village runs (mainly underground) the river Grône from which it is said the village takes it’s name: Though referred to as Cambola in the year 1110, it is believed that the name Chambolle derives from the regular bursting of the banks of the Grône during heavy rain, a ‘champ bouillant’ if you like.
Chambolle’s ancient church (monument historique) is worth a visit, some of the paintings here were bestowed by de Vogüé’s ancestors; if you enjoy the grisly art of the late middle-ages I can particularly recommend the painting of a scene from John the Baptist… The roads in the village are often narrow and winding; one such road follows the lower side of the church, part-way down you will meet an archway on the right-hand-side, an archway that will lead you into the 15th century courtyard of the Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé, built by Jean Moisson in the 1400′s this has always been the home of the domaine.

The domaine – Past & Present

Many domaines in Burgundy can trace their roots back over 100 years, though since the majority of the vineyards were owned by the church and aristocracy until ~1790, only a handful of domaines can claim more than 200 years of history. The Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé, however, can trace a line back over 550 years to ~1450 and the Chambolle vines of one Jean Moisson (as above). Today it is the 20th generation of the family that head the domaine; Claire de Causans and Marie de Ladoucette, the granddaughters of the late Comte Georges de Vogüé (1898-1987) who is pictured right. Comte Georges took over from his father Arthur in 1925, changing at that time the name of the domain from Comte Arthur to Comte Georges, though from around 1980 Comte Georges’ daughter, Elizabeth, took ever greater responsibility. Following the death of her father, it was she that decided to put a new team in place; Gérard Gaudeau tended the vines, though today that position is held (since 1996) by Eric Bourgogne – a most fitting name – Francois Millet was made responsible for the winemaking at the retirement of Alain Roumier, and in 1988 Jean-Luc Pépin, ex Domaine Joseph Drouhin, became responsible for the sales. For a short time before the arrival of Jean-Luc, Elizabeth’s son-in-law Gérard de Causans, husband to Claire, took the rôle of finance and sales, but was sadly cut-down in his prime by terminal illness.

De Vogüé and family Roumier

For many, many years a Roumier was instrumental in the work of the domaine. Alain Roumier was the régisseur for the domaine during the time of Comte Georges, as apparently was his father and grandfather before him. As reported by Robert Parker, it was Alain Roumier who famously suggested that if the wines of the seventies and eighties were not quite as good as before, then blame “Americans’ obsession with brilliant, clear wines” and the subsequent need for the domaine to filter. Of course, this being a family affair, it wasn’t just Alain that was involved; study the photo above of Comte Georges, and the man in the outsize beret and glasses to his right is Georges Roumier, uncle of Christophe from today’s Domaine Georges Roumier.





Working the vines – Eric Bourgogne walks you through the vineyards talking of the domaine’s philosophy; they practice ‘lutte raisonée’ (reasoned battle) which is effectively intervention only as required rather than treatment as prevention. Eric points out that in the challenging 2004 vintage (hail, oïdium, rot) they only sprayed six or seven times, most biodynamic domaines would have made double that number of treatments. In common with most domaines in Chambolle they also practice ‘confusion sexuelle’ – these are the small brown tags of insect pheromones that you see on the end of the rows of vines. Eric believes that a balance of insects is best, as treatments against one insect type will often have negative consequences for beneficial predators. Across the domaine Eric uses three types of pruning; Guyot, Cordon Royat and for the young vines a formation pruning.
Within Musigny, they now allow the weeds and grass to grow between the rows throughout the autumn and winter, ploughing by horse from Spring onwards, they use no weed killer. Eric believes that these choices result in less-compacted soil and significantly less erosion than the domaine used to experience. The domaine puts their own compost on the vineyards at a rate of 2 hectares per year, this translates to an addition of compost every six years. It’s very interesting when you look up the rows in Le Musigny, despite no difference in treatment, the grass between the rows suddenly stops as the vines change from mature pinot to young chardonnay. Something to do with shallow roots and less soil? – Who knows…?

A whiff of controversy

It comes with the territory; like Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and to a lesser extent also Domaine Leroy; the high prices asked for the wines set a certain level of expectation, add into the mix the overwhelming ownership of one of the most gifted terroirs and expectation is exponentially greater. As Matt Kramer said (Making Sense of Burgundy, 1989) the wine should “deliver the exhilaration one has a right to expect from Musigny”. In some ways it is even tougher for de Vogüé as there are other Musignys around to provide a benchmark, anyway we shouldn’t feel sorry for the domaine as they are in a fortunate and responsible position: It is, however, precisely because they are in such a position that so many people feel the need to pass judgement – some informed, some not. Today at least, if something needs to be done, it is done. The perfect example is what they did in 1991; a localised hail-storm ripped through Musigny, heading north until it stopped on the border with Morey St-Denis. Francois Millet’s quick pre-harvest vinification of the Musigny showed the taste of hail, so sixty people were used (it is said with tweezers) to remove every single damaged grape, and what a clean wine it is today.
Almost all commentators talk of a mid-1970′s to mid-1980′s dip in quality, so no smoke without fire but some seem reticent to accept that the ‘old quality’ – whatever that means – could once more be found in the wines of today. The 1990 Musigny is an interesting example: those that tasted from barrel saw greatness, those currently tasting from bottle are often underwhelmed, calling the wine Bordeauxesque. Without saying so directly, Francois Millet gently chides those that comment on the wine today, saying that ‘only those who tasted from barrel, know the true potential of that wine’. I find myself drawn to his viewpoint; all those great Musignys of the 40′s, 50′s and 60′s were proclaimed great when they were 30+ years old, the 1990 has plenty of time before it needs to ‘deliver’.

Summary

I think it is quite fair to comment on the constituent parts of young wines and indeed what we believe the future might hold for them but the real truth will be available to all only once they reach maturity. I see an exemplary quality to the domaine’s wines but there is also a linearity, a haughtiness, a slight lack of ‘warmth’ if you prefer. However you wish to describe it, relative their peers, there is a lack of charm in these young wines. I stress young, because the 1993 villages and the 1992 Amoureuses show both charm and character, perhaps then, it really is just a question of time. If that is the case, then an equally important question is: how do you know when the time is right? Both Francois and Jean-Luc are happy to emphasise – call and ask us – they keep enough half-bottles to test the wines from each vintage on a regular basis. I really should try and visit next time they open their 1990s…
It is never cheap to produce the best wine possible, that said, the domaine’s wines have always been priced above most pockets. I believe that in the 1990s the wines excel in the context of each vintage but if you consider that an average 1993 is significantly better than an average 1992 or 1994 then it’s also possible to point to a spectacular lack of value in ‘lesser’ vintages, but I’m convinced that they are worth every penny in the good vintages – which happens to be most of the last 15+ years. I’m sure my 1999′s could outlive me, though of course, I’d be disappointed if they had the opportunity…

The history of Musigny

Gaston Roupnel

  

The Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé is inextricably linked to the Grand Cru vineyard of Musigny – in some eyes the pinnacle of pinot noir – a wine that should be both complete and profound but never heavy: ‘majesty itself’ claims Clive Coates. Until 1936 the vineyard was conveniently (compared to some others) split into just two areas/climats, a narrow east-west track splitting the climat of Le Musigny from the more southerly and slightly smaller Les Petits-Musigny. In 1936 the Musigny AOC was extended to cover an additional area of just over 0.61 ha in the adjacent 1er Cru climat of Combe d’Orveau – these are the vines of Jacques Prieur whose domaine successfully argued that wine from this plot had always been called Musigny. De Vogüé have the monopoly of the climat Les Petits-Musigny – though as Jean-Luc Pépin points out, it’s not legally a monopole, and more importantly, if bottled separately it would take away part of the overall blend that they call Musigny Vieilles Vignes.
The only ‘Tête de Cuvée’ reported in Chambolle by Dr Lavalle (1855), Musigny lies at an altitude between 260 and 300 metres, sitting just above the Clos de Vougeot and Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses. The vineyard is relatively flat at it’s junction with the road to the east (at least in Les Musigny) but quickly rises with an incline of around 10° to it’s western boundary. Below the soil is a mix of Bathonian and Bajocian bedrock – limestone – this limestone is particularly hard (unlike the limestone in de Vogüé’s Bonnes-Mares) causing many fissures as water freezes in it’s cracks. Given the depth of the local quarries this bedrock could be as deep as 200 metres. Walk up-slope about one-third of the way into the vineyard and there is around 40cm of soil covering the rocky base, walk another third in the same direction and there is as little as 20cm of soil.
One suggestion for the origin of the vineyard’s name comes from a Gallo-Roman name – Musinus . Others suggest that it came from a prominent family by the name of Musigny who was recorded as having lived in Burgundy at the time of the Ducs of Burgundy. Anthony Hanson (Burgundy, revised 1999) points to the earliest record of the vineyard dating from 1110 “when the Canon of Saint-Denis de Vergy, Pierre Cros, gave his field of Musigné to the monks of Citeaux”. There is also cause for confusion; before the French Revolution there was also a sub-climat within the Clos de Vougeot called Les Petits Musigny – presumably the part now called Musigni – we can only guess what the current ‘Les Petits Musigny’ was called at that time…
A selection of wines were drunk and compared on two separate days; the first a January dinner in London organised by the, then, newly appointed UK agents for de Vogüé, Corney & Barrow, and the second, for the 2000 vintage reds, on a cold February day at the domaine in Chambolle-Musigny.

Musigny Blanc to bourgogne blanc

It is the location that is classed as Grand Cru, so red or white (assuming the AOC is in place), if the grapes come from Musigny the resulting wine is entitled to the Musigny label. Robert Parker (Burgundy, 1990) wrote that the Chardonnay vines of Musigny were “planted at the request of the late Comtesse de Vogüé”; at the domaine today there is no direct evidence of that, or an exact planting date, but what is sure is that there was definitely a white Musigny produced as early as the 1930′s, so the Comtesse would have been quite young for making such a ‘request’. Today ‘only’ a Bourgogne blanc is produced, but potentially this is the only Grand cru white from the Côte de Nuits; though in the the nineteenth century it was also possible to find Chambertin blanc but the vines were already gone when AOC rules were introduced in the 1930s, hence, no AOC is now in place therefore Chambertin blanc is no-longer allowed. This white wine of Musigny is made from chardonnay vines sited, in two plots, right at the top of the Musigny vineyard. Because there is no such AOC as Chambolle-Musigny Blanc (villages or 1er Cru) if the Musigny Grand Cru label is not used, it follows that the wine must be declassified all the way down to Bourgogne (blanc). The 2000 vintage comes from a plot of 0.4 ha, the average age of these vines is currently 14, there are still some vines of 40-45 years but the majority were replanted in 1986, ’87 and ’91. There is also an additional plot of 0.2 ha which was replanted in 1997. The domaine doesn’t yet see sufficient depth and complexity from these vines for the Musigny label, this is despite legally requiring only three years from planting to using a Grand Cru label. They feel that the 2000 wine is some way between a village and a 1er, though 2001 & 2002 in their opinion is firmly at 1er cru quality. Around 20% new wood is typically used for this wine’s elevage, a mere 100 cases per year trickle into the market.

Chambolle-Musigny premier cru

Despite owning portions of Les Baudes and Les Fuées in addition to their holding in Amoureuses, there is actually no premier cru wine in these bottles, only the declassified juice from the young (under 25 years) Musigny vines – Musigny in short trousers as the domaine likes to call it. The first outing for this wine was the 1995 vintage – before this time quite a lot of juice was sold to the negociants and bore a Musigny label. Today there are about 2.8 hectares of these young vines, producing around 500 cases of Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru per year.

Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses

The highest part of the Amoureuses vineyard is separated from Musigny by a small road, it is here that the domaine’s 0.56 ha holding is located. The vines average 31 years-old and produce a mere 160 or-so cases per vintage.

Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru

The domaine owns a block of vines accounting for 2.7 hectares and an average production of ~420 cases per year. The vines are located entirely in the Chambolle portion of the vineyard that is closest to the village itself, this provides for a slightly more elegant Bonnes-Mares, but one that is heavily scented with violet and peony. The domaine’s vines average 29 years old.

Nuits-Saint-Georges 1cru Les Perrieres 2009, Domaine Jean Chauvenet

Frisk Pinor med strøk av pepper i finish. Mørk, litt varm, mye krydder. 89 poeng



Description

Christophe Draag, son-in-law of Jean Chauvenet has taken the lead of the domaine . Wines tend to be powerful in their youngness and not easy to appreciate but give them some time and you will rediscover the real pleasure of top Bourgogne from the Côte de Nuit.  €49.60

La Porta di Vertine 2008, Chianti Classico 

Mørk og brunelloaktig. Tett, frisk, lakris og fatpreget finish. 86 poeng


About the wine: This is the first vintage in which Sangiovese fruit was harvested from the Colle ai Lecci property and blended into the wines. The vineyards at Colle ai Lecci have a large proportion of old vines (40 years and older) producing minute quantities of very concentrated grapes.
After the arrival of the grapes into the cellar the fruit was destemmed but not crushed. This delays the beginning of fermentation and creates more regular and lower temperatures, an important factor, as the fruit is fermented without any temperature control. Fermentation is triggered by indigenous yeast and without any addition of sulphur. Remontage with aeration was used in the first couple of days to help start fermentation, and obtain good color extraction. The wine remained on the skins for three to four weeks, after which it was racked off into 25 hl old casks and tonneaux. The wine stayed on the fine lees without any racking or movement until the following harvest, after which it was racked off and transferred back into cask for another 8 months of ageing. After bottling the wine was estate cellared for an additional year. Grape variety: Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Colorino, Pugnitello

Barolo 2009, Tesco

Lys og lett Barolo. Frisk og burgunderaktig. Vi var på Poggio Sotto/Brunello. 86 poeng