Chambolle-Musigny, Les Amoureuses
The 2005 Vintage
Note to editor: insert map here
Together with Gevrey-Chambertin's Clos Saint-Jacques, Chambolle-Musigny, Les Amoureuses is the prime premier cru candidate for promotion to grand cru. This is already widely acknowledged. You only have to look at the prices. Frédérick Mugnier demanded 000 euros for his 2009, the same price as for his Bonnes-Mares (check), while his premier cru Fuées, a top drawer site, was a mere 000 euros.
The vineyard measures 5.12 hectares, and is divided between 13 different proprietors. Apart from an anomalous bump above the vineyard road, which lies at the northen end and on the same level as the bottom of Le Musigny, the land is down-slope of this road, on a gentle slope of about 8°, between 285 and 255 metres above sea-level, descending to an abrupt cliff, both a fault and a quarry, below which are the vineyards of Vougeot.
Where does the name come from. Well, a place where young lovers would go to canoodle, obviously. But Jasper Morris suggests something more prosaic. The soil thickens up in the rain, and then sticks to your boots, clinging like young lovers. But you could say that for just about every vineyard in Burgundy!
The soil here is similar but shallower than the lower sections of Musigny above. There is more rock and more limestone on the section closest to the over-hang, and there is some sand. But overall it is very gravelly, mixed with limestone debris, the limestone being less active than elsewhere in the commune, directly over the mother rock, Comblanchien in origin.
This makes a wine which, at its best, is both sublime and ethereal: the epitome of delicacy and finesse. Yet there is nothing feeble about an Amoureuses. Only medium-full bodied it may be, and not quite as glorious as Musigny itself, though in the same mode; but there is an energy and an intensity and the most entrancing fragrance, plus at the end a long, complex, lingering finish. A top Amoureuses from a great vintage is a rivetingly beautiful wine.
The following samples of Chambolle-Musigny, Les Amoureuses, 2005 were assembled by Gregg Cook and tasted at Guilford, Connecticut in March 2011.
Domaine Christian Amoit-Servelle From 201945 ares, planted in 1944 and 1999, and ripped up after the 2009 vintage. Replanted 2011. Biological from the 2008 vintage. Some stems, depending on the vintage. A week's cold-soaking. 50 percent new oak. Bottled after 15 to 18 months.
Good colour. Lots of wine on the nose. Indeed quite powerful, and with a touch of oak. Fullish body. Rich and succulcnt. Very good grip. Needs time. But fine quality.
Domaine Francois Bertheau From 201832 ares, en fermage. 100 percent de-stemmed. A week's cold-soaking. 20-30 percent new wood. Bottled after 16 months.
Medium-full colour. Rich, ample, fresh nose. Medium-full body. Good tannins. A supple attractive wine. Balanced and potentially seductive. Fine.
Domaine Joseph DrouhinFrom 201959 ares, planted 1971. 40 percent of the stems retained. A week's cold-soaking. 50 percent new wood. Bottled after 16 months.
Medium-full colour. Exquisite nose. The epitome of fragrant Chambolle. Medium-full body. Marvelous balance and great intensity. Very lovely fruit. Very fine plus.
Domaine Robert Groffier From 2020??? hectares, planted 1968. One third of the stems retained. 5 days cold-soaking. Two thirds new wood. Bottled after 16 months, the last four in tank.
Good colour. Quite a full, meaty nose. Good depth. Opulent fruit. Quite backward. Fullish body. Rich and gently oaky. Fine plus.
Domaine Louis Jadot From 201912 ares. Some of the stems rertained, depending on the vintage. No cold-soaking. 75 percent new wood. Bottled after 20-22 months.
Good colour. Very lovely, closed in, concentrated nose. Fullish. Very harmonious. Very profound and very elegant. Splendid fruit. Very fine.
Domaine Jacques-Frédéric MugnierFrom 201953 ares, planted 1954, 1956 and 1966. 100 destemmed. 2/3 days natural cold-soaking. 10 to 15 percent new wood. Bottled after 18 months.
Fullish colour. Delicious nose. Very, very elegant and harmonious. Very intense fruit here. Great class. Fullish body. Splendidly balanced. Long and sumptuous. Very fine indeed.
Domaine de la Pousse d'Or20 ares, acquired from Daniel Moine-Hudelot in 2008. The first vintage was 2009.
Domaine Michèle et Patrice Rion16 ares, en fermage from Hervé Roumier (from 2006); the viticulture in the hands of the Rions. 100 percent destemmed. 4 days cold-soaking. 50 to 70 percent new wood. Bottled after 15 to 18 months.
This is a note on Hervé Roumier's 2005:From 2019Medium-full colour. This is a very lovely wine, which was a surprise as I had not beforehand rated this Roumier highly. Fragrant, intense, classy. Very lovely fruit. Balanced and composed. Very fine.
Domaine Georges Roumier From 202040 ares, planted 1947. 15 percent of the stems retained. A few days natural cold-soaking. 33-40 percent new wood. Bottled after 16-18 months.
Full colour. Rich, full, concentrated nose. Lots of very high quality wine here. But at present very much in its infancy. Fullish body. Very good grip. Fine tannins. Lots of very profound fruit. Potentially very fine indeed.
Domaine Serveau et Fils From 201835 ares. No information.
Medium-full colour. Good fruit on the nose. No lack of Chambolle fragrance though not as classy as some. Medium-full body. Balanced. Good grip. Positive finish. Very good indeed.
Domaine Comte Georges de VogüéFrom 201956 ares, planted 1964 and 1980. 100 percent destemmed. No deliberate cold-soaking. One third new wood. Bottled after 16 months.
Good colour. Impressive concentration on the nose. Very rich. Full and profound. Full body. Very good grip. Still very youthful. There is a lot of depth and high quality here. Very fine indeed.
The following samples of merchant wines were also sampled:
Maison Alex GambalFrom 2017Medium-full colour. Attractive, plump, fresh nose. Very Chambolle. Medium-full weight. Balanced. Stylish. Ripe and supple. Very good indeed.
Maison Pascal Lachaux From 2018Fullish colour. Good meaty nose without losing its Chambolle origins. Fullish. Quite rich and concentrated. Good grip. Good style. Fine
Maison Lucien Le Moine From 2018Fullish colour. At first a little burly and the new oak predominates, but the wine got more civilised as it developed. Rich and fullish. Good acidity. Ripe tannins. Positive finish. Indeed quite elegant. Very good indeed.
Maison Frédéric Magnien From 2018Fullish colour. Quite a full muscular wine for an Amoureuses at first but like the Le Moine it softened up in the glass. Indeed became quite positive and fragrant. Good grip. Long finish. Very good indeed.
Maison Nicky Potel From 2018Medium-full colour. Ripe, balanced, attractive, fragrant nose. Good Chambolle style here. Medium-full body. Persistent and rich. Elegant and harmonious. Fine.
The following are also proprietors in Chambolle-Musigny, Les Amoureuses.
Domaine Chazans (Zibetti family)12 ares. No information.
Domaine Gérard Peraizeau25 ares. Robert Groffier is his uncle. Peraizeau makes the wine, which is then largely sold off in bulk.