Credit to photo: Greg Somm
Text by: Greg Somm
This column is written by The Gold Certified ASI Sommelier, Chef-sommelier of WineHall Company and a MS Diploma Candidate, Greg Somm.
This evening the greatness of Chambolle-Musigny was demonstrated in all its glory! Les Amoureuses can be translated in different ways, everyone will put their own meaning into this, but one thing is for sure – this wine excites and evokes love from the first breath and from the first sip. The location of this vineyard is very specific compared with other similar sites in other communes of the Cote de Nuits. For example, in Vosne-Romanee such vineyards as Aux Reignots and Les Petits Monts also have quite steep slopes, but they produce much simpler wines. And Les Amoureuses miraculously makes wines that are incredibly rich and dense, which makes it special among all the 1er Cru vineyards in Chambolle.
It was not easy to assemble such a set and even more difficult – to divide all the samples into pairs in order to trace the evolution of wines from each estate. In a pair of 2016 from Groffier and Mugnier, the Jacques-Frédéric sample turned out to be very nice due to the amazing work with the barrel. The wine is in exceptional harmony with the aroma of sweet oriental spices, red orange peel, red wild berries and dried flowers. The taste is charming and long. As for the sample from Nicolas Groffier, it was academic, incredibly voluminous and strict. But after 20 minutes in the glass, it opened up with shades of ripe wild berries, red pepper and hibiscus. It was a very beautiful embodiment of the wonderful 2016 vintage.
In a pair of Vogue 2014 and Roumier 2010, the greatness of the second was total! Christophe Roumier is a master and guru. 30 years ago he already made wine in a way that still is unreachable for most winemakers. Expressive, sweet, spicy and very delicate expression of Pinot Noir. It drinks perfectly! Vogue 2014 was frankly lost against the background of Roumier. But the wine is still great. In the next pair of Vogue 2009 and Roumier 2007, the wines seemed to have swapped places. Vogue was fantastically beautiful. The aroma of ripe red berries, an abundance of shades of dry foliage, herbs and dried flowers was mesmerizing. Roumier turned out to be a little more developed than expected. For me, 2007 is one of the most interesting vintages in Burgundy. The aroma is decadent autumn forest and dry red berries. The taste is juicy and long.
But the final pair put everything in its place! Essentially the first vintage of 2005 by Nicolas Groffier and what a fantastic wine it turned out to be! The aroma and taste are in perfect harmony. The aroma is a kaleidoscope of ripe red berries, oriental spices, red pepper and undergrowth. Not a hint of old age. The taste is perfect and endless. A wonderful finish was the wine from a now average merchant, but with the name of the great Burgundy winemaker Charles Vienot. This wine has survived time and has been preserved perfectly. A perfect evolution that only once again convinces that a great terroir always wins over hands!
