2009 Chambolle Musigny Les Gruenchers

Full red. Raspberry, smoky minerality, musky coffee and a whiff of game on the expressive nose. Sweet, large-scaled and deep, with a saline quality contributing to the impression of early appeal. Impressively concentrated wine with a broad, savory, very long finish that conveys a strong impression of soil.

The 2009 Chambolle-Musigny Les Gruenchers bursts from the glass with a head spinning exotic bouquet that melds seamlessly into layers of dark red fruit. The wine covers every inch of the palate with its superb texture and generous fruit. This turns surprisingly dense and muscular with air, suggesting it has the structure to be a long distance runner. The driven, powerful finish is fabulous. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029. Count me among the Burgundy fans who are thrilled Jean-Marie Fourrier chose not to pursue the career as a commercial airline pilot for which he studied. Fourrier began picking on September 17. The fruit was destemmed. Cuvaison lasted around 14 days but Fourrier commented that he had an unusually high (50%) amount of shot berries, which had the effect of extending the fermentations for another week or so. The malos started and ended early, hence Fourrier decided to bottle early as well. Per his usual practice, Fourrier left the wines on the lees with no racking until the wines were prepared for bottling. On average the wines saw 20% new oak. I tasted all of the 2009s from bottle. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990

Good medium red. Subdued but pure aromas of raspberry, maraschino cherry and spun sugar. Soft and plush in style, notable more for its concentration and flavor intensity than for its grip. Finishes with building but essentially silky tannins.