2009 Chambolle Musigny Les Charmes

The 2009 Chambolle-Musigny Charmes Vieilles Vignes bursts from the glass with an exciting melange of dark red fruit, minerals and smoke. This is a decidedly big, explosive Chambolle loaded with class and personality. The finish turns inward, suggesting the Charmes may need a few years in bottle to settle down. This parcel was planted in 1904 and 1906 and has been farmed biodynamically since 2008. The Charmes is one of the highlights among these 2009s from Maison Frederic Magnien. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2022. Frederic Magnien bottles two lines; the Domaine Michel Magnien range is made predominantly from estate-owned grapes, although a few wines include purchased fruit as well. Magnien also issues a negociant label, Maison Frederic Magnien, exclusively from purchased grapes. If that sounds confusing, welcome to Burgundy! In layman’s terms the Domaine bottlings carry a black label, the Maison wines carry a white label. The Maison Frederic Magnien wines are made in a large, more spacious cellar in the same facility as the Michel Magnien wines also reviewed in this issue. In 2009 cuvaison lasted 14-15 days, including a 3-4 day cold soak. The malos were later and slower here than at the Domaine, so the Maison wines received an additional racking prior to being bottled. In general the Maison wines tend to emphasize a more red expression of fruit, while the Domaine wines are more towards the blue/black end of the spectrum. All of the 2009s were bottled in February 2011. Importer: Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

Mid low-key stuff, very chewy, hard work! (JR)

Good deep red. Ripe aromas of raspberry, strawberry and minerals. Rich, deep and full, with liqueur-like notes of framboise and creme de cassis leavened by mineral lift. Plenty of tannins here but nicely integrated. A classic year for this cuvee, which Magnien notes can sometimes be too powerful.