2009 Chambolle Musigny Les Charmes

Just a hint of reduction and lots of round sweet cherries. Tannins more marked than in any other wine so far. Not that charming, actually. Though very sweet. Still quite chewy on the end. (JR)

The 2009 Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes evokes the darker, richer side of Chambolle. Layers of rich, textured fruit turn soft and sensual with time in the glass as this polished Burgundy shows off its class. This is all silk and elegance, but also quite aristocratic in the way it isn’t ready to show all of its cards just yet. Most of the Leroy 2009s demand nothing from the drinker they just provide immense pleasure but the Charmes wants to be listened to. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2039. This was my first opportunity to taste the 2009s from Domaine Leroy in bottle. Lalou Bize-Leroy was among the first, if not the first, to bottle her 2009s, so she naturally wanted to give the wines some time to recover before showing them. The wines are stunning. Readers who have an opportunity to taste them should not hesitate. As always, the style is one of textural richness and depth, but the2009s appear to have excellent underlying material as well. The attention to every detail at the Domaine is quite evident in these thrilling wines. My visit ended with a sample of the 2010 Chambertin from barrel. Why not go straight to the top? If that wine is representative of the year, Leroy fans will have another superb vintage to look forward to, although yields will be lower than the already minuscule production. Importer: Martine’s Wines. Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-040

The 2009 Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes evokes the darker, richer side of Chambolle. Layers of rich, textured fruit turn soft and sensual with time in the glass as this polished Burgundy shows off its class. This is all silk and elegance, but also quite aristocratic in the way it isn’t ready to show all of its cards just yet. Most of the Leroy 2009s demand nothing from the drinker they just provide immense pleasure but the Charmes wants to be listened to. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2039. ||This was my first opportunity to taste the 2009s from Domaine Leroy in bottle. Lalou Bize-Leroy was among the first, if not the first, to bottle her 2009s, so she naturally wanted to give the wines some time to recover before showing them. The wines are stunning. Readers who have an opportunity to taste them should not hesitate. As always, the style is one of textural richness and depth, but the2009s appear to have excellent underlying material as well. The attention to every detail at the Domaine is quite evident in these thrilling wines. My visit ended with a sample of the 2010 Chambertin from barrel. Why not go straight to the top? If that wine is representative of the year, Leroy fans will have another superb vintage to look forward to, although yields will be lower than the already minuscule production. Wine Advocate.September, 2011