2005 Chambolle Musigny Les Combottes

From a vineyard replanted in 1982 and 1989 whose produce used to go in to Roumier’s village wine. Powerful exciting nose – fruity, suave, lively, flirtatious, somehow a suggestion of petticoats and frills. Not for a very long life but wonderfully vivacious. (JR)

From young vines in a tiny cru due east of the village which he vinified separately for the first time this year, Roumier’s fewer than hundred cases worth of 2005 Chambolle-Musigny Les Combottes displays aromas of tart sour cherry, high-toned herbal essences, flowers, and a gamey, slightly reduced note. Bright and penetrating, but with strong primary sweetness of fruit, and a silky texture building as it parts with its trapped CO2, it incorporates subtle fresh meatiness, distinctly chalky minerality, and low-toned, slightly bitter fruit skin into a strong finish. One senses that Christophe Roumier considers 2005 a high point of his career, and my visit with him was among the high points of my recent trip. He describes this as “a classic vintage lending itself to very calm, classic vinification,” which given the opportunities afforded by perfectly healthy, firm, dry, ripe fruit involved triage almost solely to remove ladybugs, and included around 25% whole clusters in the fermenters at the Premier Cru level and 50% at that of Grand Cru. Importer: Diageo Chateau and Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel. (212) 419-1400.