2015 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

Bright ruby-red. Briary red raspberry and boysenberry aromas show a touch of youthfully reduction. Higher-pitched and more imploded than the village offering, offering superb energy for the vintage. Possesses the thickness of the vintage but the dominant impression today is of a vertical wine with sharp definition. Redder in its fruit character than the Chambolle villages , lifted by high notes of rose petal, pungent minerals and spices. Delivers wonderful energy for the vintage.

(made from the younger vines in Musigny): Deep, dark red-ruby. Deep, liqueur-like aromas of blackberry, blueberry, menthol and chocolate. A clear step up in energy from the village wine but still with a distinctly solaire quality to its black fruit and chocolate flavors. Plush and velvety but not yet especially complex, finishing with substantial tongue-coating, granular tannins and a surprisingly juicy quality to its lingering blueberry and boysenberry fruit.

The Chambolle 1er cru – made from the young wines on Grand Cru Musigny – is a magnificent wine, offering a range of the qualities found in it older brother the mighty Musigny. In the bouquet richer and sweeter notes of strawberries, raspberries, pomegranate and red currant with hints of blueberries. The limestone minerality is more forward in the wine, and again we find this wonderful delicate and cool sorbet fruit aromas – so fresh and vibrant. On the palate more weight with layers of red fruit, and a vibrant backbone from the mighty Musigny terroir. A giant 1er cru in the making. Nov 2015, www.winehog.org