2011 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

A big step up from the villages, the 2011 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru bursts from the glass with an exotic melange of dark red/blackish fruits. Graphite, rose petal, cinnamon and raspberry candy follow, adding notable dimension, complexity and nuance. I very much like the sense of energy and tension here. This is a terrific showing from de Vogüé.

As usual the “young,” that is to say under 25-year-old Musigny vines, find themselves within the 2011 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru. There is a pastille-like purity on the nose with hints of blueberry, raspberry and salted licorice that gains intensity with aeration. The palate is sinewy on the entry with more black than red fruit profile. There is a sorbet-like freshness with fresh tannins, hints of licorice with fine tension on the finish that does not quite have the persistency of a top vintage. Drink 2014-2020. ”April was the hottest for sixty years,” winemaker Francois Millet explained apropos the 2012 vintage. “It sounds strange, but we were hoping for a cool summer to delay the cycle and preserve the freshness. We could have picked on mid-August if the summer had been average. In the end, the vintage was interesting as the minerality is just the right amount. It is a four o’clock vintage?you can just sit there and enjoy it.” Francois summed up the wines himself. To be frank, I still am trying to fathom the style of de Vogue, which I sometimes feel are almost too premeditated, as if so much thought has been expended upon them that they forget the one fundamental?to elicit enjoyment. So while I appreciated the purity of these 2011s, I asked myself whether they would be the same ones that I would choose off the list at what would ineluctably be an expensive dinner. Importer: Becky Wasserman Selection (various importers), Le Serbet, Beaune; fax 011-33-3-80-24-29-70

(made from the estate's young vines in Musigny; racked two weeks before my visit): Good full, deep red. Red and black fruits, medicinal herbs and smoky underbrush on the nose, lifted by a mineral element. Nicely ripe, dry and smoky, with dark berry and menthol flavors showing a subtle sweetness. A saline limestone element gives cut and grip to the firm finish. More harmonious today than the village offering.