Domaine Dujac Chambolle-Musigny Les Gruenchers Premier Cru 2005
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Robert
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Dujac 2005 Chambolle-Musigny Les Gruenchers displays ripe black cherry and tart rhubarb with oaky overlays of vanilla, coconut and lanolin. In the mouth too, concentrated black cherry and rhubarb are inflected – arguably a bit deflected – by flavors of new wood, but red blood meatiness and attractive inner-mouth florality assert themselves and this displays admirably fine-grained tannins and emerging creaminess, finishing with palate-staining richness of fruit.
Possibly Jacques' greatest contribution to the Domaine has been to instill his desire to search for new ways to improve the wine and the way wine is made. Though his vinification style looks relatively simple and non interventionist, it is result of much thought and experimentation. The style of wines must be elegance and finesse, with supple and well integrated tannins. The search is for equilibrium, harmony, length and complexity! This is why the grapes are vinifed with little or no destemming, Jacques being convinced that experience has shown that, despite certain inconveniences, such as loss of color, this give the wines greater complexity.
His style is influenced by his great respect for Burgundy's terroir. His complete trust in the terroir means he tries interfere as little as possible in order to allow the fruit to fully express itself and its origins. Burgundy made great wines far before the arrival of oenology and modern equipment. Experience, knowledge and technology are here to help us remedy the imperfections of the year, but if all is well there is no reason to tamper or intervene.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Chambolle-Musigny represents the charm of the Côte de Nuits district of Burgundy. But you’ll find that term mainly in reference to the vineyards in its southern stretches, which border Clos Vougeot: the Grand Cru of Le Musingy and in part, its neighboring and most exceptional Premier Cru, Les Amoureuses. Some producers argue for the primacy of Les Amoureuses and its eligibility for Grand Cru status given its wines can sometimes surpass other Grands Crus.
Le Musigny ranks on par with the most acclaimed Grands Crus for Pinot Noir: Romanée-Conti, La Tâche, Richebourg, Chambertin, and Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. It is also the only Grand Cru in Côte de Nuits for Chardonnay. All of the others are in Côte de Beaune.
This village can in fact claim only two Grands Crus vineyards and—in the context of breaking down the minutiae—they are markedly different. Bonnes-Mares, the other one at the far northern end above the village, bordering Morey-St-Denis, offers power, strength and great aging potential. But Chambolle-Musigny includes a nice handful of exceptional Premiers Crus, as noted above with Les Amoureuses as the finest. Le Fuees and Les Cras are other noteworthy Premiers Crus.
Overall, a top Chambolle-Musigny offers pure aromas of violets, dark cherry and damp earth, coupled with a velvety elegance, supple mid-palate, an abundance of black and red berry, and finesse and power through a long and fine-grained finish.