Domaine Felettig Chambolle-Musigny Les Feusselottes Premier Cru 2012
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This cuvée of Chambolle 1er Cru comes from a small plot at "Les Feusselottes" with an area of 0.17 Hectares. The soil consists of a thin layer of clay and a very dense calcareous rock.
At Domaine Felettig the philosophy is simple; make really good wine from really good grapes. The family works tirelessly to maintain and assist, but never intrude on Mother Nature’s land. Third-generation family members Gilbert and Christine work the land throughout the year, utilizing only natural products to care for their vines organically. When it’s time to harvest, meticulous efforts are deployed to produce the best possible juice; from harvesting on optimum dates and optimum times, to strict sorting processes, to intentional barrel selections based on each wine’s typicity, no detail overlooked.
Domaine Felettig was founded by Henri Felettig in 1969 after inheriting only two hectares of Burgundian vines from his parents. The grapes from these vines were originally designated to be fermented and sold through the local village cooperative. Instead, Henri opted to produce is own label, and thus the brand Domain Felettig was born. Henri and his wife Reine continued to expand their operations for the next twenty years, culminating thirteen total hectares to their name today. Their children, Gilbert and Christine, joined the operations in 1993, creating a full family-run winery. Their estates holdings stretch from Gevry-Chambertin to Beaune.
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.