Domaine Georges & Christophe Roumier Chambolle-Musigny 2009
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In the vineyard, Christophe Roumier prefers a high vine age and rigorous pruning, resulting in small yields. In the winery, all aspects of the Roumier vinification are completely traditional: a very warm, 18 day maceration, use of 25% new wood barrels (with a slightly higher percentage for the Grands Crus), and egg white fining. Since 1988 the domaine has discontinued the practice of filtration, and the entire cellar has been air-conditioned, allowing a 4-5 day pre-fermentation maceration of grapes.
Domaine Georges Roumier is one of the finest sources of classic, long-lived red Burgundies, with wines that demonstrate fruit, spice, and balance, with substantial tannins. Simply put, Roumier wines are brilliantly made. They are rich, fragrant wines with characteristic aromas of cherries and berries, and often need 4-5 years to show their great depth and harmony. They are also very long-lived, lasting up to twenty years.
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.