Chambolle-Musigny and Bonnes-Mares Dinner Recap

Edouard Bourgeois
January 30, 2024

We hosted a memorable dinner at Charlie Bird and I would say that if Burgundy typically offers many surprises and some occasional disappointments, all the wines served that night delivered what I expected. My notes below:

Domaine Hudelot-Baillet, Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes 2017

Founded in 1981, the domaine now owns a total of 9 hectares. Dominique Le Guen, the son in law who joined the winery in 1998 and took over in 2002 to finally make his  first vintage in 2004, has made wonders. Dominique went on a mission right away to produce the best fruit possible, changed the labels to make his mark, and switched to producing wines exclusively from estate fruit. This is one domaine to continue to follow closely.

The wine was excellent - while still young. A perfect way to start with a fresh and clean expression of Pinot.

Meo-Camuzet, Chambolle Musigny 2017

For those who were lucky to attend the Meo-Camuzet dinner at Gramercy Tavern, this same wine was served and we were happy to open another bottle at Charlie Bird. The freshness of 2017 once again was the main characteristic in this elegant wine. I found a touch more rusticity than with the Hudelot-Baillet though, which makes me think the Meo should age a bit longer to finds its full expression.

Domaine Hudelot-Baillet, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras 2017

Back to Hudelot-Baillet, Les Cras, also village level above the Premier Cru, performed really well and as expected delivered a bit more depth than the Vieilles Vignes, bravo again!

Louis Jadot, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuees 2017

Adjacent to Les Cras, closer to Bonnes-Mares, Fuees is a stony climat and a wonderful site in Chambolle. Combined with the vivid character of 2017, it made for a grear crescendo to announce the following bottles.

Domaine David Duband, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Sentiers 2013 MAGNUM

Domaine David Duband was founded in 1991 and quickly made it a signature to use whole cluster in the winemaking. Interestingly, David doesn’t adjust the proportion of whole cluster according to the vintage but according to the site. This 1er Cru saw 80% of whole cluster. When David started, he patiently purchased key vineyards in great climats such as this “Sentiers” in 2006 from the celebrated Jacky Truchot estate. Sentiers is located just below Bonnes-Mares and adjacent to Morey-Saint-Denis.

He later purchased two Grand Cru sites in 2009 (Chambertin and Latricieres Chambertin)

I was a bit disappointed with the greenness in the wine and I felt that the whole cluster winemaking lacked subtlety. This being said, the elegance of Chambolle shone through.

Domaine Fourrier, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Sentiers 2013 MAGNUM

This wine was bottled exclusively in magnums for the American market as requested by importer Neal Rosenthal. Jean-Marie Fourrier, in charge since 1994, had once worked with the one and only Henri Jayer. Although he learned from the master, Jean-Marie kept an open mind, for example when it comes to using whole cluster in varied proportion, a practice eschewed by Jayer.

In comparison to the Duband, Fourrier made a “Sentiers” wine with more flesh. I am a fan of Jean-Marie’s wines as I often find a great quality of fruit in them. Plush and sexy, Fourrier is great at revealing the bouquet of Pinot Noir in its full spectrum, with a signature note of generous ripe cherries.

Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue, Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2008

When we speak about de Vogue, I always like to remind the audience of a few numbers. With its rich history of half a millenium, the domaine has accumulated a large estate, and today owns 2.7 hectares in Bonnes-Mares, all in Chambolle-Musigny. The most impressive number certainly being their ownership of 80% of the entire Grand Cru of Musigny.

This Bonnes-Mares, planted with 29 year old vines and destemmed with 40% new oak, was made by Francois Millet, the winemaker at de Vogue from 1986 until 2020!

I will say that 2008 is generally “hard to love” in Burgundy. It was such a bizarre year with tricky weather conditions that I am having a hard time describing the vintage as a whole. I found this bottle to be a bit awkward and tannic. However, aeration, as often with wines from de Vogue, helped greatly, releasing a certain stiffness in the wine.

Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue, Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 1995

The same tannic profile was felt but I liked the dark fruit notes in this 1995. Blackberry and ripe cherries, laced with an animal character, were the surprising descriptors for this Chambolle!

Louis Jadot, Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 1990

Founded in 1859, Jadot today is led by the expert hand of winemaker Frederic Barnier. 1990 was made by a different winemaker though, Jacques Lardiere, who has been a important voice in the region and influenced many of his peers.

This 1990 showed its age more than I had hoped. It was however still compelling to taste a thirty plus year old wine and this bottle still had many things to say, like a wise grandmother knitting by the fireplace.

Joseph Drouhin, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses 2009

Founded in 1880, Drouhin is a well established negociant based in Beaune. Their impressive holding of 100 hectares is supplemented by vineyards farmed by long term contractors, who also work biodynamically. Organic since the 1980’s with a biodynamic conversion in the 1990’s, Drouhin is a very reliable name across the board, from entry level regional appellations all the way to the most prestigious Grands Crus one can find. Amouresues is one of these 1ers Crus that many aficionados (me included) consider “baby Grand Cru”. I love the anecdote from Véronique Drouhin around the name Amoureuses. According to her, Amoureuses (lovers in English) came about when vineyard workers noticed the clay being particularly sticky on a damp day in the vineyard. This would result in heavy chunks of clay sticking, or hugging one’s boots, reminding of a lover’s embrace. I can tell this is true because I did experience that when I visited Véronique’s parcel in this beautiful corner above the Petits Vougeots with the Chateau de Clos Vougeot nearby. Such a magical site…

This 2009 displayed the perfume one would expect from such a warm year, with power, glycerol and a powerful finish. Although I would certainly be perfectly content drinking this wine by itself, I am sure the Saint-Nectaire cheese was a great companion to tame the big voice of 2009.

Joseph Drouhin, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses 2000

Amoureuses 2000 was highly anticipated as one of the best wines of the night and it didn’t disappoint. 2000 was a hit at Drouhin, as I recall a jaw-dropping bottle I drank a couple years ago of Griotte Chambertin from that vintage. The Amoureuses here was my favorite wine of the night. It started showing discreet signs of evolution, entering a captivating secondary aromatic profile suggesting fading rose and damp earth, with the beginning of a complex spice character. What I particularly enjoyed was the texture, this signature velvet of Chambolle. What a magnificent, elegant wine. The kind of bottle that reminds you why Burgundy is so special.

Domaine Roumier, Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2015

Is it still necessary to introduce Roumier? Probably not. But just in case, here is a quick reminder of the history of the heralded Chambolle producer. The domaine as we know it was founded in 1924 by Georges Roumier, who started estate bottling in 1945. His son Jean-Marie joined forces before welcoming his son, the current winemaker Christophe, in 1981. The pair worked together until Christophe became fully in charge with his first solo vintage, the loaded 1990. Roumier’s parcel of Amoureuses is famously located on two types of soils, one containing more clay (Terres Rouges) and the other containing more calcareous limestone (Terres Blanches) at the top of Bonnes Mares. The two plots are vinified separately then blended.

I adored the 2015. I am always impressed by how Christophe manages to make wines so aromatically precise while everything falls perfectly in place. Nothing sticks out, the palate starts with a delicious, juicy fruit, extremely pure. The nature of 2015 is showing its forceful character. But the magic of Roumier appears in the mid-palate when the lively acidity builds up in a crescendo to lift the wine all the way to the long finish while exploding with subtle notes of violet, forest floor and raspberry. What a mesmerizing spectacle.

Domaine Roumier, Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2013

The nose was more discreet and a touch greener than 2015 but absolutely lovely. The same lip-smacking acidity was irresistible and confirmed the exceptional character of both the producer and the climat.