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Domaine Roumier, Chambolle-Musigny

Burgundy, France 2011 (750mL)
$485.00
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Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Domaine Roumier, Chambolle-Musigny

We have a small parcel of Domaine Roumier’s 2011 Chambolle-Musigny to share with you, which is the wine equivalent of saying we have a small parcel of Eames chairs or Fender Stratocasters to share with you. We’ve moved beyond simply “great” wine here and into the realm of iconic, category-defining wine: Burgundy experts are pretty unanimous in naming Roumier the greatest producer in Chambolle-Musigny.
And if ever a wine label perfectly evoked what’s inside the bottle, this one does: Even at the humble ‘village’ level, Roumier’s Chambolle is as aristocratic and collectible as red Burgundy gets, truly the surest of sure bets even in variable vintages. A quick spin through the wine-critic universe will confirm what we learned at the first smell and sip of this wine: It is utterly impeccable red Burgundy that belongs in any well-curated cellar.
Roumier’s current proprietor is the elegant Christophe Roumier, grandson of founder and domaine-namesake Georges, a Burgundy legend who founded the estate in 1924. The original Roumier vineyard holdings came from Georges’ wife in the form of a dowry, and he farmed them while simultaneously serving as the vineyard manager at the famed Comtes Georges de Vogüé. In addition to their prized pieces of the Musigny and Bonnes-Mares Grand Crus, the Roumiers have a core of Chambolle-Musigny vineyards totaling about 12 hectares and dating back to the founding of the estate. They are synonymous with Chambolle at every level in the hierarchy, and this village bottle will stand toe-to-toe with Premier and even Grand Cru wines from their contemporaries.

We often speak of Chambolle-Musigny wines as being some of the silkiest and most perfumed reds of the Côte de Nuits, and while Roumier’s interpretations certainly deliver on that promise, they also tack on some significant muscle as well. They are structured, concentrated wines, driven more by fanatically low vineyard yields as opposed to aging in new oak barrels, which is said to never exceed 30%, regardless of the bottling. There’s a satisfying, luxurious solidity to them—like the weighty slam of an Audi or Mercedes car door.

The 2011 Roumier Chambolle-Musigny is both charmingly aromatic and quite deep and satisfying as well (this was a vintage known for earlier-drinking, more perfumed reds, but this is definitely an outlier capable of extended aging). In the glass it’s a concentrated garnet-red moving to ruby and a slight touch of orange at the rim, with evocative notes of black and red cherry, strawberry, violet, roses, underbrush, and crushed stones. Medium-plus in body, with well-managed tannins even in its youth, there’s still a backbone to this wine that suggests its best years still lay ahead. It is sumptuous and delicious to drink now after about an hour in a decanter, but I really want to start studying this wine on or around its 10th birthday. This is going to continue to add flesh and aromatic complexity for a good many years to come; be sure to serve it in ample Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees, alongside something appropriately aristocratic (normally we don’t insist on “fancy” pairings, but this wine kind of demands one). Attached is a pretty swank Cornish game hen preparation for this impeccable wine. Sip slowly and enjoy!
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Country
France
Region
Burgundy
Sub-Region
FranceChambolle-Musigny AOC
Soil
Limestone & Clay
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Pinot Noir 100%
Alcohol
14.0
OAK
30% New French
TEMP.
60-65
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2030
Decanting
60 Minutes
Pairing
Stuffed Cornish Game Hens

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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