Wine Advisor
Comte Georges de Vogue, Bourgogne Blanc 2006
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: David Schildknecht
The 2006 Bourgogne is strikingly opulent and texturally silken. With a pit fruit and heady floral nose that puts one in mind a bit of Condrieu, its nectarine and persimmon are allied on the palate with low-toned, chalky, carnal, illusive and intriguing flavors. If this were orchestral music, it would be without the violins. As a white Burgundy from Chardonnay, this hauntingly long wine is definitely in a category of its own. While the Comte de Vogue parcel of Chardonnay planed in red marl soil in Musigny has unique status as a Cotes de Nuits Grand Cru white, there is no legal allowance for white of appellation Chambolle. Consequently, wine from the now 10-14 year old vines will continue to be labeled “Bourgogne” until such time as cellar master Francois Millet and director Jean-Luc Pepin deem that the wine has reached grand cru stature. Meanwhile, the ex-cellar price of this rarity continues to ascend, but so does its depth and complexity. Dreyfus Ashby, New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770 and a Peter Vezan Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011 33 1 42 55 42 93
About the Producer
Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue is one of the most important estates in the Chambello-Musigny appellation, thanks to its stake in important vineyards. The Comte de Vogue is, as the English writer Charles Dickens once said, "as historic and admirable as a great mountain". The vineyard of the Comte de Vugo covers approximately 12.5 hectares, of which about 7 hectares are located in the Mussini vineyard (70% of the entire top vineyard) and about 2.5 hectares in the nearby Bernemar region. The grapes are all hand-harvested and the vast majority are destemmed (although in 1990 100% of the stems were retained). The wines are first fermented in vats, then aged for 18 months in small oak barrels (40% to 45% renewed), clarified with egg whites and lightly filtered before bottling. The wines are extremely intense and full-bodied, which is not surprising given the extremely low yields and the limestone soils of the Mussini vineyards. The wines of the Comtes de Vugo are not meant to be tasted young, and in outstanding vintages these very long-lived wines usually require 10 to 15 years of ageing. However, it is worth noting that the 2002 vintage of Musigny Old Vine is of particularly high quality. It has intense aromas of red cherry, spice and candied raspberry aromas, with a hint of oak. This noble, full-bodied, refined wine has fragrant floral flavours with fruity notes of red and black fruits. A more feminine wine than the bold, chewy, highly robust 1990 vintage, this is a work of art with delicate tannins.
