Wine Advisor
Comte Georges de Vogue, Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru 2023
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Notes of orange zest, peonies, rose petals, plums and berries introduce the 2023 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru, a medium to full-bodied, ample and succulent wine that's lively and sensual. Produced from declassified "young" vine Musigny (though the designation "younger" might be more a propos, as the vines are not especially young), it seems to me more marked by whole-bunch aromas and textures than the rest of the range.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2023 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru now comes from a single 0.3-hectare parcel in front of Les Amoureuses planted in 2007, as other parcels were pulled out due to degenerating vines on the 161-49 rootstock. Black cherry, raspberry and light licorice scents unfurl on the nose, gaining considerable intensity. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy red fruit and a pinch of sea salt. It is particularly vibrant, though it doesn't possess the sustain of the Bonnes-Mares or the Les Amoureuses on the finish. Nevertheless, this is a fine Chambolle.
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.
