Wine Advisor
Georges Roumier, Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Combottes 2015
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2015 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Combottes contains around 40% whole bunch this year. It has a very refined bouquet with dark, almost broody black fruit, a touch of cold granite and graphite, austere and yet blessed with exquisite delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with sorbet-like freshness on the entry, here more blue fruit than the Clos de la Bussière with an elegant, poised finish. The word that sprung to mind? Balletic.
About the Producer
The domaine was founded in 1924 by Georges Roumier, who began domaine bottling in 1945. He was succeeded in 1957 by his son Jean-Marie and now grandson Christophe, who joined his father in 1982 and took over completely in 1992. Most of the wines are rented (en fermage) from family members although Ruchottes Chambertin is held on a share cropping deal with an external proprietor, Michel Bonnefond. The wines are seductively fruity in their youth yet with excellent ageing potential. The grapes are sorted in the vineyard, with a table de tri at the winery since 2003. They are mostly destemmed, albeit depending on vineyard and vintage, with a few more stems being used recently – then placed in wooden fermenters. The juice is given a cool soak at 15° then allowed to start naturally. The juice is punched down twice a day and temperature controlled so as not to exceed 32°C. There is no great reliance on new wood in the maturation cellar, with 15-25% being used for village wines, 25-40% for premiers crus and no more than 50% for Bonnes Mares. In recent years Christophe has been searching for, and achieving, a greater sense of precision in his wines.
