Wine Advisor
Robert Groffier, Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Sentiers 2012
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
A darker side of Chambolle emerges from the 2012 Chambolle-Musigny Les Sentiers. Black cherries, plums, cloves and spices flesh out in a broad-shouldered wine endowed with richness and volume. The 2012 is a bit sauvage, some of which may come from the inclusion of 30-40% whole clusters. Next to the Hauts Doix, the Sentiers comes across as a bit rustic.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(50% vendange entier): Good deep red. Ripe aromas of small wild red fruits, mocha and brown spices, plus a note of menthol; deeper-pitched than the Haut-Doix. Then big, ripe and rich but fine-grained, with savory red fruit flavors complicated by spices and torrefaction. Finishes youthful, broad and long. Nicolas Groffier noted that his family used to vinify Sentiers for power, like our Amoureuses, but that he has cut back on extraction. Still, this is a strong wine in 2012.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(50% vendange entier): Deep red with ruby highlights. Sexy, very ripe aromas of black raspberry, coffee, smoke, minerals and peppery spices. Sweet and densely packed, with excellent energy and lift to the raspberry, spice and mineral flavors. Strong, thick, nicely balanced wine with very good stuffing and length. The finish leaves behind intense spiciness and smoky minerality.
About the Producer
The Groffier family are among the best wine makers in the Côte de Nuits. Originally founded by Robert Groffier’s father, Jules in the 1950s, the domaine is now run by Robert’s grandson, Nicolas. The domaine consists of almost 8 ha of fine vineyards, including 1 ha of Bonnes Mares, almost 0.5 ha of Chambertin Clos de Bèze and a full 1 ha of Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses (the biggest single owner of this vineyard). The wine making technique is flexible and the proportion of stems to be retained is decided annually. nowadays, up to 20% of stems are retained, compared to 50% 20 years ago. The destemed grapes are transferred to stainless steel vats without crushing and cooled to 10-12 degrees so the natural yeast fermentation starts 4-5 days later – to allow further extraction of colour from the skins. Frequent short pigeages are done, and the temperature is allowed to rise up to 35 degrees – which retains even more colour to the liquid. After 17-20 days maceration, the temperature descends to 20-22 degrees and after pressing age in oak, the percentage of new one vary per cuvée and vintage – from none to the Bourgogne to up to 100% for the grand crus. The wines are only racked once, usually only a year after the vintage. The wines return to vat as the new vintage is put into barrel, so only one vintage is in barrel at any time. The wines are bottled without fining or filtration.
