Following on from my tastings of
Pinot Noir from around the world, I attended a session organised by
Vins de Bourgogne to learn more about the famous appellations of the
Côte de Nuits. Stretching from south of Dijon to the village of Nuits-St-George, the Côte de Nuits is a series of vineyards on east-facing slopes where some of the world's greatest Pinot Noir is grown. The session concentrated on the three villages of Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St-Denis, and Chambolle-Musigny, which lie less than 10km apart yet have very different flavour profiles. Considering their proximity to one another, the differences between the wines from these villages was extraordinary.
the vintage
All the wines came from the 2011 vintage, whose wines were described as fresh, fruity, supple, and lighter than usual but well balanced. In true French style, the weather conditions for 2011 were related to us in some detail: the growing season started early in a dry, sunny spring; conditions changed "dramatically" in July, however, to a cool, wet summer; the end of August reverted to a sunny September with low rainfall. The lightness of the vintage means that the wines generally may not have the ageability of consistently warmer years such as 2012, but the wines we tasted were still young.
the villages
During the nineteenth century at the height of Burgundy's fame, many of
the area's small villages took on the name of their most acclaimed
vineyards: Gevrey became Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey Morey-St-Denis, and
Chambolle Chambolle-Musigny. Generally, the best vineyards - Premier Cru and, for the very greatest, Grand Cru - are on slopes above the villages. These vineyards are called
climats, individual sites which have their own particular style, character, and identity. Lower down the slopes are the village appellation wines, the more straightforward expressions of each area. Distinctive but less acclaimed vineyards that go towards village appellation wine also have their own name:
lieux-dits.
Gevrey-Chambertin
There are 320ha of vineyards in the village AC, making it one of the largest for red wine in Burgundy. Beyond this broad area, there are some of the most renowned vineyards in the world: 26 Premier Cru (80ha) and 9 Grand Cru. The Premier Cru vineyards are, unusually, higher - at 380m altitude - than the Grand Cru, which are around 300m. The best wines from the village are full, structured, tannic, and long-lived.
Morey-St-Denis
Situated between Gevrey-Chambertin and Chambolle-Musigny, the wines of Morey-St-Denis combine the best characteristics of the two: the powerful structure of the former and the aromatic elegance of the latter. Much smaller than Gevrey-Chambertin, there are just 87ha of Pinot Noir, 35ha of which is Premier Cru. Despite its size, there are still four Grand Cru vineyards, including Clos-St-Denis and its most renowned, Clos-du-Tart.
Chambolle-Musigny
Larger than Morey-St-Denis with 152ha (56 of them Premier Cru), there are two Grand Cru vineyards - Les Bonnes-Mares and Musigny. The former adjoins Morey-St-Denis's Clos-du-Tart and the wines have more structure, depth, and intensity. Musigny, one of Burgundy's greatest vineyards, is more aromatic, the character for which Chambolle-Musigny is known. There are also two Premier Cru vineyards which rank as some of the finest of Burgundy: Les Charmes and Les Amoureuses. Next to and very similar to Musigny, we heard
Véronique Drouhin describe the latter's wines as like "wearing a cashmere sweater."
the wines
We tasted two wines from each village: a village appellation wine and a Premier Cru wine.
I found this wine somewhat bitter: the wine did not undergo any racking which may have contributed to a slightly reductive nose. Despite this, there's a nice floral character and the relatively high amount of new oak (45%) is well integrated. With soft tannins, this is a balanced, lightly fruity wine but lacking intensity of flavour. ✪✪✪✪
Domaine Frédéric Magnien Les Bourniques Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru 2011
A very perfumed nose, with wild strawberries and redcurrants, and a very subtly integrated amount of new oak (50%). On the gentle palate, the fruits are ripe but very subtle, with light tannins. Despite the wine's soft, fine texture, there is real depth held up by very good acidity. Best drunk 2020 onwards. ✪✪✪✪✪
Despite having the second least amount of new oak (30%) of any of the wines we tasted, it felt the most noticeable perhaps because the oak had a higher level of toast. The fruits are bigger, denser, riper, and darker than its Chambolle-Musigny equivalent. Likewise on the palate, the tannins are more noticeable, firmer and more gripping. This is a complex, involved, if slightly rustic wine. ✪✪✪✪✪
Joseph Drouhin Clos Sobré Morey-St-Denis Premier Cru 2011
The nose of this wine is immediate and beautiful, with ripe red fruits and blackcurrants, roses and thorns, and oak and vanilla. The Drouhin style is not too much extraction, and despite the ripeness of the fruits this wine is balanced and elegant. Lightly gripping tannins on the palate, with dried fruits - figs and prunes - as well as raspberries and blackcurrants. There's a discreet use of new oak (20%) with smoke and light pepper spices. The acidity, however, is a bit sharp at this stage. ✪✪✪✪✪
An incredibly intense nose, with oak, smoke, earth, dirt, dried roses, blackberries and brambles, and raspberries - the fruits are hiding behind the oak (40% new). On the palate, the fruits are black and ripe, as are the tannins. A dense, interesting, though slightly heavy wine. ✪✪✪✪
An odd nose that felt a bit grassy and cereal at first, giving way to baked fruits (plums) and oak. The tannins on the palate are gripping and dominant. A big, full mouthfeel that's hard to assess right now - the wine needs another ten years. ✪✪✪✪✪
conclusions
Reading or hearing about the differences between the three villages is one thing; tasting them another. The wines from Chambolle-Musigny were clearly more aromatic and delicate; those of Gevrey-Chambertin more powerful and forceful; the style of Morey-St-Denis lay in between. For that reason, Morey-St-Denis won the day for me - pleasingly elegant but with depth and structure.
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