Chambolle-Musigny Offers Mythical Grand Cru And Superb Premier Cru.

The Big Five In Burgundy

Burgundy is home to some of the world's very best wine producers. Burgundy is magical. And Burgundy is complex. To get a better overview of Burgundy and the very best red wines from here, you need to zoom in. The entire Burgundy region measures 230 kilometres from Chablis in the north to Macon in the south. Focusing on the Cote d'Or – the golden slope – the size is reduced to 65 kilometres.

On the golden slope, the northern Cote de Nuits occupies 25 kilometres of the 230 kilometres, and these can be further reduced to a stretch of just 10 kilometres, where the best appellations are situated. Their location is perfect, even if the area is extremely minimal. Wines from here therefore come in very high quality and extremely limited quantities.

This series of articles focuses on the five main appellations: Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot and Vosne-Romanée. Soil and exposure are highlighted, and the main Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards are highlighted.

Chambolle-Musigny

Chambolle-Musigny has always been considered the commune that produces the most balanced wines. Chambolle-Musigny is slightly larger than Morey-Saint-Denis and there are "only" two Grand Cru vineyards. One, however, is the mythical Musigny Grand Cru, which ranks among the top five in all of Burgundy, along with Chambertin, Clos de Beze, Romanée-Conti, and La Tache. On the road from Musigny to Bonnes-Mares, at the other end of Chambolle-Musigny, there are a number of excellent Premier Cru vineyards. Below these, Village-appellation vineyards provide wines in the commune's distinctive style, offering a wealth of sumptuous experiences.

The wines from Chambolle-Musigny are neither the darkest nor the richest in Burgundy. They are wines that are light and elegant in expression and with a great underlying intensity that gives balance. The wines stand for many as the supreme of Burgundy - solely on the basis of their airiness and finesse.

Chambolle-Musigny is also a commune where the relatively few producers have a strong bond. There is a good atmosphere in the village, and everyone agrees that the neighbour also makes good wine. However, there are a few stars who shine a little brighter than most: Roumier, Mugnier and Vogüe.

Soil And Exposure In Chambolle-Musigny

Chambolle-Musigny is located in the middle of the five big communes for red wine in Burgundy. The vineyards are located here with the best parcels right where the golden slope flattens out.

The slope is intersected in several places by small depressions, as a result of old watercourses. These openings help to divide the commune of Chambolle-Musigny into two parts - north and south. The village itself lies in the middle, and the two styles of the commune can easily be distinguished on either side. North of the village is the Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru with surrounding Premier Cru vineyards. This is on the border of Morey-Saint-Denis, and the style also goes a bit in that direction with a focus on the fruit in the wines. South of the village is the road to Vougeot, and then just before the commune of Vougeot itself is the famous Musigny Grand Cru, renowned for intensity and complexity. It is, as mentioned, one of the absolute best vineyards in the area - if not in the world.

In total, the commune has 26 hectares of Grand Cru vineyards and 61 hectares of Premier Cru vineyards. The remaining almost 90 hectares are classified as Village Chambolle-Musigny.

Grand Cru In Chambolle-Musigny

There are only two Grand Cru vineyards in Chambolle-Musigny, but what two: Bonnes-Mares to the north and Musigny in the south of the commune. Both with different expressions that show each side of the character of Chambolle-Musigny.

Bonnes-Mares

The vineyard of Bonnes-Mares is located up against, and a little inside, the commune of Morey-Saint-Denis. Approximately 1.5 hectares are in Morey-Saint-Denis and approximately 13.5 hectares in Chambolle-Musigny. The neighbour to the north is the stone wall facing another Grand Cru vineyard, Clos de Tart, and the style from here can also be found in the wines of Bonnes-Mares. The vineyard is on a slope with a good gradient, which ensures proper drainage. The vineyard rises from 265 - 300 metres and there are more than 20 owners on the vineyard, all making highly coveted wines. The difference in style is dictated by a diagonal line from the bottom at the south end of the vineyard to the top towards Morey. At the top, the soil is heavier and produces more complex wines - below the line, the soil is lighter and brighter. Some producers have parcels in several places in the vineyard and blend these to achieve the right balance in the wines.

The largest landowner at Bonnes-Mares is Comte Georges de Vogüe with 2.67 hectares, but there are several good producers besides Vogüe who should be mentioned. Roumier with its 1.89 hectares provides a true reference point from Bonnes-Mares. Mugnier has only 0.36 hectares in the vineyard, which does not produce many barrels, but on the other hand it is of very high quality. Domaine d'Auvenay, managed by the legendary Madame Leroy has a very small parcel in the light soil and releases one of the most expensive and elegant wines from here.

Mythical Musigny...

The name Musigny undoubtedly gives all wine lovers chills. Musigny is mythical. Musigny is magical. From Musigny comes some of the best wine in Burgundy. Musigny is the ultimate symbol of elegance. Together with Chambertin and a few monopole vineyards in Vosne-Romanée, it does not get much better than the wine that can be expressed from Musigny.

The vineyard is divided into three parts: to the far north is Les Musigny or Grand Musigny, just to the south is Petit Musigny, and finally there is Combe d'Orveaux. Furthermore, there are two small parcels on the opposite side of the road, which are also part of Musigny.

Comte George de Vogüe is almost sovereign with 7,12 hectares out of the total 10,85 hectares. There is no doubt that Vogüe makes a superb Musigny, but the greatness of the vineyard is also greatly emphasised by the other wines made here.

The Queen of Burgundy Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy is with her Musigny currently the most expensive wine on the market at release. In fact, Henri Leroy chose to christen his daughter Lalou in their own Musigny drops. Lalou Bize-Leroy and Musigny were the perfect pairing early on.

In addition, Roumier with its one barrel also produces a truly desirable expression of Musigny. However, other versions from Mugnier, Prieur or Vougeraie should not be underestimated either - they all help to underline the towering level of this legendary vineyard. Wines from Musigny are on everyone's wish list, but prices and quantities mean that only a few get the exclusive opportunity.

Premier Cru In Chambolle-Musigny

For the parcels classified as Premier Cru in Chambolle-Musigny, something of the same applies as in Morey-Saint-Denis. There are many small parcels whose grapes are often blended to produce enough wine to be relevant in a commercial enterprise. They will then simply be called Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru on the label without any indication of the parcel. However, there are local producers who value each small parcel and bottle it with the vineyard name on it.

In addition, there is one parcel in particular that is at a level just below Grand Cru, as well as several other really good parcels of reasonable size. These are reviewed below. 

Les Amoureuses

Les Amoureuses means "the lovers". Its area is 5.4 hectares and only one of the +10 owners has more than one hectare. The result of these small shares are mythical wines made in vanishingly small quantities. The style of the wines is elegant from the start, but only after +20 years do they open up to all aspects and show their greatness.

Les Amouresses is considered one of the three best Premier Cru vineyards in Burgundy, on a par with Cros Parantoux in Vosne-Romanée and Clos Saint-Jacques in Gevrey-Chambertin. These three deliver wines at the level just below Grand Cru with great stability over several vintages. Some producers also choose to price their Les Amoureuses at the same level as their Grand Cru wines.

The vineyard is just below Musigny. Groffier owns the largest part of the vineyard with 1.07 hectares, but the most coveted versions come from Roumier, Mugnier and Vogüe.

Les Charmes

With almost 10 hectares, Les Charmes is one of the larger Premier Cru vineyards in Chambolle-Musigny, and several good wines are produced from it, which also come in quantities that make the vineyard visible in the market. This vineyard is located almost on the same part of the slope as Amouresses, only a little further north. In general, the wines are of high quality with typical Chambolle-Musigny charm.

The largest landowner is Amiot-Servelle with 1.27 hectares. However, the most demanded wine is the small quantity coming from the famous Domaine Leroys 0,23 hectares.

Les Fuées

Les Fuées is an interesting vineyard in the extension of Bonnes-Mares on the road from Morey-Saint-Denis to the village of Chambolle. When a Premier Cru vineyard is right next to a Grand Cru vineyard, there is the opportunity to buy gold at a silver price. And that is the case with Les Fuées.

Here is a slightly deeper soil layer, and wines from here resemble Bonnes-Mares - just without quite the same complexity. In total, the vineyard measures 4.38 hectares, and no one owns more than one hectare. Mugnier owns the most land at Les Fuées with 0.71 hectares and makes one of the most coveted wines from the vineyard. Faiveley has a highly appreciated parcel of only 0.19 hectares.

The Future Of Chambolle-Musigny

As mentioned, there are more than 90 hectares of Village appellation in Chambolle-Musigny. They contribute greatly to the great image of the whole Chambolle-Musigny, since most of these vineyards still have a very good location and a high ground level.

Competition is fierce in the French stronghold of wine, and this of course means that Chambolle-Musigny is giving the other communes a run for their money, to the delight of all the world's wine lovers. Musigny is a Grand Cru lighthouse, and Bonnes-Mares is a breeding ground for glory.

Classifications are no obstacle in Chambolle-Musigny, as the high Premier Cru and Village levels testify. The airy wines of Chambolle-Musigny are in demand around the world and there is nothing to suggest that interest will diminish in the future - quite the contrary.