2011 Chambolle Musigny Les Charmes

I remember tasting the 2011s en primeur and whilst there were some fantastic wines on offer, it was not a consistent year, not least compared to recent vintages. Whilst careful selection was required, I did not hesitate to purchase on release the wines from Domaine Hudelot-Noellat. A producer that judged the vintage beautifully and whose wines really stood out when tasting so many of the 2011s side by side. Even at village level, he produced wines that retained a beguiling nose and ethereal lightness. Whilst my village 2011 Chambolle’s from Hudelot-Noellat have all been drunk, the Premier Crus like this Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Charmes are now really singing. In less consistent vintages the different quality levels within Burgundy really stand out. Contrasted with the village Chambolle there is so much more depth, more flesh to the bones, and the silk-like texture today is stunning! The tannins are totally integrated, whilst retaining a lovely tension to the wine. It has great freshness with delicate redcurrant, rhubarb and raspberries fruit notes beautifully integrated with developed savoury tones. The wine is displaying very low level tertiary notes at 10 years old, proving how well these wines age, whilst retaining a lovely clarity to the palate. Anyone who can produce such quality and consistency in a vintage like 2011 is a winemaker of real skill. I have bought wines from the domaine consistently ever since. I am a big fan of his Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru Beaumonts, but all the wines have such character. Visiting the estate to taste their 2018s from barrel last autumn, they were really the highlight of the trip and come thoroughly recommended.