2011 Chambolle Musigny

Bright red-ruby. Smoky red fruit aromas come across as a bit roasted following Roumier's 2012s. Fat, sweet and very ripe, with a liqueur-like quality to the raspberry, smoke, chocolate and earth flavors. Plenty of substance here but also a touch of greenness. Larger-scaled than the 2012 but hints at an overripe/underripe character.

The 2011 Chambolle-Musigny Village has a lifted bouquet with scents of strawberry shortcake intermingling with autumn leaves. Strong field mushroom scents enter the fray with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, gentle leafy red-berry fruit with a light, agreeable finish. Drink this over the next decade. Drink now-2020. Only the super-rich now have the privilege of tasting the wines of Christophe Roumier , which is a shame, and something that Christophe himself must rue. I vividly recall the moment when tasting his Musigny 2005 from barrel and he had just started receiving blank checks for any bottle he could spare. Roumier’s name was about to go from the esteemed to the iconic, with all the positives and negatives that it entails. So, whenever I have the opportunity to taste Christophe’s wines I grab it, whether it is the 2011s following our tasting of 2012s, or a super-rare bottle from the 1960s that appeared at a dinner. Importer: Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines, Napa CA; tel. (707) 299-2600