2005 Maison Joseph Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

Given its origins in such crus as Combottes, Hauts Doix (beneath Amoureuses, where they are the largest owners after Groffier), and Borniques (abutting Musigny), it is perhaps little wonder that Drouhin’s 2005 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru epitomizes communal virtues. It leads with alluring bitter-sweet flowers, cherry, and red raspberry; displays deep, marrowy meatiness and nutmeg-, ginger- and pit-tinged red fruits on a polished, tender, silken palate; and finishes with delightful friskiness of fruit and subtly salty, chalky minerality. This extroverted, luminous 2005 can be enjoyed immediately, although perhaps it will shut down for a couple of years. These 2005s were bottled around two months earlier than usual, says Frederic Drouhin, to retain freshness. (Long-time oenologue Laurence Jobard, incidentally, was replaced this year by Jerome Faure-Brac.) As is always the case, fruit from a great many properties owned or accessed by Drouhin is declassified and blended out, leaving only selected terroirs as the subjects of single-site bottlings. (In 2004, for example, even the Beaune Clos des Mouches – due to hail – was declassified into lip-smacking, remarkably soothing Cote de Beaune.) That said, as befits the quality of 2005, there were more individual bottlings from this vintage than is usual, and I did not taste all of them. (Wines from the Drouhin domaine holdings display a “D” in their listing.) This year’s collection radiates class from top to bottom. Even Drouhin’s ubiquitous, 25,000-case generic “Laforet” displays tender, ripe cherry fruit, a silky palate and iodine-like minerality. Also recommended: 2005 Bourgogne Laforet ($14.00;85). Importer: Dreyfus-Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818 0770