1998 Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru

Next up was a magnificent flight of Ruchottes-Chambertin from Mugneret, all served from jeroboam. I was a little surprised that that Ruchottes were served before the Chambolle-Musigny Les Feusselottes as they were decidedly richer wines. The 1998 and 1992 Ruchottes came across as the most complete wines in the grouping. The 1998 Ruchottes-Chambertin was rich, dense and full-bodied, with surprising depth and tons of fruit. The 1992 was much more ethereal and delicate, but equally impressive in its overall balance. Worn-in leather, sweet spices, red fruit and underbrush came to life in this weightless, transparent Burgundy. The 2000 showed good balance in a mid-weight style. Though still quite fresh, the wine’s concentration came across as relatively modest and probably not suited to lengthy cellaring. The 1997 revealed gorgeous inner perfume in a vibrant, medium-bodied style.