2016 Chambolle Musigny
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Tasting notes
Mugnier's vines in La Combe d’Orveau were so badly frosted this year that the 2016 Chambolle-Musigny Village Trente-Deux is derived exclusively from the lieu-dit Les Plantes, supplemented by two barrels of Musigny itself. The resulting wine is very special indeed, and the name that distinguishes it this year pays tribute to Mugnier's thirty-second harvest. Wafting from the glass with aromas of wild berries, rose petal, currant leaf and spices, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, with unusual power and concentration, its deep core of vibrant fruit framed by fine but firm structuring tannins. Anyone lucky enough to find a bottle or two should plan on forgetting them for a decade or more.
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Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Usually Combe d’Orveau and Les Plantes premiers crus but in 2016 the former was almost entirely frosted so he added the fruit to barrels of Musigny that had been more frosted than the rest and matured later and were therefore vinified separately. This is therefore three-quarters premier cru and one-quarter grand cru. So-called because it was his 32nd vintage. He wanted to call it Opus 32 but Opus has been trademarked by Dominus in California. There’s ripe dark-red intensity here though it retains some Chambolle perfume which explodes as the wine swirls in the glass. Intense cherry follows through on the palate, rich, dense and sweet fruited, succulent and long and with underlying power. Very long. (JH)
Healthy dark red. Inviting aromas of red berries and soil show a touch of smoky reduction. A fairly fat village wine with a chocolatey ripeness to its red berry and earth flavors; some subtle herbal notes contribute lift.
Six out of the usual 20-25 pièces. Hardly any Combe d’Orveau so it’s mostly Les Plantes premier cru (planted 1967) this year. Barrel sample. More emphatic on the nose than usual. And quite pungent on the nose, but then beautifully mellifluous on the palate. Such charm and balance! Gorgeous round fruit. Approachable but richer than usual. (JR)