Chambolle-Musigny

A village and appellation in the Côte de Nuits, whose red wines are some of the most seductive in Burgundy offering a delicate balance between Vosne elegance and Gevrey-Chambertin power. There are two Grand Cru vineyards in the commune, the majority part of Bonnes Mares and the whole of Musigny. Next door to Musigny is one of Chambolle's most famous Premier Cru vineyards, Les Amoreuses, whose wines offer a combination of power, elegance and richness, less austere or intense than Musigny but very good nonetheless. The next most sought-after would be Charmes, that produces very opulent, ripe, seductive wines. The Premier Crus largely fall into two groups: The higher vineyards such as Veroilles, Cras and Fuees - these wines are usually the most ethereal, structured, high-toned and have the best acidities, they age extremely well; and the lower-lying vineyards beneath or adjacent to the Village which include Les Charmes, Beaux Bruns and Baudes, here the wines are richer, warmer and more generous in their youth than the higher vineyards but often without the same lift and definition. Chambolle is smaller than Gevrey or Vosne, so the "villages" wines, which can be very good value, are not always easy to find. The pre-eminent producers are: Mugnier, Barthod, Roumier, Comte de Vogue and Groffier.