Heading south from Gevrey-Chambertin, the tasters moved to the Grange Hall in the village of Gilly-Les-Citeaux. Here we met with Burgundian producers sampling their Morey and Chambolle from the 2006 vintage along with a few 2005s.
Chambolle is known for supple wines that are approachable in youth while Morey can deliver more power and tannin. That said, some producers create Chambolle this anything but supple. The ultimate quality of the wine comes down to the individual producer. Terroir provides the raw material, but only a skillful winemaker can capitalize on what nature offers.
Domaine G. Roumier
The Chambolle-Musignys crafted by Christophe Roumier are the paradigm for the appellation. We tasted 3 wines from the 2006 vintage. In each wine, the fruit is full-on and framed by acidity. While the Premier Crus Les Combottes and Les Cras are excellent, one shouldn’t pass up the affordable village wine. This turned up at the Wine Club in February ’09 for $69.99 a bottle, alcohol level 13%. This wine was showing the house talent with a complementary sense of earthiness. Christophe’s Moreys from 2006 move up in strength without running into astringency. Look for the Premier Cru Clos de la Bussiere and the highly allocated Bonnes Mares Grand Cru. The wines are mis en bouteille in Chambolle Domaine G. Roumier
Domaine Hubert Lignier
Lignier poured two wines from Morey. The 2006 Vielles Vignes displayed a perfect balance of fruit and acidity. Their 2006 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru was the bigger of the two, filling out the entire palate in a more structured frame.
Domaine Bertagna
The domaine not only sampled wines from Chambolle and Morey but also Vougeot. Their 2006 village wine, aptly named Vouget Le Village integrates the structure for aging into a supple exterior.