The Wines of Chambolle-Musigny and the Clos de Vougeot

Continuing south from Morey-St. Denis, we find adjoining world famous Burgundy destinations, Chambolle-Musigny and Clos de Vougeot. If the wines themselves are increasingly expensive, enjoying this afternoon need not be. The views you will find are extraordinary, perfect for picture taking, and I cannot think of a better location for a picnic luncheon.   The Route des Grands Crus leads directly from Morey-St. Denis to Chambolle-Musigny, a charming and picturesque village and a fine spot to provision your afternoon picnic overlooking the Clos de Vougeot. There are two grands crus in Chambolle-Musigny. It is said that the limestone, which emerges here, is a factor in producing wines less sturdy than those further north in the Cote de Nuits, where clay predominates. At the northern end of town is the preponderance of the Bonnes Mares vineyards (thirty-four of thirty-eight acres). At the southern end, along the Route des Grand Crus, one finds Le Musigny adjoining the Clos de Vougeot.  I hope that you will plan to visit the Domaine Comte de Vogue, rue Sainte Barbe, 21220 Chambolle-Musigny (telephone: 03-80-62-86-25: FAX 03-80-62-82-38). This historic estate is the leading producer of Le Musigny, an elegant and flavorful wine, sort of the Chateau Margaux of Burgundy. The Domaine also produces a fine first growth, Les Amoureuses, and some village appellation Chambolle-Musigny from younger grapes. All of the Le Musigny grand cru is vielles vignes, from stocks that are thirty years old or older. Fermentation is always in wood, not stainless steel, and the oak casks used for aging are from the Allier or the Vosges, as Limousin oak is considered too oaky, and is used to make the fiery marc de Bourgogne only.  When we visited the Domaine Comte de Vogue, we spoke of the rare Musigny Blanc, and our particular treat was to taste Le Musigny in the vineyards. Out we trooped from the Domaine in cars (including an abandoned World War Two-era Dodge). As with several of the finest small grand cru holdings, such as the Domaine de la Romanee Conti, visiting the vineyards with someone who knows them perfectly seemed essential, for quite deliberately, the acreage is often not clearly marked. The location of the Le Musigny vineyard was spectacular, on a rise directly overlooking the Clos de Vougeot.  We were told that Le Musigny is grown in three adjacent plots. The southernmost is the Comb (“Canyon”) d’Orveau, the smallest of the three at two acres, which belongs to the Domaine Jacques Prieur. Next comes Les Petits Musigny, about ten acres, which is owned directly by the Domaine Comte de Vogue, and is situated directly above the Clos de Vougeot. Les Musigny, the third plot, is fifteen acres, and the Domaine Comte de Vogue owns half of it. The southernmost part of their first growth Les Amoureuses, about one acre, is situated just below Les Musigny, on a terrace directly above the Clos de Vougeot.  The chardonnay grapes for Musigny Blanc comprised a third of the length of some forty rows of vineyards in Les Petits Musigny, together with a few very old vines in Les Musigny. I had once tasted this rare wine at a tasting of fine Burgundies in Washington, and its opulent, buttery texture made a memorable impression. With the consent of our hostess, we each had a small handful of chardonnay grapes from the vine. They were bursting with flavor and sugar, and were totally delicious. I have looked in vain for this wine in recent years. Possibly it is no longer produced. And so I will treasure even more my bottle of the 1992 vintage, labeled “bottle number 6” of the few cases produced.  Then we tasted Le Musigny. The 1989 had rounded tannins and was very round and soft. It was a full wine, and a very pleasant one. No wonder that when the 2,500 anniversary of the Persian kingdom was celebrated with notable excess by the late Shah of Iran, it was with Domaine Comte de Vogue Le Musigny vieilles vignes.  The 1990 Le Musigny was a revelation. It had a beautiful, velvety color and was unctuous, with glycerides that swirled around the wineglass. It seemed to possess a sort of inner intensity and strength. Astonishingly, it also seemed to my taste to harbor what I could only imagine was an inner concentrate, like a liqueur, of the same flavorful wine, ready to strengthen and deepen the wine as a whole as it developed over the years, almost like an eau de vie. It was a revelation, and should take, I thought, fifteen years at least to develop. I hope you will be able to sample a bottle of this wine. Since total production was 4,500 cases (from just 180 small casks, each holding some 25 eventual cases), not many people will ever have the opportunity to taste this wonder.When leaving Chambolle-Musigny, our attention was called to the elegant Chateau de Gille les Citeaux, a Relais et Chateaux hostelry that once housed church nobles who were extensive Burgundian vineyard owners. It would make a perfect, if expensive, place to stay while visiting the northern Cote de Nuits.   Here are three other fine properties that you might wish to consider visiting during your stay at Chambolle-Musigny. The Chateau de Chambolle-Musigny of Jacques Mugnier, a producer of both grands crus, is at rue Vergy, 21220 Chambolle-Musigny (telephone: 03-80-62-85-39: FAX 03-80-62-87-36). His 1997 Le Musigny now retails for $100 a bottle, and his Bonnes Mares of the same vintage for $80. The well regarded Domaine Georges Roumier is also at rue Vergy (telephone: 03-80-62-86-37: FAX 03-80-62-83-55), while the Domaine Bertheau et Fils, rue Carre 21220 Chambolle-Musigny (telephone: 03-80-62-85-73: FAX 03-80-62-84-64) produces excellent premier crus as well as Bonnes Mares.  The imposing Clos de Vougeot is a walled grand cru vineyard on a sloping hill, 124 acres of vines divided amongst over six-dozen owners. The…