The most refined and delicate wines of Burgundy
The wines of Chambolle Musigny are universally recognized as the most delicate and refined Pinot Noir in all of Burgundy.
The commune of Chambolle-Musigny boasts about 180 hectares of cultivated land, of which 24 hectares for Grand Cru wines and 61 hectares for Premier Cru, carries the dowry 24 Premier Cru, including the famous "Les Amoureuses" and only two Grand Cru.
The first Grand Cru of the commune is the "Bonnes Mares", which is territorially shared with the commune of Morey St. Denis, and constitutes, for a part of it, a true atypicality with respect to the notoriously fleshy and delicate style of the commune's wines; in fact, ideally conceiving a diagonal from its southern slope, which overlooks Chambolle, and extending it as far as the opposite diagonal that touches the border with Morey St. Denis, we identify two areas, geologically very distinct: under this line stand out the so called "Les Amoureuses". "Terres Rouges" (soil of the same matrix as Clos de Tart), characterized by a first layer, about 50 cm, composed of clayey and siliceous soil and, subsequently, a marly subsoil (clayey-calcareous), structured by rocky sediments, dating back to the Bathonian period; the upper part of the diagonal, instead, identifies the c. d. "Terres Blanches", characterized by a shallow surface layer, composed of small stones, a derisory clayey component and a subsoil formed by calcareous marls, very rich in marine fossils. It is not far from the truth the proverbial assertion that the vineyards of Chambolle on the border with Morey would produce wines of clear masculinity, solid and deep wines. While on the opposite side there are plots suitable for reds of exceptional finesse and grace.
Basically, the color of this wine always has a more purplish shade, compared to Les Amoureuses, (5.40ha) which, on the other hand, always turns ruby red; a Bonnes Mares (15,06ha) always has a bonus of wildness, which is expressed in the perceived fruits, in which, in addition to the canonical black cherry, the nuances of dark blueberries, which have the gift of being both very sweet, but also bearers of greater, albeit pleasant, tannicity, this is a wine where the structural aspect prevails, not the minerality (hardness that does not belong, by DNA, to this climat), as in Les Amoureuses. Finally, during the winemaking process, it is a wine that forgives more small errors than "Musigny" and "Les Amoureuses", which, if not handled properly, can release an intense and undesirable tannicity in the final product.
The second grand cru is the "Musigny" (defined at these latitudes as "a wine endowed with an undeniable feminine side) 10.85ha, which gives rise to wines with extraordinarily graceful features and a lush mineral note.
As for the general evaluation of the wines produced in this exalting microcosm of wine making, they are unanimously recognized as among the most subtle, elegant, feminine, oriental (the presence of variegated spicy nuances is the most immediately recognizable trait) and seductive of the entire Burgundy; this is due to the structure of the soils, in particular the presence of soils rich in calcareous rocks, marl and pebbles, which make the wines less rich in anthocyanins, less austere than those of the common sites further north of the region; in particular, here the soils have a bonus of active limestone, which determines a slight phenomenon of chlorosis in the vineyards, which results in a paler green color of the leaves of the vines, which determines, subsequently, wines with a flat color, with more fragrance than power.
It should be noted, however, that there are many climates that exhibit traits very close to the town of Morey St Denis or have much more affinity with the "Terres Rouges" section of the Bonnes Mares cru (such as the 1er cru: Les Graunchers, Les Sentiers, Le Fuees, Le Cras, the southernmost part of the 1er cru Les Baudes, Derriere La Grange and Les Vérroilles).
The fascinating characteristics of these wines are historically recognized by the authoritative declarations of Jules Lavalle, a distinguished doctor of natural sciences (who, with his work, laid the foundations of what would later be the official, final classification of the AOC in Burgundy) which, in 1855, was part of his masterpiece, entitled "Histoire et statistique de la vigne des grands vins de la Côte-d'Or" (his book was largely based on the 1831 work of Denis Morelot, who is credited with being the first to introduce the notion of "terroir" in Burgundy) solemnly proclaimed Chambolle the commune capable of producing the most delicate wines of the entire Cote de Nuits.
