Eloquent Chambolle at Extreme Value
2009 Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Hedonism, Grace, Verve, Longevity
I can't think of another red Burgundy under $100 that I'd rather drink now, and through the next 15 years, more than this wine.
The 2009 Drouhin Chambolle 1er Cru was THE stand-out bottle at a walkaround tasting Drouhin hosted in NYC this spring, and it went beyond impressing me, standing out qualitatively and sticking with me as a wine I never forgot. Needless to say, I "went long" on this wine when the offer came up, and having drunk a bottle with Ian last week, we just looked at each other and smiled.
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Yes, we have the big-gun 09 Drouhins, too (the Musigny and Bonnes Mares, the Clos de Bèze and Amoureuses... let us know what you're interested in). But for quality-to-price ratio, for the bottle that you'll be able to drink at essentially any point in the next 15 years and be wowed by, this is it.
Last year, we wrote about both the 1985 and 1988 Drouhin Chambolle 1er Cru. We’d recently had the great pleasure of opening each, and we’d been shocked by their stunning, silken purity and liveliness - each one at around a quarter century old.
To put it simply, the 2009 on offer today should have no problem getting to that silver anniversary itself. When Ian and I had this wine at a dinner last week, it was insanely beautiful. Everything is there right now: a hedonistic, round and silky, mouth-filling quality that’s immensely satisfying; a natural sense of grace that comes from both Drouhin’s winemaking style as well as the signature of the Chambolle commune; a distinct verve, a sense of vivacity coursing through the "blueberry and red currant, mineral-infused aromas" that the Burghound comments on.
I would encourage you to open a few of these right now.
But to return to the original point: Does it have the structure to age? Yes - well past the 15-year mark with fuel left in its tank, and I believe that proper cellaring will verily bring this through 25 years. It’s worth noting that the Drouhins compare their 2009s to the excellent 1985s for the similar fullness and ripeness that showed so alluringly out of the gate yet proved to have the guts and the heart to only grow better with time. They also point out that, with the 09 vintage being so ripe, they kept a fair amount of the stems in the mix during fermentation, which clearly lends additional structure here and helps to harness the rich fruit.
The Chambolle 1er bottling combines five small 1er Cru parcels in Chambolle - Noirots, Haut Doix, Borniques, Plantes and Combottes, all owned and biodynamically farmed by Drouhin, all of whose vines average over 30 years. The plots are simply too small to bottle individually, so they go into this cuvée that gives off a very eloquent expression of Chambolle with its feminine elegance. Perhaps for its very nature of being a blend, this also has a really pretty sense of completeness alongside its persistence, with great tension and balance.
Though I realize that $79.95 is still a considerable amount for a bottle of wine, I cannot overemphasize that the pedigree, class, quality of vintage and longevity here put this in the camp of serious VALUE that's well worth the indulgence. For those looking to cellar a few gems, this is a great place to invest.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Robert Schagrin
Managing Partner
Crush Wine & Spirits
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