2008 Musigny
By Maison Joseph Drouhin
2008 Musigny from Maison Joseph Drouhin, Burgundy, France
In the wide tapestry of Burgundian vintages, the 2008 Musigny from Maison Joseph Drouhin is a resplendent thread, interwoven with complexity and finesse. In an appellation renowned for producing some of the world's most coveted Pinot Noir, this particular offering is poised with an articulate sense of place and time.
A Vintage Speaks: The Climatic Ballet of 2008
The 2008 vintage in Burgundy was one marked by a climatic ballet – a season that choreographed a last-minute reprieve from nature's capricious moods. Spring and summer were besieged with fits of weather that had winemakers bracing for a challenging year. Yet, as harvest approached, an Indian summer swept in, drying out the bunches and concentrating the flavours. This serendipitous turn granted the grapes at Musigny an infusion of maturity that culminates in a wine laced with liveliness.
Precise and Poised: The Allure of 2008
The spellbinding allure of the 2008 Musigny lies in its precise balance of power and poise. With a nose redolent of cherries, wet stone and subtle hints of rose petal, it invites investors into a romance with the terroir. On the palate, the wine's aristocratic pedigree is evident; tannins are woven tightly yet mellifluously into a core of red fruit that whispers promise with every sip.
The cellar potential is substantial – upon my last tasting, I noted how gracefully the structure has held together, enhancing investment prospects as much as sensory pleasure. The savoury undertones that played underneath hints of forest floor have matured exquisitely, championing this wine's inherent longevity and reinforcing its status as a prudent acquisition for the discerning collector.
To savor a glass of 2008 Musigny from Maison Joseph Drouhin is to touch upon a moment in Burgundy’s vinous history that captured triumph over tribulation. It bears testament to winemaking resilience and stands attractively for any portfolio looking to include gems from an improbable vintage that confidently struts its unexpected splendour.
Current market price
£10,080.00
12x75cl
Highest score
94
POP score
720
Scores and tasting notes
Drouhin’s 2008 Musigny in expected fashion puts its stable mates in perspective with a multiplicity of ripe red berry; saline and chalky mineral; seductively floral; pungently spicy; cleanly carnal; and mysteriously scrubby and forest floor-like aromas and flavors. A near-kaleidoscopic interactivity enhances the invigoration, resonance, and refreshment of an archetypical wine of its appellation and vintage that should be well worth following for 20 years. “2008 was very slow in doing its malolactic – which was good, and ended up with a pretty lively impression of acidity” remarked Veronique Boss-Drouhin, “and I think the wines will be slow to evolve in bottle, as well.” Numerous cuvees were still in tank or barrel when I visited in March, which constitutes an unusually late schedule at this address. The 2007s, by contrast, were bottled even earlier than normal, most at age 12 months. In 2008, a 15-25% share of stems and whole clusters was included in the fermenting vat for the Clos des Mouches and for most of the Drouhin grand crus, whereas in 2007 that degree of vendange entier was practically the rule across the entire Drouhin range (by no means all of which I tasted). Importer: Dreyfus-Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770
David Schildknecht - The Wine Advocate, 28 June 2010