2008 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses
By Domaine Comte de Vogue
2008 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses from Domaine Comte de Vogue
Within the storied tapestry of Burgundian terroir, the 2008 vintage from Bourgogne's fabled Chambolle-Musigny appellation resonates with particular distinction. It is my conviction that the formidable finesse of the 2008 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses from Domaine Comte de Vogue illustrates a chapter in oenological excellence that will enrapture discerning collectors and investors alike.
An Exemplar of Vinicultural Veracity
The 2008 vintage was marked by a challenging yet ultimately rewarding growing season in Bourgogne, characterised by a cool summer followed by an Indian summer which offered salvation. The wines hence produced embrace the tension between struggle and triumph inherent in such years. The 2008 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses is an articulate testament to this dichotomy, showcasing an alluring complexity born from adversity.
A symphony of precise acidity and mellow tannins underlie an enchanting ensemble of red fruits, notably cherries and raspberries, interwoven with delicate notes of violets and a hint of earthy undertones; a composition reflective of its climatic testimonial. Evident within each sip is the depth of flavour that is unassumingly sublime, like whispered confessions in a hallowed hall.
The Nuances of Nobility
At Domaine Comte de Vogue, exceptional care meets exigency in vinification, rendering each vintage a curated oeuvre. The wines are manifestations of masterful workmanship adhering to the highest echelons of quality. The 2008 vintage upholds this dedication to craftsmanship with honours, a matured expression offering insight into the vineyard's venerable virtues.
For fine wine investors seeking to enrich their portfolio with bottles brimming with potential for appreciation, the investment acumen coupled with the cohesive allure found within the 2008 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses from Domaine Comte de Vogue signifies an attractive proposition. This vintage, in its current evolution stage, whispers promises of further complexity for those patient to unveil its full majesty over time.
To encapsulate, the presence within one's collection of such a bottle as this provides not just a pageant for the palate but sings to the soul of Burgundy—of the love, labour and legacy encased within Les Amoureuses vineyard. A poignant portrayal of the resilience and elegance from Bourgogne's 2008 chapter—this wine garners my heartfelt recommendation for both deep appreciation and seasoned investment contemplation.
Market price (CAD)
$17,480.00
12x75cl
Highest score
94
POP score
750
Scores and tasting notes
The de Vogue 2008 Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses is alluringly scented with iris, red raspberry, citrus oils, and illusive intimations of crystalline, crushed stone minerality. The richness of fruit here does indeed support Millet’s description of “syrup,” but at the same time, one could hardly do better than accept his characterization of this particular wine as displaying “the synergy between natural minerality and the freshness of the 2008 vintage.” There is a subtlety and transparency of fruit to mineral and floral nuances here reminiscent of water color, a metaphor of mine with which Millet is willing to go along on several levels, including its support of his notion that the fruit character of the vintage is fragile, but that once captured in bottle in timely fashion will not easily fade. I would expect great things from this deeply complex yet ethereal, persistently shimmering beauty over the next 12-15 years. Francois Millet – always keen to pinpoint the expression of fruit he finds in each vintage – characterizes that of 2008 as “syrup-like,” and of 2007 as “candied.” I am skeptical that these metaphors can be generalized, but under no circumstances should “syrup-like” be taken as an attempt to deny the brightness or transparency displayed by so many of the best 2008s, including these. “To have been picked late” – in this instance, starting September 27 – “to have been picked cold, and to have fermented very slowly to created the largest amount of glycerol to combine with the freshness of the vintage,” opines Millet, constitutes a significant part of the 2008s’ secret, seduction, even mystery. “Late malo” – here completed in August – he adds, “was also good, so that the vintage could have a true childhood, and slowly, surely build itself. If we had had a southern wind when the weather changed, maybe we would have lost that identity of 2008. But by there being a northern wind, the evolution was continued” i.e. in a constant, cool trajectory. Not to short-change it, the 2007 vintage collection here is one of those few capable of standing direct comparison to its immediate successor – or indeed to nearly any other vintage from this address. Imported by Dreyfus Ashby, New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770; also a Peter Vezan Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011 33 1 42 55 42 93
David Schildknecht - The Wine Advocate, 28 June 2010