The wine wasn't Chambolle, it was Arnoux

WINE TALK
1

On our recent trip to Burgundy, Emma and I had a nice dinner in our hotel, and the host was kind enough to dig through his cellar to provide us a 2002 Arnoux Chambolle-Musigny.

Dark red color, dark cherry nose. very concentrated, rich, dark fruited, ripe, oak, medium finish. Double checked the bottle. “This is Chambolle? Really?” I never would I have guessed it, maybe a good Nuits village or 1er cru?

I was quite excited to try this wine. I love Chambolle. I love 2002. And this was our first Arnoux. What could be more fun? Alas the combination of the three left me disappointed. This was certainly a perfectly good Pinot, but nothing like what I’d have expected. Just too concentrated and dark to guess as Chambolle.

I chatted about the experience with the host at another restaurant, who just laughed. “That wine was not Chambolle, it was Arnoux.” I suggested maybe I should try his Suchots to get a better handle on Arnoux, and he exclaimed, “That wouldn’t be Suchots, it would be Arnoux.” Clearly he had strong feelings about the hand of the vigneron in burgundy, and doesn’t want to see it. His favorite domaine? Mugnier… of course.

Posted from CellarTracker

I’d be interested in others’ thoughts on this. Do you agree with this characterization of Arnoux? What domaines taste more of the winemaking than the terroir? Which domaines give the most pure terroir expression? Or am I looking at this all wrong? TIA

2

Don’t know Arnoux now. But, I do think Chambolle has, surprisingly, perhaps the largest range of styles of any village in the Cote. Les Cras from Patrice Rion or Roumier can be very very different from their Amoureuses…and things in between, too, like your 1996 Mugneret Feusselottes on your list. And, winemakers not based in Chambolle who make Chambolle do tend to make wines more in the style of where they are, IMO. Even that Mugneret is, IMO, an unusual Chambolle over the years.

Lots of domaines taste more of the winemaking than the terroir, IMO. Some of them are considered great, too…e.g, Rousseau’s Clos de la Roche is unlike any other version of that that I know; Rouget’s lineup has an imposing (though pleasing) signature…and Coche’s Meursaults and other wines…are indisputably Coche first. There are lots of others’, too…

3

But does Mugnier Nuits-Clos de la Marechale taste like Nuits-Clos de la Marechale, or like Mugnier?

4

I haven’t had any Arnoux since a few '98s and '99s on release but this sounds much like the 2 or 3 bottles I had then. Which were the reason I never bought any. But I can’t say if they’ve changed since then.

5

Keith, I’m not sure, and funnily enough I asked him the same question. He looked at me and said, “Clos de la Marechale is six kilometers from most of the rest of Nuits, you think it should taste the same?” I knew I wouldn’t win debating this guy. I didn’t even bother bringing up Faiveley’s style. [cheers.gif]

6

Philippe Engel did an experiment once, where he exchanged some cuvee in a vintage with someone in Gevrey…and vice versa…to see what would happen…along the lines of a wine often tastes a lot like the cellar it’s made in. People said that was the effect, as did Philippe. Hardly scientific, but interesting…

7

It tastes like Mugnier-and thus, in most of our minds like Chambolle, though very little Chambolle tastes like Mugnier.

8

I don’t think Arnoux has a reputation for making excellent Chambolle village. I’ve had it and enjoyed it, but it’s not on the order of Mugnier, Roumier, Barthod, etc.

Arnoux’s Clos Vougeot, Echezeaux and Suchots are, however, excellent. Never had the RSV (that i can recall) but based on the Suchots, it too should be excellent.

On the village end of the spectrum, I also like the Vosne Haute Maizieres.