2009 Chambolle Musigny Les Sentiers

The 2009 Chambolle-Musigny Sentiers needs a little time in the glass to find its focus, but when it does the aromas and flavors radiate nicely in this pretty, beautiful wine. This is one of the more restrained wines in this lineup, with silky minerality supporting layers of bright, high-toned fruit. I very much like the sense of harmony here. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. My tasting with Frederic Magnien spanned several dozen offerings. Magnien bottles two lines; the Domaine Michel Magnien range is made from estate-owned vineyards, while the Maison Frederic Magnien wines are made exclusively from purchased grapes and/or vineyards the Maison farms through long-term contracts. If that sounds confusing, welcome to Burgundy! In layman's terms the Domaine bottlings carry a black label, while the Maison wines carry a white label. Both sets of wines are vinified at Magnien's new facility in Morey St. Denis. In reality, though, each range has its own winery within the same building, which leads to some fascinating differences in the wines, which I explain below. The Domaine Michel Magnien wines are rich, sumptuous Burgundies. The fruit is 100% destemmed. In 2009 Magnien used 30% new oak for the villages, 50% for the 1ers and 100% for the grand crus. The wines spent about nine months in oak. After the malos, the wines were racked into older, neutral oak where they finished their elevage. I find the house style a big factor in these 2009s, in fact there are fewer differences from wine to wine as one might reasonably expect in such a broad selection of appellations. My sense is that the 2009s here are destined for early drinking. Since 2008 the Domaine Michel Magnien vineyards have begun the process towards conversion to biodynamic farming. All of the 2009s were bottled in February 2011. Importers: North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 336-9880

Good deep red. Complex nose melds black cherry, crushed rock, mocha, pepper and spices, along with a medicinal menthol element. Quite tight, dry and uncompromising, but also fresh and pure. Imploded fruit flavors are powered by a stony, minerally spine.