Domaine Patrice Rion Chambolle-M Musigny and Nuits-S St-G Georges from 2009 “One of the Great Domaines of Burgundy� Clive Coates. The Domaine Michele and Patrice Rion was born in 2000 when Patrice decided to leave the family estate Domaine Daniel Rion. He took with him parcels of Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Charmes and Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Clos des Argillieres and built a cuveries and cellar on his own property. Since then the domaine has expanded with including the addition of the monopole Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Clos St Marc which had previously been bottled by Bouchard. Patrice farms organically and is trialling biodynamic viticulture. Patrice is convinced that great wine is created in the vineyard. Grapes are sorted on two tables de tri and are 100% destemmed. Temperatures are kept cool through the winemaking process to retain the aromatics. The Premier Crus typically see 50% new oak. I tasted the 2009 reds in February 2011 and was impressed by the purity and aroma. The Chambolles are everything the commune should be - delicate and perfumed with lovely flavours and fine finish. The Nuits are at the more elegant end but do not lack for power and terroir.
2009 Chambolle Musigny Usual Price $105.00 Pre-Arrival Price $90.00 Lovely elegant lifted nose of red fruits with a little vanillacreme. A delightful villages wine that will provide great early pleasure. Burghound: This is also wonderfully elegant, pure, airy and cool with red currant and wet stone aromas introducing light to barely medium weight flavors that possess really lovely delicacy that continues on the lacy, balanced and persistent finish. This is light and quite forward but the purity of expression is dazzling. 87-89 Drink: 2012+
2009 Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras Usual Price $115.00 Pre-Arrival Price $99.00 Rion owns 0.50 ha of the lieu-dit slightly south-west of Bonnes-Mares. More weight and depth than the regular cuvee but still with an outstanding Chambolle character of red fruits and violets on the nose. Tighter and more structured on the finish. Burghound: An exuberant and fresh nose of slightly riper red berries with hints of sour cherries merges into more obviously mineral-inflected barely middle weight flavors that possess the same extraordinary purity and detail on the firmer and drier finish. 87-90 Drink: 2014+
2009 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuees Usual Price $165.00 Pre-Arrival Price $145.00 One of my favourite Chambolle Premier Crus. It always seems fresh and lively with medium body but serious depth. Located immediately south of Bonnes-Mares. A little more closed and serious with the creamy red fruit typical of the commune. Beautifully poised. Burghound: Here the composition of the nose is similar but there is more restraint as well as a bit more freshness that carries over to the energetic and beautifully detailed middle weight flavors that are rich yet tight with a more overt minerality on the complex, refined and driving finish. This is calm and poised with a palpable sense of inner harmony. A SWEET SPOT WINE 90-92 Drink: 2016+
2009 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes Usual Price $165.00 Pre-Arrival Price $145.00 From a 0.46 ha holding planted in 1951. A little riper with a raspberry and cream chararcter from the old vines. Mouthfilling and quite juicy. Silky tannin finish, typical of these 2009 Chambolles. Burghound: A completely different nose is slightly riper and not quite as fresh though certainly very pretty with a mix of red berry, plum, anise and black tea that is followed by generous, round, rich and succulent flavors that are utterly delicious while culminating in a persistent and mouth coating finish. This should reward 5 to 7 years of cellar time. 89-92 Drink: 2015+
2009 Vougeot 1er Cru Les Cras Usual Price $129.00 Pre-Arrival Price $115.00 Les Cras is located across the road north of Clos Vougeot. I did not taste this wine during my visit but Burghound likes its awarding his SWEET SPOT designation to both the 2008 and 2009.
Burghound: mix of upper and lower register earth-inflected red and blue pinot fruit aromas complements the equally earthy, round and quite generous medium-bodied flavors that possess good mid-palate density and fine complexity on the long and relatively fine finish. A Vougeot of relative finesse. A SWEET SPOT WINE 89-92 Drink: 2015+
2009 Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Clos des Argillieres Usual Price $145.00 Pre-Arrival Price $129.00 A 1.8 ha site planted in 1939 and 1955 located on the slope in Premeaux just above the winery. This 1er Cru is characterized by finesse, elegance and powerful tannins, and is easily recognizable by its fruity nose of black cherries and blackberries. Round, supple and with a long finish, the ripe tannins and depth of fruit produce a wine capable of drinking young, yet which will improve with cellaring. More blackberry and dark cherry than raspberry. Again an elegant style (somewhat Vosne-Romanee like), particularly for NSG. Finishes with chewy but fine tannins. Burghound: A similar but more complex nose that displays more in the way of floral nuances that precede suave middle weight flavors that also possess relatively sophisticated tannins even though they're more prominent on the mouth coating finish. 89-91 Drink: 2016+
2009 Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Clos St Marc Monopole Usual Price $165.00 Pre-Arrival Price $145.00 A 0.93 ha monopole purchased by the Rions in 2003. This was formerly farmed by Bouchard Pere et Fils and Patrice has spent much time on the vineyard which had been subject to excessive use of weed killers and anti-rot spray. Clos St Marc is almost entirely surrounded by the Clos de Argillieres but is quite different in style. A bigger richer wine with serious concentration finishing with a firm, yet fine and powerful finish. Patrice is proud of how this appellation has improved each year. Burghound: A ripe plum and black cherry nose trimmed in warm earth notes leads to very rich, full and naturally sweet flavors that possess excellent concentration and plenty of mouth coating sap on the velvety finish. There is good power and discreet minerality and this should reward 6 to 8 years or so of cellar time. 89-91 Drink: 2016+
Mixed 7-Bottle Tasting Pack Usual Price $989.00 Pre-Arrival Price $865.00 One bottle of each of the wines on this offer.
Grand Millesime Pty Ltd 6/40 Batman Street West Melbourne Vic 3003 Callers by appointment. Phone: (03) 9326 5737 Fax: (03) 9326 6744 www.grandmillesime.com.au darren@grandmillesime.com.au