The Obscure
Maison Camille Giroud, Chambertin
A cult following has gathered around some of Giroud’s older wines, with a bottle like the 1949 Musigny now trading for $2,000 at auction. And the 2001 Chambertin is destined to become one of the best Giroud wines ever. The sheer size of the wine is unusual in the context of the vintage—especially as it lacks all sense of clumsiness. Enormous structure backs this powerful and fruit-driven wine. Both fruit and spine hit the palate with force, yet against this deluge of flavor, one experiences the sophisticated footwork of a staggering complexity—unusual for a wine so young. A few sips left overnight in the bottle tasted as if the cork had just been pulled; apparently this wine has the potential to age effortlessly for half a century. The only negative to this wine: The vintner produced only a single cask.

The Blue Chip
Domaine Armand Rousseau, Chambertin, Clos de Beze
The two best vineyards of Rousseau are as blue-blood as they come: This is one of the few estates to be mentioned by name in the 1930s catalogs of Nicolas, the most respected French wine merchant of that era. The complexity of the Chambertin may win the hearts of some, but the structure and completeness of the Clos de Beze stole mine. A wonderful sap essence and intense mid-palate grip with firm but ripe tannins follows dark, refined, spicy aromatics and gorgeous fruit. The finish has great length. This is a classic wine from a classic estate that seems to perform even better in slightly quirky vintages, such 1991, 1993, 1995 and 1998.

The Refined
Domaine J.F. Mugnier, Musigny
Having a ripe and multifaceted nose with violets, a whiff of oak and a pungent freshness, this wine just falls in the mouth with a captivating completeness. Mugnier’s wines are never heavyweights, but rather wines of precision, detail and complexity. Backed by powerful yet thoroughly ripe tannins, the wine opens beautifully to reveal a very subtle, very long and very fine finish. The wines of Mugnier are built for the long haul; less than an ounce left overnight in an unrefrigerated bottle opened up beautifully and showed no oxidation, a great indication of the wine’s ability to age well. Mugnier’s Musigny is still priced at a little over half of De Vogue’s and at a fraction of Leroy’s and Roumier’s. This makes it currently one of the greatest bargains for what is surely one of the three best vineyards in all of Burgundy.
 
The No-Brainer
Domaine Comte de Vogue, Musigny
Despite stumbles in the 1970s and 1980s, this may be the most foolproof investment in Burgundy. The great vintages from the 1940s have been trading at auction for $1,500 to $3,000 a bottle. In cask, this looked to be one of the wines of the vintage. The aromatic complexity, the beauty and detail of the fruit is breathtaking. The signature acidity of the vintage highlights an irresistible, very lush, opulent texture. The refined yet authoritative tannic backbone of the vineyard supports the wealth of fruit present. This wine is less chiseled than the Mugnier, but certainly more lush, and both are textbook examples of Musigny. Bach and Beethoven come to mind.

The Last of Its Breed
Maison Bouchard Pere et Fils, La Romanée
A collector’s dream, given that this is the last vintage to have been made by Regis Forey before the vineyard was taken back by the young and talented Louis-Michel Liger-Belair. Their striking differences in respective styles definitely make this bottling the last of its breed. Liger-Belair will, without a doubt, propel this vineyard back to superstardom with his more forward style. Layers of gentle oak smoothly blend flowers and spice. The wine is focused, tight and sleek with the signature austerity of the Forey touch. The length is extraordinary, as though the winemaker was tracing the lines of a gorgeous boat for his au revoir.

The Overachiever
Domaine Rene Engel, Grands-Echezeaux
Philippe Engel’s structural blockbuster gets the prize for sheer density. The muscular tannins and excellent acidity combine to create a ferrous mid-palate, almost like a mouthful of iron, yet the structure is smothered with lush, generous and already unabashedly flamboyant ripe fruit. This wine will age for a very long time—a feat that Engel’s wines seem to pull off effortlessly.

The Newcomer
Domaine de la Vougeraie, Clos de Vougeot
This is only the third vintage for Vougeraie, but the estate is already one of the best in Burgundy. Winemaker Pascal Marchand puts such meticulous care into the process that one need not be concerned if it beats you up a little in its youth; after all, so does Chateau Latour. The 2001 Clos de Vougeot has a closed nose with an interplay of smoked meats, iron, cloves and roses. The attack is most seductive, sweet and silky. The wine then tightens like a vise with tremendously powerful tannins of brilliant quality. This huge vineyard does not always deliver grand cru caliber; still, this example leaves no doubt as to Clos de Vougeot’s aristocratic status.

The Synergist
Domaine Jean Grivot, Richebourg
Every year in Burgundy, a couple of vineyards seem to find the perfect harmony between the character of the vintage and the character of the specific vineyard. This time around, Etienne Grivot has produced a 2001 that adds detail and precision to Richebourg, while Richebourg adds power and chewiness to the vintage. Stately and plush texture with absolutely stunning depth and sap on the mid-palate, this example is very, very intense, very focused and remarkably balanced, backed by firm but good tannins. The length goes on and on. It is truly great and classic.

 Back to main article: Burgundy 2001: A Year Overlooked

Wine for photograph courtesy of Frederick Wildman Imports