Medium, medium-plus colour, yet relatively deep for a villages Chambolle. Soft, but well-defined red fruit over a denser base – there’s a faint caramel edge that disappears as the wine warms in glass, some focus is also lost. Interesting; there’s a dense, concentrated, rather extracted core to the wine which has the merest trace of bitterness that makes the acidity seem a little bright – yet is mineral too. There is good texture from very faintly astringent but finely grained tannin. Relatively long finishing with an extra depth an dimension that normally indicates 1er cru juice. It’s not yet perfectly balanced, but it has plenty of character – keep it cool and it’s a winner!
Clerget Christian
2006 Clerget Christian Chambolle-Musigny
Medium, medium-plus colour, yet relatively deep for a villages Chambolle. Soft, but well-defined red fruit over a denser base – there’s a faint caramel edge that disappears as the wine warms in glass, some focus is also lost. Interesting; there’s a dense, concentrated, rather extracted core to the wine which has the merest trace of bitterness that makes the acidity seem a little bright – yet is mineral too. There is good texture from very faintly astringent but finely grained tannin. Relatively long finishing with an extra depth an dimension that normally indicates 1er cru juice. It’s not yet perfectly balanced, but it has plenty of character – keep it cool and it’s a winner!
2007 Clerget Christian Echézeaux
2007 Clerget Christian Vosne-Romanée Les Violettes
1999 Clerget Christian Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes
(From magnum) Medium-plus ruby-red colour. The nose starts very-much in a coffee/mocha vein, but bit-by-bit plums ever-more depth. Time takes the nose into a lovely core of tight, focused red fruit that eventually widens to give a redcurrant aspect – always my favourite. This has depth, intensity and an obvious extra level of tannin vs the older wines. A lovely wine.
1999 Clerget Christian Chambolle-Musigny
I gave this plenty of time – seemed corky to start, but it could have been bottle stink. I decanted and then vacuvined overnight, behind there was lovely black fruit… Next morning, most but not all of the smell was gone, also there was now a trace of oxidation – too much aeration the night before! Even without the taint I would have called wine faulty because it was still undrinkable 3 hours after opening due to an excess of sulfur.
1998 Clerget Christian Chambolle-Musigny
Medium-plus ruby-red with no obvious fading. The nose has dried cranberry/cherry/raisin – very like many 1993’s – and very nice. The palate shows denser fruit than I expected though the acidity carries it off successfully. The tannin is less astringent than many, giving overall a plush, soft texture. About 1 glass was left in the vacuvinned bottle and on day two the nose was diffuse and the palate dense and less obviously balanced. Day 1 showing is a winner – day 2 not.
1997 Clerget Christian Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes
Medium-plus ruby red still with a cherry rim. The nose soars with red fruits – cherry and raspberry and redcurrants hint of cream. A fat, concentrated fruity palate with extra creamy length another wine with apparently hidden tannins – unless you look for them – good acidity too. Excellent, a long life ahead.
1999 Clerget Christian Chambolle-Musigny
Quite deep cherry colour. Nose is round and very red fruity, cherries and strawberry. Beautiful fruit on the palate, it really jumps out of the glass, red cherry is again the dominant fruit. The acidity is high and just about in control. Plenty of furry tannin which ends somewhat bitter in the finish. Given some aeration and an hour or so and there seems to be much better balance, still a little bitterness but much more subdued. Give this 5+ years and I’m sure it will be very lovely.