A Pinot Noir Celebration

I recently completed the WSG Bourgogne Master-Level course and to celebrate the achievement, treated myself to an eye-wateringly expensive bottle of Pinot Noir from one of my favourite appellations – Chambolle-Musigny. 

These wines are so expensive that drinking them is usually just pure fantasy.  As it was, I had to tailor my purchase to suit my budget: no grand cru and my two most preferred premier cru lieux-dits – Les Amoureuses and Les Charmes - were also beyond my price range.  I eventually settled on purchasing a premier cru from the La Combe d’Orveau.  Wine nerd fact: La Combe d’Orveau is the only lieu-dit in Bourgogne that produces wines at all four levels: Grand Cru, Premier Cru, Village and Regional.

Domaine Taupenot-Merme Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru La Combe d’Orveau 2022

The first sniff of this wine gave me a savoury hit – think garrigue/dried herbs from Provence and fresh autumn leaves.  Then the fruit unfurled.  Aromas of cherry – black and red – as well as raspberry and cranberry came through.

The palate was even more complex.  The aromatic notes carried through and further flavours of violet, mushroom and sour cherry appeared, supported by a mineral, honed granite backbone.  Despite the concentrated flavours, the mouthfeel was lacy and ethereal with the flavours rising in the mouth.  The length was unbelievably long and I was able to taste fresh sour cherry for over two minutes after a sip of the wine.

What a multi-layered, complex, well balanced and beautifully structured wine!

This is a great wine to drink on its own.  If you want to have food with it, pasta in a truffle sauce would pair brilliantly, as would mushroom, duck, roast lamb, and roasted root vegetables dishes.

 Rating: Outstanding       Price: AUD 541

I drank this wine with two good (and very appreciative) friends.  One of them, who is not a red wine drinker and said that she only wanted one very small glass, very quickly changed her mind

Was the wine worth the expense?  Oh yes!