2001 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue, Musigny Grand Cru, Cuvee Vieilles Vignes

I have tasted this many times since I originally reviewed it and the '01 Musigny has displayed quite a bit of bottle variation with some examples being fantastic and others being almost difficult to like. There is some secondary development now evident on the very spicy nose that also displays notes of sandalwood, soy, dried flowers and dried herbs on the mostly red berry fruit nose. There is fine detail and ample minerality present on the intense, powerful and focused medium-bodied flavors that exhibit impeccably good balance on the explosively long finish. For my taste this is getting close to its peak but it's not quite there yet so I would suggest holding for another 2 to 4 years first. On the less impressive side, some bottles are drying out or have displayed lactic and/or cheese-like, menthol and rubber-like aromas that I have also found on a recent bottle of the Les Amoureuses (see herein).

– Burghound.com. Tasted: July 2015

Sumptuous aromas of violets, blackberries, and bilberries explode from the medium to dark ruby-colored 2001 Musigny. A wine of amazing purity and elegance, it reverberates on the palate revealing broad layers of floral dark fruit flavors. Lush yet superbly delineated, this medium-bodied effort is expressive, complex, and dignified. Its prolonged, succulent finish exhibits waves of raspberry fruit and loads of ripe, supple tannin. One of the stars of the vintage, it will be at its peak of maturity between 2006 and 2015. According to Francois Millet, this famed estate’s highly talented winemaker, 2001 was a vintage that wished to produce high yields. “We dropped half the fruit before veraison (when the grapes change color), yet harvested 35 hectoliters per hectare, a high yield for this domaine.” Burgundy’s resident poet, Millet stated that “2001's fruit is its sensuality, the acidity is its conscience and soul.” While my pragmatic mind is incapable of understanding the meaning of his words, it is clear that Millet fashioned some of the finest red Burgundies produced in 2001. Importers: A David Schildknecht Selection, Vintner Select, Cincinnati, OH; tel. 513-229-3630; Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700; Chambers & Chambers, Inc., San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 642-5500; Dreyfus Ashby, New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770; Ideal Wines, Medford, MA; tel. 781-395-3300; and a Becky Wasserman Selection / Le Serbet; French Fax: 011-33-3-80-24-29-70, various American importers

(racked just hours before my visit) Deep red. Deep, vinous aromas of currant and minerals; a bit blocked by the addition of SO2 Very sweet and wonderfully full, with a raspberry flavor dominating. The substantial but very fine tannins and sound acids give this young Musigny excellent structure for aging. My score may prove to be conservative as this was an awkward moment to taste this cuvee