Les Cras Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Pinot Noir

Stunning. Paired with truffle roasted chicken

Way more open and giving than could be expected. Incredible depth of aromatics and pure silk on the palate. Les Cras is always one of my favorite wines. No decant.

Drinking the tail end of another dinner here. Almost two decades old and a day opened, yet still so youthful and powerful. Soared in the glass with aromas of black fruits, violets, and forest floor, along with some nuanced meaty and chalky notes. Powerful palate with massive fruit saturation and sultry texture, yet still manages to retain great energy courtesy of an underlying mineral spine and fresh acidity. Honestly really alluring at this stage, but it still promises so much more with time. It just had this sense of coiled energy despite its many harmonious elements. What a wine!

Initially a bit reticent but after enough air 2014 comes around to show how special the Les Cras site is. It wafts from the glass with gorgeous floral and juicy dark fruit aromatics. The palate is straight up silk with an incredible purity to its fruit expression and underlying mineral backbone. It coats the palate with killer volume and fine grained tannins and gives way to its stunningly long saline and spice inflicted finish.

Red and black cherries welcome you along with some forest floor. This is a big boy that gets you in a bear hug and growls . Despite lots of energy, density and power there is balance. A wine that is flirting with you. The ingredients are there , how long it will take to shed its rambunctiousness , I do not know

Of course this is young and primary but 2015 is just so juicy and giving and offered plenty to justify an early pop, especially from a list at a good price. Previous Roumier experiences with surrounding vintages like 12, 13, 14 and 16 across the line always seem to be shut down and just simply not ready to drink. But 2015 Les Cras wafts from the glass with gorgeous floral and juicy dark fruit aromatics. The palate is pure silk with an incredible purity and focus to its ripe fruit expression and underlying mineral backbone. It saturates and wraps around the palate with stunning length, fine grained tannins and vibrant lift. Lovely at this stage, but in 10 years it’ll be a true stunner.

The 2017 Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras 1er Cru has a well-defined bouquet of morello cherry, wild strawberry and just a touch of graphite. This is strict and backward, yet very focused, and the oak is nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied, taut and fresh, displaying fine tannins, superb mineralité and beautifully integrated oak, and delivering good body and persistence on the finish. An excellent Chambolle-Musigny with real pedigree. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2017 tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, January 2022)

The 2016 Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras 1er Cru has a much more meaty and tertiary bouquet than its peers from possibly a small addition of whole bunch, the oak influence just a little more conspicuous than I would have liked. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy, angular tannin, blacker fruit emerging towards the finish with a slightly brittleness to the texture. This needs another couple of years to coalesce. Tasted blind at the 2016 Burgfest tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, October 2019)

Tad tightly wound at opening but blossomed in 1-2 hours of drinking. Elegant, silky pillowy mouth feel and lush but focused red fruit to black fruit as it dropped front to back...balanced and soft but sturdy tannins. A true 1er Roumier!

Young and sappy. Already expressive, but still needs so much time. Loved it nonetheless. 9.0 now but will be even better with time.