1997 Musigny Grand Cru

Christophe Roumier has been on a roll in recent vintages, far outperforming the Burgundy average in every vintage since 1992. Roumier began harvesting on the 23rd in 1998, picking his crus in three intense days of good weather, with ripe skins and good ripe fruit flavors. Fruit picked later, after another round of rain, had to be strictly sorted due to rapidly spreading rot. All of the '98 fruit was destemmed. The estate-wide yield was just 24 hectoliters per hectare, according to Roumier-or about half as high as that of 1999. Potential alcohols in '98 were in the healthy 12.0%-12.8% range, said Roumier, pHs were about average, and total acidity was on the low side, as in '97. But less acidification was needed for the '98s than in the previous year. Roumier planned to begin bottling in January. In recent years, Roumier has maintained the temperature of fermentation at around 32oC rather than bringing it down to 28o. The higher temperature, he explains, helps to polymerize the tannins and avoid any bitterness in the finished wines.

Christophe Roumier describes both '96 and '95 as vintages high in acidity. "The '96s are richer in fruit, tactile and minerally," he explains, "more like the classic model of Burgundy. But if you fear acidity, you won't like the '96 vintage." Nineteen ninety five, in comparison, is "more aromatically complex and baroque, similar to 1978." Roumier rates the two vintages as roughly equal. Nineteen ninety seven, which featured grape sugars as high as 13.9% at this estate, produced wines with ripe, soft tannins and low acidity; no chaptalization was necessary but some cuvees were acidified. Estate wide yields averaged just 32 hectoliters per hectare. In structure, '97 resembles '85, says Roumier, who noted that the '85s may have been bottled a bit late. At the time of my early November visit, Roumier expected to bottle his '97s by the end of December, the earliest ever at this estate. These wines do not offer the sappy, urgent quality or the razor sharp flavor definition of the two earlier vintages here, but then few Burgundies do.