2002 Chambolle-Musigny Derrière La Grange 1er Cru

Christian Amiot made half a normal crop in 2003 and harvested on the late side, beginning on August 30.He did not acidify and carried out shorter cuvaisons, with much less pigeage than normal, describing the musts as "easy to extract." In 2002, in contrast, he did a longer cold maceration than usual (up to eight days), as the ambient temperatures were cool, the grapes were clean, and the yeasts were not yet eager to work.Amiot had racked his 2003s, protected from air, before the 2004 harvest.

Sugars were in the high 12.3% to 12.8% range in 2002, noted Christian Amiot, compared to around 12% the previous year.But the grapes also retained very good acidity, added Amiot, who vinified with about 20% whole clusters for the first time because the fruit was so ripe and clean.The vinifications took a good ten days to start and then went slowly, he told me, because the yeasts in 2002 did not work well.Amiot reports that yields were roughly similar in 2002, 2001 and 2000 (about 40 hectoliters per hectare in his crus, but a bit higher in the Charmes), and that he has done substantial green harvesting in most of his parcels in recent years.Amiot is happy with the way the 2001s are evolving.The strong malic acidity at the outset dried the tannins and made the wines hard to taste, he noted, but today the wines are silkier.(Louis/Dressner Selections, New York NY