1998 Chambolle-Musigny Village

This estate did a drastic crop thinning in late July and early August, eliminating virtually half the fruit and ultimately reducing the vineyard yields to an average of 35 hectoliters per hectare. More important, the team was in a position to harvest during the good week of weather before it began raining again. Enologist Francois Millet was beginning to rack the wines for a second time in November, using a bicycle pump-a labor-intensive but relatively gentle way of carrying out this task. Millet describes the young '99s as exuberant, extroverted wines that nevertheless have depth and structure. "They've been approachable since the beginning and a pleasure to work with," he adds. "The fruit is like a coulis which gives a sweetness without heaviness. In comparison, the fruit in '98 is more crystallized, and even more vibrant." (Dreyfus-Ashby & Co., New York, NY; Ideal Wines, Medford, MA; Barrique Wines, Chicago, IL; Chambers & Chambers, San Francisco, CA; The Wine Company, Minneapolis, MN, Vintner Select, Cincinnati, OH)

Enologist Francois Millet was in the process of racking the '98s for the second time in November. The wines blossomed nicely during the summer, he explained, but then started to close up again in September and needed "a breath of air." In addition, he explained, the '98s may be fined prior to bottling, and it would be risky to fine the wines if they still retained a substantial portion of their lees. Yields in '98 were in the infinitesimal 15 to 18 hectoliters-per-hectare range due to frost and sunburn, according to Millet. The estate eliminated affected berries in both August and September-"otherwise we would have picked fruit afflicted with rot." Millet, who normally describes vintages eloquently in terms of the nature of their fruit, summarized the powerful '98s succinctly: "The strength of this vintage lies in its structure." (Dreyfus-Ashby & Co., New York, NY; Ideal Wines, Medford, MA; Barrique Wines, Chicago, IL; Chambers & Chambers, San Francisco, CA; The Wine Company, Minneapolis, MN, Vintner Select, Cincinnati, OH)