2000 Chambolle-Musigny Village

This estate was established in 1999 when the four estates owned by the huge negociant Jean-Claude Boisset were combined. The first order of business was the hiring of winemaker Pascal Marchand away from the Clos des Epeneaux. The Domaine de la Vougeraie comprises 37 hectares, 80% of which are planted to pinot noir. Under the direction of chef de culture Bernard Zito, the Domaine de la Vougeraie has been 100% biologique since 2000. The fruit gets a five- to ten-day cold soak in temperature-controlled stainless steel; following the fermentation the wine goes into barrels by gravity. Bottling, also by gravity, is generally done without fining or filtration. Although there is still considerable improvement to be done in the vines, the domain managed to hold yields to around 30 hectoliters per hectare in 2000, largely by vasivage or the removal of one of two shoots per bud. According to assistant winemaker Jacques Devauges, with whom I tasted in November, due to this method of sharply cutting back the vine production it was not even necessary to do a green harvest in 2001.