2013 Chambolle-Musigny Village

Domaine de la Vougeraie started picking chardonnay on September 26, then brought in its Pinot Noir between October 2 and 15, with potential alcohol levels in the 11.5% to 12% range. Winemaker Pierre Vincent, a very youthful-looking 40, gave the pinots a ten-day pre-fermentation cold soak but noted that he did not have to chill the grapes because the ambient temperatures were low in October. He avoided vinifying hail-affected Côte de Beaune vines with whole clusters but used between 30% and 80% of the stems for all of the Côte de Nuits wines as these vineyards achieved good maturity and were not damaged by hail. Vincent, who took over winemaking here from Pascal Marchand in 2006, has cut back somewhat on the percentage of new oak. Just a few years ago the grand crus here were aged in 80% to 100% new oak but in 2013 the maximum percentage was 60%, and Vincent may eventually go down to 33%. Vincent told me that the 2013s had gained in harmony since June, and that their evolution had slowed down since late summer. "They show a balance similar to the 2010s," he said.