Today’s Story: Domaine G. Roumier
I previously wrote about Domaine G. Roumier when I reviewed a much younger 2014 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos de la Bussière back in November, 2019.
Domaine Georges Roumier originated in 1924, however most of their production at that time sold to wine merchants. This changed though, in 1945, when Georges Roumier started bottling wine at the domaine. I’m thankful Roumier made this change, as I’m sure many throughout the wine world are, because the reputation of this domaine has soared higher and Roumier sits as one of the upper-echelon producers in Chambolle-Musigny, Morey-Saint-Denis, and Corton-Charlemagne.
Christophe Roumier and his father Jean-Marie became partners in 1981 to manage the domaine, which as it currently stands covers 11.52 hectares in some of Burgundy’s premier appellations. Christophe has been instrumental in the continued rise of Roumier’s wines, immeasurably due to his very strict and dedicated care for the vines and winemaking process. Christophe produces 11 different bottlings ranging from the village level to Grand Cru, each wine made with this same rigor to produce high-quality, luxurious, profound, and always delicious wines.
All of Roumier’s fruit is hand-harvested and sorted, the village wines are typically made with destemmed fruit (the rest of the wines vary), punchdowns occur during fermentation, all yeasts are natural, and minimal new oak is used for aging (Christophe says he never goes above 30%). I’d love to dive deeper into the farming and winemaking practices, but I believe this Decanter article does an incredible job and suggest you read it if you’re interested in learning more.
Today’s Wine: 1995 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos de la Bussière
100% Pinot Noir; 13% ABV
The 1995 Clos de la Bussière is transparent pale to medium garnet in color with slight bricking around the edges of the glass. This took about 45 minutes to blossom, and I decanted it to remove some sediment and cork that broke off in the bottle. The beautifully tertiary and well-integrated nose showcases aromas of black raspberry, black cherry, rose petal, dried red licorice, forest floor, mild green herbs, and prominent black truffle. Meanwhile on the palate, I get notes of black cherry, dried cranberry, underbrush, black truffle, sous bois, wet gravel, and pepper. This is light-bodied with still lively medium (+) acidity, medium (-) tannins, and a long finish. Absolutely gorgeous aged Burgundy that is perfectly balanced and perfectly aged, with the structure still a tour de force.
Price: $700 (I paid $315). I never turn down an opportunity to taste Roumier, particularly one with this much age and especially the provenance of having one owner before me. If you don’t like old wines that are dominated by forest floor and truffle, this certainly wouldn’t be for you. But for me, it’s well worth the $315 paid.
JB's Wine Talk 