Chambolle-Musigny 2024: Our expert’s picks from a tiny offering

Manager Jean Lupatelli explains that Bonne-Mares was less affected by the weather in 2024 than Musigny; his results attest to the potential of the wines produced here. The fruit aromas are rich and spicy, with a mulberry scent and a hint of earth and iron. The texture is powerful and structured, but the wine remains approachable. This will open in three to five years and should drink well for decades.

De Vogüé’s Amoureuses is particularly good in 2024, even though it isn’t a ‘typical’ Amoureuses. It isn’t the rich, velvety wine that might come to mind, but it has a forward plummy fruit, lively freshness and a hint of saline minerality that make it delicious just the same. There are only 0.25ha in production due to aggressive replanting; the domaine produced only two barrels in 2024 because of the weather. The quality of the wine, however, makes it worth seeking out.

There is a savoury, almost gamey edge to Amiot-Servelle's Derrière La Grange this year, with ripe mulberry fruit and hints of earth and spice. The texture is silky and supple, but there is enough grip and power here that the wine lingers effortlessly on the palate. This is on another level. It will open in three to five years and drink for at least 20 beyond that – delicious wine.

This Chambolle premier cru – from declassified, young-vine Musigny – has ripe, forward aromas of cherry and blackberry fruit with nuances of minerals and earth. The texture is velvety and less tannic than the Bonnes-Mares, the fresh acidity balancing the extract to perfection. The only fault is that there isn’t enough to go around, now that the fruit from many of the now-mature vines has been returned to the Musigny Vieilles Vignes bottling.

The Dujac Bonnes-Mares is at the top of the pyramid in 2024, with a dark colour presaging an impressive concentration of raspberry fruit with notes of earth and liquorice that jump from the glass. The texture is elegant and supple, yet a firm tannic line pulls the wine to a rewarding finish; this manages finesse and density simultaneously. The grapes are from two parcels totalling 0.58ha: one on terres blanches, one on terres rouges. The grapes were mostly fermented as whole bunches in 2024.

A wine that delights with its ripe pomegranate and blackberry fruit aromas with an edge of earth, spice and bramble. The structure is more substantial, tannic and structured than the Clos de la Bussière, but the aromas are less forward and the wine is a bit more discreet. The grapes are from the large 1.75ha holding near Les Fuées; they were largely fermented as whole bunches in 2024 for logistical reasons. This will be ready to drink shortly after release and will show well for years to come.

Les Cras is the largest holding of the Barthod premiers crus and arguably the most compelling. The 2024 is slightly restrained initially, but over time, bright pomegranate and cherry fruit, accented by a distinctive edge of savoury notes and a salty minerality, develop on the palate. The texture is firm and dense but not astringent. The grapes are from 0.9ha in the white marl soils that are essentially a continuation of Bonnes-Mares, fairly high on the slope.

The nose is more black fruit than red, with aromas of plum, blackberry and hints of earth and ground coffee. The texture is tannic and firm, but not astringent, and there is a lovely balance and elegance that stretches into the lingering finish. This is particularly pleasant. The domaine has 0.15ha here, down-slope from Bonnes-Mares, on the northern part of the village.

The Les Borniques from Amiot-Servelle has more structure than many in this cellar. It is a really lovely wine, with a perfumed pomegranate and raspberry fruit, plus an edge of floral and spice. Although the domaine produced all the appellations in which it owns grapes in 2024, many, such as the Borniques, made only one barrel. This one was 265 litres, but due to repairs it was mostly new. The grapes were largely destemmed, with only 5%-10% whole bunches.

Lovely, elegant, forward and ripe, with a silky blackberry fruit aroma touched with spice. The texture is velvety and smooth; there is enough substance and structure to reassure one of its grand cru stature, but it is soft enough to be distinctly un-Bonnes-Mares-ish. The grapes are from a 0.2ha parcel that stretches the length of the vineyard. Despite the slightly atypical style, this is a decidedly delicious wine.

The village-level Chambolle Véroilles produced from Clair’s vines at the top of the slope have a lovely, forward red berry fruit aroma with a floral edge. The fruit carries through on the palate with an almost palpable sweetness. The texture is elegant and fine, vibrating with freshness. This does not have the concentration of a sunny ‘global warming’ vintage, but it makes up for this in finesse.

Surprisingly dark in colour, with a pronounced aroma of black plum and currant; it's a sturdy wine for the vintage. The texture shows greater density than one might expect, and the extract is deftly balanced by fresh acidity, drawing the wine to a long finish. The grapes are from a parcel of 0.69ha just east of the village in the alluvial soils at the mouth of the combe; one third were fermented as whole bunches prior to ageing in barrel, 30% new.

This release from de Vogüé would be delicious in any vintage, in 2024 it is astounding. There is impressive concentration to the ripe cherry and plum fruit aromas with an edge of peony and pepper. The texture is tannic and firm – the solid nature of the wine in such an aqueous vintage is remarkable. One imagines it is down to the effect of low yields, as well as to the inclusion of 15%-20% grapes from the premiers crus of Baudes and Fuées.

Attractive, high-toned fruit aromas of cherry and mulberry, alongside hints of rose petals and spice. The texture is lighter than in recent years, with fresh acidity and a slightly rustic note that is still very pleasant. The grapes are from three parcels purchased from the heirs of Pierre Ponnelle, spread across both terres blanches and terres rouges to give the wine a balanced expression. A pleasant but not compelling wine.

Thoroughly charming and up to its reliable standard as one of the best value wines of the domaine, with a dark colour and a forward, high-toned pomegranate fruit with floral accents. The delicate balance of fresh acidity with the weight of the fruit makes this an elegant expression of the village. This year, it is mostly from Drazey at the base of the slope, with an assist from the vines in the mid-slope Argillières.

Particularly good in 2024, with sweet mulberry fruit and hints of flowers, smoke and spice. The fruit continues on the palate, with a lovely sweetness and density that is decidedly a step up from the Bourgogne. The silky tannins and fresh acidity give the old-vine fruit rewarding persistence on the palate. This will be accessible soon after release, but it has the substance to age.

Still slightly closed on the initial attack, although a ripe, perfumed note of pleasant blackberry fruit with a slightly herbal edge begins to develop on the palate, where the fresh acidity sustains the wine through the finish. The grapes are from 0.46ha of old vines in the rich soil of this premier cru located on the alluvial fan just east of the village.

Ghislaine Barthod’s village Chambolle, now produced by her son Clément Boillot, is a compelling version of this village in 2024, with bright raspberry fruit that exhibits a seductively savoury, almost gamey edge and hints of salty minerality. The grapes are from nine different lieux-dits, including the village portion of Véroilles. The grapes are destemmed and given a cold soak prior to a gentle extraction and ageing in barrel, with no new barrels used in 2024.

Slightly closed initially but massively structured, this opens with time, showing ripe blackberry fruit and an edge of exotic spice. The texture has greater density and tannin, reflecting the soil's important clay component. The 0.22ha domaine parcel of mature vines has delivered a wine that will open with three to five years in bottle and should drink for 20 years.

Winemaker Clément Boillot positions Beaux Bruns at the border between the southern part of the village, such as Charmes and Amoureuses, and the northern part, where there is more clay and a more powerful style. His interpretation in 2024 is an interesting mix, with a ripe, plummy fruit accented with hints of peony and spice. The domaine owns 0.7ha here; the grapes are destemmed before fermentation with native yeasts, then aged in neutral barrels.

The quarter-hectare of vines in premier cru Chatelots sit in front of the domaine, just north of Feusselottes. The rich, alluvial terroir here gives the wine a ripe, plummy fruit and a dense, compact structure; there is also a winning note of flinty minerality on the lingering finish. This should open in three years and drink for 15 years beyond that.

Bright cherry fruit aromas with distinctive spicy notes of anise and liquorice on the initial attack. The texture has a lovely density and velvety smooth tannins balanced by crisp acidity. The grapes are from a 0.19ha parcel located just north of the village, between Ghislaine Barthod's holdings in Chatelots and Noirots.

A bit of a puzzle: it has a high-toned aroma of red fruits such as pomegranate and raspberry, a texture that is ethereally light, yet there is also significant tannic grip. The vines are located down-slope from Bonnes-Mares on the border with Morey; the domaine owns a tiny parcel of 0.08ha, so small it was blended into the village Chambolle until 2017.

With its forward, perfumed cherry fruit and hints of violets and earth, the premier cru Véroilles is an essential component of the Ghislaine Barthod portfolio. The texture is lush and dense but balanced by very fine acidity. There is only one part of Véroilles that is classed as premier cru – totalling 0.35ha – and it is a monopole of the domaine. The climat is at the top of the slope, above Bonnes-Mares; it does not share the same terres blanches soil but instead is rocky limestone. Although it is not as firmly tannic as Bonnes-Mares, it is substantial all the same.

A success in spite of itself, the vines being particularly hard-hit by the weather, producing only five barrels, not the 25 made in a normal year – 27 in 2023. Still, there is a deep colour and a lively cherry fruit character with a floral note. The texture on the palate has a fine balance between medium body and lively acidity, making this a really lovely wine, in any vintage. The grapes are mostly from two parcels: one in the village-level Combe d’Orveau, and the other is premier cru Les Plants, which is declassified.

Another glowing success, with black plum and mulberry fruit, along with a suggestion of mint and anise. The texture is more substantial than the village wine, but not as rich as Mugnier's Amoureuses, with medium body, impressive density and velvety tannins. Already racked and blended, this will doubtless mature fairly early but has the substance to age for decades.

Millemann’s Bonnes-Mares is always among the high points of its portfolio, and the 2024 does not disappoint, with approachable, forward plummy fruit aromas, floral notes, and hints of spice and smoke. The texture is dense but not heavy; the judicious extract is balanced by lively acidity, drawing the wine to a lingering finish. This is the essence of ‘gourmand’, truly moreish. The parcel producing his fruit covers both terres rouges and terres blanches, and the balance gives a wine worthy of ageing.