2007 Chambertin Grand Cru
By Domaine Leroy
2007 Chambertin Grand Cru from Domaine Leroy, Burgundy, France
The quest for investment-grade wines with profound complexity and ageing potential inevitably leads to the hallowed terroir of Burgundy. It is here, in the 2007 Chambertin Grand Cru from Domaine Leroy, that connoisseurs can unearth a pinot noir treasure that stands as a testament to the mastery of viticulture and enology.
A Harmonious Symphony of Climatic Virtuosity
The 2007 vintage in Burgundy was marked by a spirited dance of climatic unpredictability which ultimately shaped its distinct character. A mild winter with an early spring onset was followed by a summer where the sun played a flirtatious game, interspersed with cooler periods and occasional rainfall. This waltz of weather forged the vines in a furnace of adversity; the resulting harvest bore fruit with concentrated flavours and an elegant structure unique to this year.
The 2007 Chambertin Grand Cru from Domaine Leroy exhibits a radiant ruby hue in its youth, signifying strong potential for maturation. Upon decanting, the aromas leap from the glass – ripe cherries entwined with earthy undertones and hints of truffle and spice, born from this specific year’s climatic melody.
On the palate, there exists a tension between power and finesse – a core of fresh red berries and soft tannins are enveloped by a cloak of minerality derived from the venerable Chambertin soils. The lingering finish suggests this vintage has yet to fully unravel its narrative, promising rewards for those patient enough to invest in its future evolution.
Terroir Transcending Time
Domaine Leroy's stewardship of their parcels within Chambertin's grand cru vineyards has allowed for a profound expression of terroir in this 2007 offering. Madamme Lalou Bize-Leroy’s insistence on biodynamic principles ensured that despite the whimsy pedals of the vintage's weather cycle, vines were nurtured and fruit harvested at an optimum balance – enhancing investment allure with each passing season.
In the realm of superior wine investment, patience is indeed virtuous. The 2007 Chambertin Grand Cru from Domaine Leroy requires time to unfurl its full splendour. As it continues its graceful ageing process, collectors and enthusiasts will find their astuteness rewarded with one of Burgundy’s liquid gems – one which notably upholds the sanctity of its distinguished lineage.
Market price (HKD)
HK$1,310,220.00
12x75cl
Highest score
96
POP score
8566.88
Scores and tasting notes
Licorice, rose petal, and dark cherry in the site-typical nose of Leroy’s 2007 Chambertin lead to a sumptuous, silken, sweetly-fruited palate that for all of its richness displays lift and elegance, and for all of its sucrosity harbors irresistible saline and carnal savor, rendering a saliva-inducing, tongue-titillating finish. As with the corresponding Clos Vougeot, it’s almost hopeless to try to dissect this further with flailing descriptors. Suffice it to say that yes, it is regal and suggests that a benign monarch might make for the best form of red Burgundy, a hypothesis that I suspect will withstand two decades or more of testing. The results Lalou Bize-Leroy achieved in 2006 – as I wrote in my previous red Burgundy report – were especially notable considering the misgivings she expressed early on about that vintage. She appeared more enthusiastic early on about 2007, but in this instance it’s far from merely notable – frankly, it’s utterly improbable – the richness and complexity that the Leroy team has achieved, especially considering that harvesting began here already on August 27! This collection is quite distinctive even from the very few others of its vintage that come even remotely close in quality. These 2007s display a sense of effortless effusiveness, primary juiciness, and – I don’t know how to put this less nebulously – elegance and in the best instances transparency, contrasting with the impressions of tumescent ripeness, coagulation, and new wood veneer that in some vintages accompany the profound richness of Leroy reds. As usual, the wines were all bottled in December, which at least in this vintage seems less difficult to reconcile with their exceptional quality than it does in vintages like 2005 or 2008, when so many of the other top practitioners of red Burgundy emphasize the need for longer elevage. Extremely low yields are of course also a common denominator among Bize-Leroy’s collections, although in the challenging 2007 vintage, she had somewhat more company than usual among fellow-vignerons in the roughly 20 hectoliter-per-hectare range. (And that was bounteous compared with the 13 hectoliters per hectare Bize-Leroy reports having managed in 2008, a vintage from which she did not want to show her bottled wines until June of this year, so that I shall publish notes on them in my follow-up to the present report.) Importer: Martine’s Wines. Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400
David Schildknecht - The Wine Advocate, 28 June 2010