Leroy’s 2008 Chambolle-Musigny Les Fremiers displays white wine-like levity, transparency, and vivacity allied to stunning depth of tender, perfectly ripe red fruits; deeply-rich nut oils; saliva-inducing, marine minerality; and scintillating, musky inner-mouth perfume of nameless flowers. Notes of fruit pit and chalk add to the complexity of an enthralling finish. This should be one to treasure for 15-20 years, I suspect, but anyone wealthy and lucky enough to acquire some bottles ought not to neglect it in its seductive youth. Lalou Bize-Leroy reports average 2008 Pinot Noir yields of 13 hectoliters per hectare, almost absurdly tiny even by her singular standards. Malos were a bit later than usual but were finished by summer, and the wines bottled – as usual – in December. Yet – also as usual – if their development was thereby in any way stunted, you certainly won’t detect it in the bottle today! The best of these display a sense of transparency; levity; and – even when rich and head-spinningly complex – a sheer sense of refreshment and invigoration that I have seldom encountered in other great wines from these sister estates. (Please note that my account of the complete 2007 red collection at Leroy was published in issue #189.) Importer: Martine’s Wines. Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-040

Good deep red. High-pitched aromas and flavors of red berries, crushed stone, spices and licorice, along with a sappy suggestion of soil. The palate offers superb detail and delicacy, not to mention energy. The best yet to this point, with a rising, very long and vibrant finish.