2011 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue, Musigny Grand Cru, Cuvee Vieilles Vignes

The 2011 Musigny Vieilles Vignes shows wonderful energy in its expressive floral notes. Sweet red-hued fruit turns darker in the glass, but it is really the wine's energy that stands out most. Overall, this is a fairly mid-weight vintage for the Musigny deeply marked by its resonance and balance. The 2011 is perhaps a bit less epic than some recent versions, but it certainly delivers considerable pleasure.

A remarkably attractively cool and restrained nose of various red berries, spice and a beautiful array of floral elements complements well the rich and equally cool mineral-tinged big-bodied and overtly muscular flavors. There is a really lovely sense of underlying tension on the clean and pure finish that delivers strikingly good length. This intensely mineral-driven effort is also clean and firm but with slightly better phenolic maturity to the supporting structural elements which should allow this beauty to age successfully for many years to come. Drink: 2029+ (January 2014)

Flavours are lingering, delicate yet persistent: roses, violets, herbs, spices, earth. Trademark silky texture with a delicate palate and long finish. Sensual, crystalline and pure. Gorgeous.

(racked a couple weeks prior to my visit): Saturated dark red. Fully ripe aromas of black raspberry, crushed stone, mocha, chocolate and spices. Horizontal on the attack, then superrich yet somehow vibrant too, showing excellent lift to the palate-saturating flavors of cassis, pomegranate and spices. Shows a jellied sweetness cut by a taste of limestone. Finishes savory, sweet and very long, with noble tannins and a piquant hint of red grapefruit. Really leaves the taste buds quivering.

Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2011 horizontal tasting in Beaune. Comte de Vogüé’s Musigny Vieilles Vignes 2011 has a gorgeous bouquet that displays exquisite delineation and refinement: pure dark cherry, crème de cassis, wet stone and violet scents that are damn irresistible. The palate is medium-bodied with supple and ripe tannins. This is suave and sophisticated, yet very youthful wine has a lot of energy that suggests cellaring for another 5-6 years will be essential. - eRobertParker.com, November 2014

Wonderful combination of substance and perfume. Very rich and intense. Already quite complex and the fruit almost completely masks the tannin in this wine. Such magnificent fruit! Quite a backbone, sneaks up on you after tasting. An approachable de Vogüé Musigny…?! (JR)