2005 - Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru La Bussiere, Georges Roumier

The 2005 Morey-Saint-Denis Clos de la Bussière 1er Cru from Domaine Georges Roumier proves that this vintage produced some really classy wines whose tannins are finally softening. It boasts exquisite purity on the nose, blossoming with white-tipped strawberry, raspberry, crushed rose petals and wet limestone, polished and sophisticated. The palate is framed by filigree tannins that, if tasted blind, divert you away from this typically structured vintage. There is gentle but insistent grip towards a finish that is imbued with the grip you expect from a Morey rather than a Chambolle. This is beginning to take flight.

Like the rest of the wines here at the time I tasted, Roumier’s 2005 Morey St. Denis Clos de la Bussiere had been sulfured and racked in autumn after a very late malo and was in barrel awaiting imminent assemblage in tank for (unfiltered) bottling. It was slightly reduced but responded well to a good shaking, displaying subtle black fruits, high-toned almond and maraschino, roasted meatiness, resin, and forest floor notes on the nose. It fills the mouth with roasted meat richness, bitter-sweet black fruits, high-toned distilled fruit esters, and finishes with solidity, grip, and savory saltiness. One senses that Christophe Roumier considers 2005 a high point of his career, and my visit with him was among the high points of my recent trip. He describes this as “a classic vintage lending itself to very calm, classic vinification,” which given the opportunities afforded by perfectly healthy, firm, dry, ripe fruit involved triage almost solely to remove ladybugs, and included around 25% whole clusters in the fermenters at the Premier Cru level and 50% at that of Grand Cru. Importer: Diageo Chateau and Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel. (212) 419-1400.