WTN: French Feet, and and an '01 village Chambolle

Friday Betsy made a roasted duck (actually a rarity in our house, while I call her "the duck queen" she usually does either legs or breast), plus mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts. I opened a bottle of the 2001 Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny. This was too cold at first, and showing nothing tart cough syrup cherry. But it opened dramatically in glass. Rich red and black cherry fruit, copious earthy notes, nice length and concentration. I haven't had this in several years, but living up to the promise it had at release. Gets better and better through night. A-

Today David came home from college, and we had him (and his girlfriend, home from McGill) for dinner. Betsy made a beef jantaboon (spicy Asian stew with fresh rice noodles), and we had a little winter solstice reading of Wendell Berry and Walt Whitman. Wine was the 2006 Breton "Franc de Pied" Bourgueil. Lively acidity, dark berry fruit, a little tobacco leaf. A little more tannic than I expected. Good spiciness with time, nice food friendly wine, but think I'll revisit in couple years. B+

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency
 

[David M. Bueker]

Nice note on the Chambolle Dale.

I have some '01 village level wines downstairs, but not enough. I don't have the Drouhin Chambolle, but do have the Roumier which I presume would need several more years to come around.

Chambolle seemed to be a particular sweetspot in 2001. So uniformly good that "pointless" Jay Miller organized a "It takes a Village" tasting of village level Chambolle-Musginys. All showed well (single blind), with Roumier coming in first, Drouhin second, and Mugnier last out of eight (I remember those 3 because I own). But even in last place I feel good about the Mugnier. I plan on opening the Mugnier and Roumiers from 10-20 years from vintage.

I don't have enough Chambolle, unfortunately. Mainly Gevrey (by a large margian) then Volnay and Vosne. I need to correct that, sounds as though '01 villages would be a good place to start. Thanks for the leads.


I'm not up on French idioms--would "franc de pied" be footloose?

Later: I looked it up it stands for own-rooted vines.