The 2013 Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes has a ripe, quite generous bouquet with "billowing" scents of wild strawberry and raspberry preserve that is well defined. The palate is vibrant on the entry with primal dark cherry and cassis fruit. The tannins feel succulent in the mouth, the acidity quite racy and lending the finish the tension that it needs. This should be very interesting once bottled.

The 2010 Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes comes across as supple and inviting. Red berries, flowers and sweet spices grace the palate in this expressive Chambolle. Today the wine is just a touch reduced, which Magnien indicated was common of his Chambolles in 2010. Accordingly, Magnien planted to bottle the Chambolles last. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2020. (Not yet released) Importer: Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

The 2009 Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes displays good juiciness and persistence in its textured fruit. It reveals quite a bit of polish on the mid-weight finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019. Frederic Magnien bottles two lines; the Domaine Michel Magnien range is made predominantly from estate-owned grapes, although a few wines include purchased fruit as well. Magnien also issues a negociant label, Maison Frederic Magnien, exclusively from purchased grapes. If that sounds confusing, welcome to Burgundy! In layman’s terms the Domaine bottlings carry a black label, the Maison wines carry a white label. The Maison Frederic Magnien wines are made in a large, more spacious cellar in the same facility as the Michel Magnien wines also reviewed in this issue. In 2009 cuvaison lasted 14-15 days, including a 3-4 day cold soak. The malos were later and slower here than at the Domaine, so the Maison wines received an additional racking prior to being bottled. In general the Maison wines tend to emphasize a more red expression of fruit, while the Domaine wines are more towards the blue/black end of the spectrum. All of the 2009s were bottled in February 2011.Importer: Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300