1996 Domaine Leroy Musigny

There are oenophiles who believe that Domaine Leroy produces the greatest wines in the world. The estate was founded in Burgundy in 1868 and today is owned and run by Lalou Bize-Leroy, a dynamo of a woman who represents the current generation of the founding family. Bize-Leroy is famous, among other reasons, for being an early adopter of biodynamic vineyard cultivation, meaning that there have been no chemicals, fertilizers or pesticides of any kind used in the Domaine Leroy production for many decades. The domaine, located in Vosne-Romanee, makes numerous wines, but is renowned for its Grand Crus and Premier Crus. Its Grand Crus are Corton-Charlemagne, Corton-Renardes, Richebourg, Romanee-St.-Vivant, Clos de Vougeot, Musigny, Clos de la Roche, Latricieres-Chambertin and Chambertin. The domaine has a total vineyard area of 56 acres which is planted in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Aligote. Production is extremely limited, usually between 10,000 to 20,000 bottles.

Musigny is considered one of the greatest vineyards in the Cote d’Or, in Burgundy. At 26.5 acres it includes two sections, Grand Musigny and Les Petits Musigny. The vineyard is 260 to 300 meters in elevation and the soil is unusual for the region, a mix of limestone and red clay. Comte de Vogue owns about three-quarters of the vineyard, with a holding of 17 acres. The next largest landowners are Jacques-Frederic Mugnier, with 3.2 acres; and Jacques Prieur with 1.7 acres. Also noteworthy is Leroy’s tiny .7 acre holding. Though most of the vineyard is planted to Pinot Noir, Comte de Vogue plants a small parcel of Chardonnay, which is sold as Bourgogne blanc due to the relatively youth of the Chardonnay vines. Wine writer Clive Coates has written that “at its best the red wine (of Musigny) can be quite simply the most delicious wine to be found in Burgundy.”

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.