1978 Robert Groffier Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses

Domaine Robert Groffier is a 17-acre estate in Morey St.-Denis, in the Cotes de Nuits, Burgundy. Until 1972 the estate’s wines were all sold to negociants, but in the nearly 40 years since then the domaine has earned a reputation for, in the words of Robert M. Parker Jr., being “in the top echelon of Burgundy producers.” The estate is owned and operated by Robert Groffier and his son Serge and it includes the Grands Crus Bonnes Mares and Chambertin Clos de Beze. Parker has called the estate’s wines “explosive, powerful…finely etched, yet lush…”

Les Amoureuses is a Premier Cru vineyard in the Chambolle-Musigny appellation in Burgundy. The 13-5 acre vineyard lies down slope form the Grand Cru Le Musigny. Because of its excellent quality, Les Amoureuses is regarded more like a Grand Cru than a Premier Cru. The largest landholder is Robert Groffier et Fils, who owns nearly 3 acres. Clive Coates has written that “Les Amoureuses is really a sort of younger brother to Musigny itself; perfumed, silky smooth, intense and soft rather than brutal and muscular, and with real finesse.”

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.