Chambolle-Musigny

Chambolle, one of the prettiest villages in the Côte de Nuits, takes its name rather dramatically from the French words ‘champ bouillant’ meaning ‘boiling or bubbling field’. This isn’t a reference to any unusually hot climate, but instead refers to the torrential floods which can flow down nearby hillsides after heavy rainfall. But for our purposes, we’re more concerned with the flow of a different liquid also seen in large quantities in these parts – superb Burgundy wines. Though Chambolle is small – around 400 residents in total – it has a formidable reputation for producing refined, perfumed and feminine (at the risk of being un-PC!) red wines. In any case, expansion of the village would mean encroaching onto valuable wine-growing land. This land is responsible for Chambolle’s 24 Premier Cru vineyards. There are also 2 Grands Crus—Musigny (added to the name Chambolle in 1882 following the tradition of appending the finest vineyard to a village name), and Bonnes-Mares. This is some of the best Pinot Noir in the world; in Burgundy, perhaps only Vosne-Romanée can compete at such a level. Chambolle is a very atmospheric sort of place – tractors being more commonly seen than cars – and the main activity is tending to the vines. The best of them sit on the mid-slopes, with village-level vines above and below. The Chateau de Chambolle is a building of old grandeur and beauty, and it has its own vines, too.