Comte de Vogue occupies a very special place in the top echelon of the Burgundy heirarchy. Unfortunately, over the many years of collecting and drinking fine wines from the Cote D’or, I’ve only tried this producer’s offerings on, perhaps, half a dozen occasions.

Fellow blogger, Dave Brookes (who also earns his bucks as Sydney Auction Manager for Australia’s leading wine auctioneers, Langtons) kindly brought a bottle of 1983 de Vogue Chambolle-Musigny to my place earlier this year which, after a very shaky start, unfolded and blossomed in the glass into a glorious Burgundy worthy of an outstanding rating. A great effort, particularly for a village wine and a difficult vintage where hail and then rot caused considerable problems across the Cote.

Excellent juice. Typically for Chambolle, not a great depth of colour and just a bit too oaky (for me) on the nose just at the moment but underneath the sappy/musky Pinot fruit was trying its best to make some sort of counterbalancing statement. The palate tells a different story with ripe glossy red cherries, green plums and even a touch of blackberry to the fore, the acidity/oak/tannin balance is nigh spot on and the finish is exemplary - everything sitting on a medium-bodied, relatively elegant platform. Probably will merit a higher score later (give it 3-4 years), but on last night’s performance somewhere around 90/91. Drink 2010-2015.