1988 Domaine Georges Mugneret Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru
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Tasting notes
The 1988 Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru has a light, slightly muffled bouquet, tertiary with damp moss and autumn leaf scents that shade the fruit. The palate is tannic and solid, with some dryness on a finish that you might call "ossified". This was a difficult period for the Domaine, which is reflected in this bottle. Tasted at the La Paulée in Beaune.
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Robert Parker
Neal Martin
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The 1988 Ruchottes-Chambertin coincides with a traumatic year for the domaine, Dr. Georges Mugneret passing away just after the harvest, and perhaps extraneous circumstances compromises this vintage that I found a little disappointing. The nose feels a little “rigid”. It does not quite flow like the 1985, stilted even. The palate is better with a fresh entry of tart red fruit and a slight bitter edge. It boasts moderate depth and a crunchy, quite structured finish that feels masculine and a bit mean. Not a bad Ruchottes-Chambertin by any stretch, yet you feel that it does not reach for the stars. Tasted at the Ruchottes-Chambertin vertical in London.
The Ruchottes-Chambertin is consistently one of Mugneret's great wines. It is from an extraordinary Grand Cru vineyard that deserves a greater reputation than it has. The yields are kept conservatively low, 30-35 hectoliters per hectare, and the results are a compellingly concentrated, deep, rich, intense, full-bodied wine with a spicy, almost raunchy, game-like character, medium to full body, a lot of tannin, and layers of extract. The 1988 should ultimately rival the superb 1985 and 1978 Ruchottes-Chambertins. I would not drink it before the mid-nineties.