Chambolle-Musigny 2000 "Les Herbues"

I encountered this lovely Burgundy winewhile dining at Plumpjack Café in SanFrancisco. The food, as usual, was a pleasureto eat. The Chambolle-Musigny consequentlyhad much to live up to.

A bouquet that was heady, full of blackcherry and red fruit, was followed by a burstof opulent flavor with earth tones and a hintof spice, but no discernable tannins. It resultsfrom the grapes having been pressed ratherthan crushed, thereby avoiding extraction ofthe harsh tannins. This makes the wine softand drinkable not long after bottling.

In France, vinification techniques are respondingto consumer demand to make winemore accessible without having to be putdown for 20 years. A good wine that maturesearly is also a safer bet and less expensive.

Plumpjack sommelier Kris Harriman says,"Wine prices are also down, permitting me tooffer ‘Les Herbues' at $14 for a full 6-ounceglass or $42 per bottle—a markup that anInternet search confirms as quite reasonable.

Philip R. Alper, an internist andprofessor of medicine at the Universityof California at San Francisco,has been published in theWall Street Journal, Diversion, andInternal Medicine World Report.