These wines from proprietor Mounir Saouma are impressive. Saouma sources small lots of wine from the best sites in Burgundy and does all of the post-alcoholic fermentation elevage in his cellar in Beaune. Saouma’s approach calls for long, slow malos, extended contact on the gross lees and no fining or filtration prior to bottling. Saouma bottles an eye-popping 60 different wines, some sourced from more than one grower. Count me as a fervent believer in terroir. As much as I subscribe to the belief that specific plots of land can confer unique qualities to wines, the reality is that a variety of other factors are just as important, including the talent of the winemaker and the ambient qualities of the cellars in which wines are raised. What amazes me most about these wines – aside from the obviously very high quality – is that there is without question a distinctive house style that emerges across the range, despite the fact that they come from different sources and are acquired as wine rather than fruit. Saouma likes to describe his cellar as a library of Burgundy’s finest terroirs. That’s as good a description as any for these uniformly outstanding, compelling wines.
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Bonnes Mares (93-96)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Chambertin Clos de Beze (94-97)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Chambolle Musigny Charmes (90-92)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Chambolle Musigny Hauts Doix (91-93)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Chambolle Musigny les Amoureuses (92-94)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Charmes Chambertin (93-96)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Clos de la Roche (94-97)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Clos St Denis (93-96)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Clos Vougeot (91-94)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Corton Bressandes (91-94)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Corton Renardes (92-94)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Gevrey Chambertin Estournelles St Jacques (91-93)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Gevrey Chambertin Lavaux St Jacques (90-92)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Gevrey Chambertin les Cazetieres 1Er Cru (94-96)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Griottes Chambertin (93-96)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Mazis Chambertin (94-97)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Morey St Denis Clos des Ormes (92-94)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Morey St Denis les Genevrieres 1Er Cru (93-95)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Nuits St Georges les Cailles (89-92)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Nuits St Georges les St Georges (90-92)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Nuits St Georges les Vaucrains (91-93)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Pommard Epenots (92-94)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Pommard Grands Epenots (92-95)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Pommard les Rugiens (92-94)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Volnay Caillerets (92-94)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Volnay Clos des Chenes (92-94)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Volnay Santenots (91-93)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Vosne Romanee les Malconsorts (92-94)
- 2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Vosne Romanee les Suchots (90-92)
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Bonnes Mares
The 2009 Bonnes Mares opens with gorgeous aromatics that lead to a muscular core of fruit. The wine finds its inner elegance on the mid-palate and finish, where hints of candied fruit and violets come together, adding lift and elegance. The combination of aromatic expressiveness and nuanced fruit elevate this to a very high level. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Chambertin Clos de Beze
The 2009 Chambertin-Clos de Beze explodes onto the palate with full-throttle blackberries, spices and white flowers in a complex, alluring expression of this great vineyard. Highly nuanced mineral notes add depth on the long, intense finish. This is another drop-dead gorgeous wine from Lucien Le Moine. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Chambolle Musigny Charmes
The 2009 Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes showcases the more muscular, intense side of Chambolle in its powerful, intense fruit. Firm tannins frame the insistent finish. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Chambolle Musigny Hauts Doix
The 2009 Chambolle-Musigny Les Hauts Doix opens with high-toned, floral aromatics that lead to hard candy, licorice and sweet, juicy cherries. The richness of the fruit wraps around the tannins all the way through to the subtle, haunting finish. This is gorgeous in every way. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Chambolle Musigny les Amoureuses
The 2009 Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses floats on the palate with an ethereal expression of fruit that is so typical of this famous site. This is a deceptively mid-weight wine backed up with plenty of substance. Still, it remains a fairly cerebral style of wine that demands the full attention of the taster before it reveals the full breadth of its personality. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Charmes Chambertin
The 2009 Charmes-Chambertin is muscular and intense but also light on its feet. A burst of dark berries, cinnamon and cloves makes a great first impression. The Charmes shows terrific precision and elegance in its deep layers of fruit as it builds towards the long, polished finish. The firm tannins will require patience, but this is a spectacular wine in every way. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Clos de la Roche
The 2009 Clos de la Roche is drop-dead gorgeous. It shows remarkable depth and polish in its elegant, impeccable bouquet and harmonious, layered fruit. This is all finesse, all the way. My notes read: extraordinary! Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Clos St Denis
The 2009 Clos St. Denis is a wine of great personality and pure breed. Dark berries, black pepper, blueberries and violets are some of the nuances that emerge as this vibrant, fresh wine shows off its pedigree. The aromas and flavors build impressively towards the impressive, sensual finish. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Clos Vougeot
The 2009 Clos de Vougeot is a driven, focused wine laced with red fruits and sweet spices. This is subtle yet persistent, with elegant, beautifully crafted tannins that make it an unusually refined, sexy Clos de Vougeot. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Corton Bressandes
The 2009 Corton Bressandes is a more linear, nuanced wine. Small red fruits, raspberries, flowers and minerals appear on a delicate yet delineated, vibrant finish. Saline notes add freshness and verve on the finish, where floral notes add a dimension of lift. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2029.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Corton Renardes
The 2009 Corton Renardes is deep, long and intense. There is superb concentration in the jammy, dense fruit. This is a sweet, unctuous style that stands apart from most of the other wines in the cellar, yet everything works within the context of a powerful, virile expression of Renardes. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Gevrey Chambertin Estournelles St Jacques
The 2009 Gevrey-Chambertin Estournelles St. Jacques sneaks on the palate with gorgeous notes of crushed flowers, mint and red fruits. The mid-palate is taut yet subtle, with plenty of Gevrey personality, giving way to a final blast of textured fruit on the generous close. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2029.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Gevrey Chambertin Lavaux St Jacques
The 2009 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux St. Jacques presents a somewhat wild personality I don’t usually associate with this vineyard. Ferrous, animal notes lead to a rich core of textured fruit. This shows terrific vibrancy and enough textural finesse to almost overcome some rough edges that never completely dissipate. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Gevrey Chambertin les Cazetieres 1Er Cru
The 2009 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetieres explodes from the glass with an insanely haunting bouquet layered with fresh, vibrant fruit. Everything is in perfect balance in this achingly beautiful wine. The Cazetieres exemplifies all of the qualities that make Burgundy Burgundy. Weightless and pure on the finish, the Cazetieres is simply spellbinding and one of the highlights among this set of wines from Le Moine. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Griottes Chambertin
The 2009 Griottes-Chambertin offers up sweet red cherries, crushed flowers and spices, all of which come together on an inviting, polished frame. Sensual and inviting, the Griottes impresses for its poise and harmony. The finish is given an extra dimension by clean, saline notes. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Mazis Chambertin
The 2009 Mazis-Chambertin is deep, powerful and simply dazzling. Layers of blackberries, blueberry jam, smoke, goudron and licorice flow from this dark, seamless, totally provocative wine. There is marvelous complexity in the glass as this complete, harmonious Burgundy shows off its pedigree and sheer class. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Morey St Denis Clos des Ormes
The 2009 Morey St. Denis Clos des Ormes emerges from the glass with sexy inner perfume and layers of sweet, candied fruit. This is a decidedly mid-weight, intensely floral style of Morey probably best suited for near and mid-term drinking. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2029.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Morey St Denis les Genavrieres 1Er Cru
The 2009 Morey St. Denis Les Genavrieres bursts onto the palate with masses of dark fruit, earthiness, goudron and earthiness. The Genavrieres is an intense, brooding wine with elements of rusticity that somehow do not detract substantially from its beguiling personality. The finish builds with impressive authority. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Nuits St Georges les Cailles
The 2009 Nuits St. Georges Les Cailles is another dark, intense wine. Here the fruit is especially deep and muscular. The wine shows tons of concentration and sheer power, but also reveals an edgy quality to the tannins that is a bit atypical here in 2009. If this settles down it may merit a higher score, but today the Cailles comes across as a bit unruly. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Nuits St Georges les St Georges
The 2009 Nuits St. Georges Les St. Georges shows the influence of its limestone-rich soil and cooler microclimate in its fresh, vibrant aromatics and tense structure. Crushed flowers, red berries, spices and mint inform the long, persistent finish. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Nuits St Georges les Vaucrains
The 2009 Nuits St. Georges Les Vaucrains brings together the best qualities of Nuits. This shows wonderful richness and density while avoiding heaviness. Fresh, perfumed aromatics are woven throughout, giving the Vaucrains its elegant, understated personality. The finish is textured, multi-dimensional and totally beautiful. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2029.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Pommard Epenots
The 2009 Pommard Les Epenots is a huge, powerful wine imbued with the essence of dark fruit, smoke, tar and licorice. This massively structured tannic wine appears to have a brilliant future ahead of it once it settles down in bottle. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Pommard Grands Epenots
The 2009 Pommard Les Grands Epenots bursts from the glass with hard candy, menthol and flowers in an explosive display of class and elegance. Gorgeous and perfumed throughout, the Grands Epenots impresses for its fabulous balance and eternal finish. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Pommard les Rugiens
The 2009 Pommard Les Rugiens starts off rather compact then blossoms on the palate with layers of floral red fruit that carry through to the nuanced, focused finish. This is a very pretty and well-balanced Pommard built on elegance rather than power. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Volnay Caillerets
The 2009 Volnay Les Caillerets, from a parcel at the top of Santenots and Clos des Chenes, opens with a big, earthy bouquet. This is an intense, powerful wine with huge fruit that builds towards an inexorable finish. The Caillerets needs quite a bit of time in bottle to come together, but it is likely to always remain rather brawny, even if the tannins suggest a degree of further polish is within reach. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Volnay Clos des Chenes
The 2009 Volnay Clos des Chenes is a touch tight and inward. Here the fruit is nuanced and pointed. Small red berries, spices and minerals take shape beautifully in the glass. Silky tannins frame the exceptionally polished, refined finish. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Volnay Santenots
The 2009 Volnay Santenots shows notable length and purity in its crushed flowers, mint and spices. The Santenots is a touch lithe, but the delicate, feminine personality of the wine is nevertheless extremely attractive. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Vosne Romanee les Malconsorts
The 2009 Vosne-Romanee Les Malconsorts caresses the palate with seamless integration of fruit, acidity and tannin. Powerful, yet impeccable in its elegance, the Malconsorts shows incredible grace from start to finish, with palate staining intensity in its rich close. This is superb juice that only suffers from the wines tasted before and after. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2029.
2009 Maison Lucien le Moine Vosne Romanee les Suchots
The 2009 Vosne-Romanee Les Suchots is a deep, powerful wine, with layers of fruit that wrap around the firm tannins. This shows the muscular, broad-shouldered side of Vosne in its powerful, intense personality. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029.
