Roumier elected to perform the elevage of his entire 2002 Musigny production in one new 350 liter barrel. Fulfilling every winemaker’s nightmare, the barrel’s toasting was flawed by the cooperage, according to Roumier, marring the wine with excessively toasty aromas and flavors. Christophe quickly racked it into a used 228-liter traditional barrel and an older 114 liter one but the damage was done. When tasted, it exhibited a tight, rough, light-bodied character (perhaps from the quick racking) as well as the charred barrel scents and flavors. I

A wine of wonderful depth, the elegant 2001 Musigny, exhibits a nose of blackberries, fresh herbs, and blueberries. This classy, pure, lively effort is light to medium-bodied, has impressive clarity of fruit, and boasts a long, cherry-filled finish. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2012. I

Served blind, the 1998 Musigny from Roumier takes a while to get going in the glass. It has a taciturn nose with wild strawberry, cranberry leaf and an odd grapefruit element. It unfolds with time, offering hints of dark cherry, marmalade and dried orang peel. The palate is medium-bodied with good intensity on the entry, blackberry and tomato leaf, brittle tannins that fan out towards the persistent finish and mellow with time. This is a lovely Musigny, although for me it is missing a little weight on the back end. Drink 2014-2024+ Tasted May 2012.

The ruby-colored 1997 Musigny has an enthralling nose of fresh herbs, flowers, and black cherries. On the palate, it is expressive. Tobacco, cedar, blackberries, and currants are found in this refined, lace-like, medium-bodied offering. It is a beautifully elegant, detail-oriented, and complex wine. Drink it over the next 8-10 years. I

Roumier's Musigny is lighter than the Bonnes Mares, with a classy, floral nose, fresh, elegant, medium-bodied flavors, and an expansive, velvety-textured finish. While delicious now, I suspect more complexity and weight will emerge with 2-3 years of cellaring. The wines of this famed domaine, long known for its classic old style burgundies, do indeed improve with cellaring. The Domaine Roumier made some of the finest 1988s and their 1990s range from excellent to outstanding.