Tasted blind in a line-up of 2011 Amoureuses in Holland, La Pousse d’Or’s 2011 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Amoureuses is not quite as bright as its peers. The nose here is a little more introspective than Cathiard’s Aux Reignots ‘11, but it has an interesting character with touches of sous-bois and wild mushroom infusing the red berry fruit. It is tightly wound at first, but opens in fine fashion, yet never quite attains the intensity of Roumier or Albert Bichot’s 2011 Amoureuses. It does not need to. The palate is medium-bodied with bright red cherry, redcurrant and citrus fruit, crisp tannins with a slightly angular finish. It does not quite have the depth of Roumier’s’11, but it possesses very fine tension and coalesces beautifully in the glass. This is a mercurial, but compelling, Amoureuses – one of the finest of this vintage. (NM)