Tasted in Chambolle-Musigny with Frédéric Mugnier, 28 November 2022.
Domaine Jacques Frederic Mugnier
Rue de Vergy
21220 Chambolle-Musigny
Tel: +33 3 80 62 85 39
www.mugnier.fr
More reports for Domaine Mugnier.
Frédéric on 2021:
“2021 brought about 25 hl/ha, so something close to the volumes of 2020 and 2019 – but of course, for different reasons: Coulure, drought and frost. In the cuverie the vintage was classic – we find a profile of wine like 20 years ago – in elevage a vintage that was meagre to start with but fine after the harvest – I think this a classic evolution. We racked on October and it brought extra purity and freshness.”
The wines…
The wines in this cellar were showing different phases after their October rackings – some were downright great and pure, others less so – but I think a wonderful success here
All 2021s tasted from barrel. ‘We will probably start bottling here in May or June:’
2021 Chambolle-Musigny
From 2 parcels – Combe d’Orveaux and Plantes…
A forward nose, one that embraces the senses with red fruit, almost with some cushioning. Hmm – pure, mouth-wateringly mineral – a little extra elevage is needed but this will be a beauty.
2021 Nuits St.Georges 1er Clos de la Marechale
No, we didn’t get any of the hail in 2021, it was close to the centre of Nuits.
A more vertical nose with a depth of lovely red fruit – growing quite floral too. Ooh, thats got a fine shape, framed with a modest tannin, but there’s an extra clarity to the fruit here – such transparency – yes! Finishing, like the Chambolle, very mineral… A simply excellent Nuits 1er.
2021 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Fuées
There’s extra breadth of aroma here – but not really expressive today. In the mouth, full – structural wine – but a much rounder shape than the Nuits. This will be lovely – as ever – just give it time!
2021 Bonnes-Mares
Cleaner, wider, directly much more expressive and inviting and really vibrant. Direct, clean, almost juicy — intensity rather than overt power today but this is subtly complex and absolutely delicious. A width of fresh minerality to finish – it’s a beauty.
Just a little more cushion, an embrace from these aromas. Cool fruit, also quite direct, there’s a little gas to disturb you at the start but then delicate, beautiful flavour. No shirking violet here though – there is hidden steel but then a great perfumed finish.
2015 is the current ‘commercial’ vintage here. The new plantations in Musigny did have a few grapes for the first time this year. 400 different lines of vines have gone into the selection – later ripening for instance or for more acidity – ‘I think it precious – there are a couple of rootstocks but not 161-49. 15 years ago we were looking for good volume and plenty of colour etcetera, now of course we’re looking for less alcohol and not so precocious.’ 2015 is the current commercial vintage of this today.
Really floral and airy in style, not a nose of power today. Supple, round in the mouth, growing in width, really impressively wide though a wine that’s hardly showing all today. Still, I expect it to be beautiful thing.
2021 Nuits St.Georges 1er Clos de la Marechale Blanc
0.6 ha now in white in the Clos. The roots are 38-years-old, grafted to chardonnay in 2004-2007. Normally 12-14 barrels but there are just three.
A perfumed and generous width of aroma. This sits very well in the mouth – a wine of scale and finely structured with a succession of complex intensities rather than a strong central line. A strong, alive wine – delicious too.
Just a few for the road – 2020s anyone?
2020 Nuits St.Georges 1er Clos de la Marechale Blanc
Less wide but deeper, slowly releasing some perfume. The nose hinted at some rigour but I don’t find any – a subtle cushion aids a slowly mouth-watering style – to carafe today to bring a little more openness, the finish is already very nice
What colour! But not black. The nose is black though – blackberries, even blueberry. Broad, concentrated but sinuous and balanced, a wine with a force – bravo – it will last forever.
2020 Nuits St.Georges 1er Clos de la Marechale
Also very dark fruit but here with a large step up in perfume. Deeply flavoured, with a more layered sinuous style to this wine – and all the more so as you go through the middle flavours and on into the finish. Structured but not strict, it goes without saying, plenty of power!
2015 Musigny
Broad, airy and very complex – a warmth here – still rather primary. Broad, structured, with plenty of tannin with a small dry drag on the texture but no grain. Open a few days before serving or carafe – better still wait another 25 years! The finish is a tannic tour de force – almost rustic – but hardly too drying. A wine for the ages. The last of the finish is very perfumed.