Jacques Frederic Mugnier

Created in 1863, this is a family estate run from the Château de Chambolle-Musigny. For years this was a miniscule four hectare Chambolle domaine, but since Frédéric Mugnier took back the family’s old Nuits St-Georges Monopole, Clos de la Maréchale, from Faiveley in 2004, the Domaine increased to 13 hectares. The aim is to produce wines that are each representative of their respective terroir and vintage, while at the same time having their individual character, wines of harmony and sincerity. This is achieved by eliminating weed-killers and industrial fertilisers in the vineyard; neither of these have been used for 10 years, whilst in the cellars all processes that traumatise the wine, over extraction, for example, or excessive woodiness, are limited to a minimum. To allow each terroir to express itself, the wine making is excatly the same for all of the wines. These are sensual, stylish Burgundies of great finesse.

2017 Vintage

Freddy Mugnier has never been prone to hyperbole, so he took us aback when heaping praise on 2017: “It is a balanced vintage, it was never too hot or too cold. I think they were the best grapes I have ever picked, there was no trace of rot or sunburn or anything on any of them!” I should point out that he did not say this before our tasting (ie it bore no influence on how we tasted) but rather in response to the J&B team’s loud hums of approval during the tasting. It was already clear the wines were spectacular. Freddy summed it up well “it is not acid vintage but it is a fresh vintage.” For tasting the wines, you get a real sense of how pristine, clear and fresh the fruit must have been. As well as being lively it is also a very Mugnier style vintage: Sensual, calming, elegant but assured and energetic. He has made some of 2017’s most magical wines.

2018 Vintage

Harvest began in Bonnes-Mares on the 28th August, the first time Freddie has ever picked in August. But he remarked that, despite high ripeness levels, acidity levels were good – a surprising trend he has noticed since 2015. Picking carried on through the 8th September in Clos de la Marechale in order to ripen the tannins there fully. The growing cycle in the Clos was delayed a little after hail in June and beginning of July, destroying 40% of the crop. Alcohols range between 14 and 14.5% but there is nevertheless good structure and freshness to the wines. Élévage on fine lees seems to have served the wines particularly well, gaining significantly in freshness and precision during their time in barrel. A range of wines of crunch, intensity, structure and complexity.

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    country:
    France
    region:
    Burgundy