Description
Frédéric Magnien, Chambolle-Musigny “Vieilles Vignes”
Everybody wants exquisite, top-vintage Frédéric Magnien Chambolle-Musigny for a steal, and today, they can have it. We’re doling out a small parcel of their 2019 “Vieilles Vignes” for $79 which is the wine equivalent of selling a Tesla at the country’s best price. We’ve moved beyond simply “great” wine and into the realm of iconic, category-defining Pinot Noir: Even at the humble “village” level, Magnien’s Chambolle-Musigny is as aristocratic, sleek, and palate-enhancing as red Burgundy gets.
We often say Chambolle produces some of the silkiest and most perfumed reds of the Côte de Nuits, and while Magnien’s interpretation certainly delivers on that promise, it also tacks on some significant muscle and soil character. His wizened, low-yielding vines are located in three prime parcels—one above Grand Cru Musigny, two below Premier Cru Charmes—and he allows that glorious raw material to shine by maturing the wine in neutral oak and clay amphorae. The results are extraordinary. I’m of the strong belief that when an elite-level Burgundy truly delivers, it’s the most satisfying wine experience on earth. This is a prime example and a must-purchase. Six bottles per person.
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NOTE: We’re not done yet! Check your inbox this afternoon to gain access to Magnien’s M-S-D equivalent of legendary Chambolle “Les Amoureuses” and Gevrey “Clos Saint-Jacques.”
Frédéric Magnien is an innovative and impassioned vigneron who personifies the term “micro-négociant” (a designation of relatively recent coinage). And today’s Chambolle-Musigny is a perfect distillation of everything he brings to the table: primely positioned parcels; impeccable old-vine fruit; and a dialed-back approach to aging that lets the nuances of site shine through as clearly as possible. This is prime “collectible” material with a lot of insider cachet.
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Having grown up riding his bike through the vineyards of Morey-Saint-Denis, and having learned his craft from his father, Michel (Domaine Michel Magnien), “Fred” has assembled an enviable roster of grower-partners, all of them either Certified Organic or in the process of conversion. He works closely with these growers, many of whom he’s known since childhood, to produce exceptionally pure expressions of some of Burgundy’s greatest vineyards. Magnien founded his maison in 1995, following an extended period of travel to other great wine regions of the world. The roster of wines now produced under the Magnien label is extremely long and diverse, stretching the length of the Côte d’Or and reaching up into Chablis as well. All the wines display the kind of precision that comes from careful, hands-on fruit sourcing, and there’s no doubt that Magnien considers himself a vigneron first and a winemaker second.
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In recent years, as he has embraced organic and biodynamic practices, his work in the cellar has evolved: Wines have long been naturally fermented with a percentage of whole clusters intact, but starting with the 2015 vintage, Magnien began aging some of his wines—including today’s—in a mixture of old French oak and terra cotta amphorae. He explains that “[the] mix of the two wine ageings unveil the brightness and clarity of wine thanks to the jar, while keeping its complexity and length thanks to the traditional cask.”
Today’s 2019 comes from an old-vine selection of three parcels. The first is “Les Danguerrins,” a tiny lieu-dit nestled above Grand Cru “Musigny,” at the fringe of the forest line. The other two are “Les Condemennes” and “Les Babillères,” both of which lie immediately below Premier Cru” Charmes.” The handpicked fruit was partially de-stemmed and fermented on indigenous yeasts before being transferred into a combination of neutral French barrels (45%) and clay amphorae (55%) for aging. The wines from both vessels were blended together and bottled without fining or filtration.
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Believe it or not, this 2019 is already raring to go with explosive swells of ripe black cherry, black raspberry, spiced red plum, damp strawberry, and high-toned blood orange peel. With air, more savory and mineral components reveal themselves in the form of damp earth, moss, menthol, and crushed rock. This is an honest, pure, oh-so-soft Chambolle that glides across the palate with all the combined grace one would find at a debutante ball. Enjoy now and over the next five years.
