Description
Magnien Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru “Fuees”
What’s the secret behind Chambolle-Musigny’s ability to mesmerize so many wine lovers? The famous Burgundy communes along the Côte d’Or are all quite small, but Chambolle is particularly so at just about 140 hectares (550 acres) of planted vines. You can easily walk from the Grand Cru of Clos de Vougeot through the entire village of Chambolle into Morey; it’s less than a mile. If you miss the signs, it’s not clear when you leave one village for the next, and yet these vines and the wines they produce are hauntingly, almost hypnotically beautiful.
It is a siren song that Burgundy travelers cannot resist. And one for which they pay handsomely. That’s why I was so excited when Frederic Magnien’s Premier Cru “Les Fuées” showed up on the SommSelect tasting table. A textbook, aromatically alive and ready to drink Premier Cru Chambolle direct from the winery at a price that would have looked reasonable a decade ago!?! Yes, please. The secret remains a secret, but you can enjoy the magic everytime you pop the cork on one of these beauties.
The Magnien name has been synonymous with high-quality Burgundy since the late 1960s when Frédéric’s father, Michel, took the helm of the estate. Like many growers, Michel’s father and grandfather had sold the bulk of their production to the large négociants, but Michel began to expand their holdings and bottle more wine under the family label. In 1993, Frédéric joined his father and convinced him to completely stop selling fruit and bottle the entire production. He also began converting the vineyards to organic and biodynamic viticulture and they have been certified since 2015. But Frédéric wanted to explore all of the Côte d’Or, not just his family vineyards. So he established his own micro-négociant label in 1995 and began seeking out the best vineyards from which to purchase fruit and make his own wines.
One of the jewels of his vineyard collection is a small parcel of vines in the famed Premier Cru “Les Fuées,” near the heart of Chambolle. Sharing a border with the Grand Cru Bonnes Mares, Fuées is famous for its ability to combine the depth and power of the Morey side of the village with the elegance and perfume of the Musigny side. The particular parcel that Frédéric harvests is within spitting distance of Bonnes Mares and, like all the vines he works with, is farmed organically with biodynamic principles applied. This provides the pristine fruit that is needed to express the delicious subtleties of this famous terroir.
In the cellar, Frédéric’s innovations continue. Since 2015, he has been replacing classic oak barriques with specially designed terra cotta pots for aging the wines. The goal is to find the perfect, neutral vessel that allows the purest expression of fruit and soil possible. The gorgeous 2017 that we have for you today was aged entirely in these amphorae. Yup, zero oak. What you get is the epitome of Chambolle: roses, violets, spiced cherries, raspberries, black truffles, and that savory, elusive aroma that some call “animal” or “game.” 2017 turns out to be an excellent and classy vintage that is also accessible young. This silky, sensuously framed wine is ready to go with just 30 minutes in the decanter. That said, I think it will provide many years of pleasure, so grab as much as you can because there’s not much and when it’s gone, it’s really gone!
