Visit to Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier

[AlexR]

Freddy Mugnier sometimes seemed lost in his thoughts as he explained his views on the Chinese wine market (not for him), when to drink his wines (whenever, and he knows full well that most people don't age them for decades), oak (he has steadily reduced the use of new barrels over the years, and this now stands at 20%), etc.
He has been making wine at the family domaine for 20 years and the operation is very tightly run. His wines are highly considered and the best have become very expensive.

He described 2010 as a "perfectly ripe grapes in a warm and rainy vintage". My friends and I tasted through his wines. Here are my notes, however omitting color (unless noteworthy) because I often find that the wines look very similar at such a young age.

N = nose
P = palate

2010 Chambolle Musigny (village)
n: unrevealing at this stage
p: soft, sleek, penetrating in its own way

2010 Chambolle Musigny Premier Cru Les Fuées
n: very closed
p: sweet fruit, structure, and grip, touch of menthol coolness

2010 Clos de la Maréchale, Nuits St. Georges Premier cru
n: not very forthcoming, to say the least
p: much better on the palate: round, soft, and sophisticated, but short

(Mugnier did not make any of this vineyard's second wine "Clos des Fourches" in 2009 and 2010 because the young vines have now come into their own. He is unsure as to whether he will produce another wine under this label.
Furthermore, Monsieur Mugnier confirmed that plantings of Chardonnay had increased at Clos de la Maréchale).

2010 Bonnes Mares
n: beguiling, subtle bouquet presently playing coy
p: bursting with sweet fruit, but somehow under control. Long, smooth aftertaste. Altogether very fine. Clearly a cut above the previous wines.
Unassertive finish, which fades seamlessly.

2010 Les Amoureuses
n: not much there at this time
p: Sweet, bright, and fresh, Persistent aftertaste, with more authority here. Vibrant and somewhat tart. Slender structure and a pure varietal quality that should not be mistaken for greenness. Deep candied black cherry flavors. A little dry on the aftertaste.

2010 Musigny
n: Impression of more oak, but obviously needs time to open up
p: chewy almost chunky, with a long linear aftertaste.
Plush, velvety, and tight with a little hotness and tannic bite. Give it 35 years says Freddy. No compromises here.

We then tasted 3 other wines:

2009 Chambolle Musigny
n: haunting, with deep berry aromas and a touch of weediness
p: heavy mouth feel. Big, with roasted and cranberry flavors and a sprity side.

2009 Clos de la Maréchale
n: deep, definitively something special.
p: strong and rich with high density. Tannin there, but this is soft and round. Natural alcohol just above 14°. Big, brawny wine that impressed us all, but this is not to imply clumsiness or top-heaviness.

2008 Musigny
n: sweet, ethereal, holding back
p: Starts off quite delicate and then goes on to show its strength, Textured tannin. Great acidity. Not a tannic monster by any means.
Incredible balance between power and elegance. Soft, almost mentholated quality on the aftertaste with the odd impression of skins of just-picked grapes. Gently clenching grip. No doubt this is for the long run.

I also visited a number of other estates, but am not sure if these are household names and so will not post notes unless asked: Jean-Marc Pillot in Chassagne-Montrachet, Drouhin-Laroze in Gevrey-Chambertin, Buisson-Charles in Meursault, Hubert Lignier in Morey-Saint-Denis, Bruno Clair in Marsannay, Olivier Bernstein in Beaune, Camille Giroud in Beaune, Maison Ilan in Nuits-Saint-Georges, and Gérard Raphet in Morey-Saint-Denis

Best regards,
Alex R.

[Bacchus]

How do I get your job, Alex? Interesting to get your impressions of these young wines. I for one would love to know your impressions of any of the wines by Bruno Clair.

[jmccready]

I will be in Burgundy late November for Trois Glorieuses. After reading your notes I am ready to leave now.

[stefan]

Nice to see you liking Burgundies, Alex. Good notes, and the Musigny sounds like it will be fantastic (also, no doubt, fantastically expensive). There is nothing better than a great Musigny (well, maybe Romanee Conti, but I have never tasted one).

Camille Giroud makes some great Beaune wines that are very long lived. Even more so than Bruno Clair's, they usually don't show well young, but I have not tried any at age 2-3. Hubert Lignier is also a good winemaker. I have had nice Pillot wines, and surely Drouhin-Laroze is a household name. I have it on my bucket list to drink through Raphet's portfolio but have not really gotten started. The others are unknown to me.

[Chateau Vin]

Nice to see you liking Burgundies, Alex. Good notes, and the Musigny sounds like it will be fantastic (also, no doubt, fantastically expensive). There is nothing better than a great Musigny (well, maybe Romanee Conti, but I have never tasted one).

Camille Giroud makes some great Beaune wines that are very long lived. Even more so than Bruno Clair's, they usually don't show well young, but I have not tried any at age 2-3. Hubert Lignier is also a good winemaker. I have had nice Pillot wines, and surely Drouhin-Laroze is a household name. I have it on my bucket list to drink through Raphet's portfolio but have not really gotten started. The others are unknown to me.

What's the style of Raphet's? Is it that good to have it on the bucket list? Did anyone in the forum have Raphet before and can shed some light? I heard in 2002 the son took over the domaine, and how is the wine since then? I saw it in our local store, but was not sure about the domaine, so did not get it...

[Houndsong]

The bucket list? Surely you don't spit those wines, even at a "tasting."

[AlexR]

I will post on the Raphets soon.
Alex R.