A fabulous Grand Cru Pinot Noir from Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier produced from a 1.14 ha parcel of vines. Le Musigny profiles the elegance of richness without heaviness, with exceptional depth and intensity of flavour and a sumptuous, evolving finish.
Reviews:
- Burghound: The intense and slowly maturing pinot fruit wafts from the glass offering beautifully nuanced aromas of smoke, violets and a cornucopia of red fruit that is now beginning to reveal some secondary development. The mid-palate is finally beginning to open with velvet-textured flavors that exude a lovely minerality before joining with a seamless finish that seems to go on and on. Mugnier once told me that this is the finest wine he has ever made and I don’t doubt it for a second. This is “thrill a second” juice that should drink well for another 15 to 20 years, perhaps longer. To my taste, this is still on the way up though it is approaching its prime window of drinkability and could certainly be enjoyed now. Note: While my many notes are reasonably consistent with this wine, I have encountered some moderate bottle variation as my scores have ranged from a low of 93 to a high of 97, either because some bottles seem to lack the same freshness as others or because some bottles seem to possess borderline harsh tannins.
- Vinous: The flight of wines from Mugnier that followed brought back memories of my visit to the property last year. I thought the 1998 Musigny was the best of the three vintages we tasted, but there was some disagreement at the table, most notably from Mugnier himself, who preferred the 1993. I loved the 1998 Musigny for its inner perfume, sweetness and freshness. It was a beautifully balanced wine with a very promising future. Simply put, it was awesome. The 1993 Musigny revealed a more sauvage personality, with less overall elegance, particularly in its tannins. Unfortunately this was not a great bottle. The 1991 Musigny was delicate and structured at the same time, as roses, mint and sweet ripe fruit wafted from the glass with tons of elegance.
Producer Information
Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier is a Burgundian wine producer based in Chambolle-Musigny. It is particularly well-known for its Musigny Grand Cru wine which is regarded as a benchmark for that vineyard. While the estate is most closely associated with Pinot Noir wines from Chambolle-Musigny, it has 10 hectares (25 acres) of vineyards in Nuits-Saint-Georges as well.The Château de Chambolle-Musigny has been owned by the Mugnier family since 1863. From 1950, as there was no winemaker in the family, the vineyards were contracted out to Faiveley and Bruno Clair, with the latter selling the wine in bulk. Between 1985 and 2004, Frédéric Mugnier was able to take back the vineyards as leases expired.On top of the Musigny Grand Cru, Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier makes a wine from the Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru vineyard, as well as two premier cru wines, Les Fuées and Les Amoureuses, and a village-level wine. From the Nuits-Saint-Georges holdings, Mugnier makes a Clos des Fourches premier cru wine, and a red and a white premier cru from the Clos de la Maréchale vineyard, which is a monopole of the domaine.
