The domaine J.-F. Mugnier is without doubt one of the finest sources of great Burgundy and the addition of the Clos de la Maréchale to the list of offerings here in the 2004 vintage was exciting news indeed, if only because it trebled the supply of Mugnier’s wine to the market. The Mugnier family have owned this parcel for over 100 years, 53 of those years prior to 2004 under a farming contract with the négociant Faiveley. Frédéric (Freddy) Mugnier , the thoughtful winemaker with an often solicitous expression, makes some of the most precise, detailed wines I’ve ever known and up to this point all have come from various climats in his home village of Chambolle-Musigny. I first tasted the 2004 out of barrel in 2005 and was surprised by its feminine qualities after having tasted so many of the versions issued by Faiveley which were always big, brooding, tannic beasts which were unapproachable before their 10th year. To be fair, the overall quality of the vintage didn’t help and by Freddy’s own admission the vineyard was in need of serious attention, a process measured in years. The 2005 was better though I felt it lacked the power of the vintage, something made even more clear to me at dinner in Beaune a couple of months ago where we opened a bottle in the company of some other 2005 Nuits from neighboring sites Such as Clos d’Arlot. The 2006 is a pretty wine with more charm and a taut racy character which shows some promise though still lacking the definition I’m looking for. I tasted the 2007 from bottle at the domaine in November of 2009 and finally found the Clos de la Maréchale I’ve been seeking. Another bottle a few weeks later here in LA confirmed it and yet another a couple of days ago from a shipment which landed a month or so ago and given time to settle. Deeply perfumed with clear notes of pomegranate, black cherry, violet and mineral with just a touch of oak. Incredibly dense yet transparent wine with a solid core of sappy fruit and the telltale Mugnier silk. Excellent length and grip with a bright future. $68.99
[...] Amoureuses and Bonnes-Mares, it’s a pretty tough house to ignore. Much like the offerings of Mugnier and De Vogüé, the Amoureuses here is generally more interesting than the Bonnes-Mares though the [...]