Bonnes Mares Mugnier 2012
Bonnes Mares Mugnier 2012
HED06286
75 cl
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93 Vinous
Jancis Robinson
It is three years since I last visited Frederic Mugnier at his impressive ivy-clad maison in Chambolle that seems to rule the roost in the clustered village. This is a producer whose wines, I must confess, I was indifferent to when I began tasting Burgundy wine. For sure, there were plenty of plaudits. However, with the odd exception, I could not engage with the wines and was not overly keen on how they evolved in bottle. As the years have rolled by, I have appreciated the wines more and more. Has my palate changed? I do not think so. Rather, Frederic has fine-tuned and adapted his approach and I sense he feels more comfortable and confident in his practices. We had a frank interchange about new oak. Nowadays he has reduced the percentage to about 15%, even for the Musigny Grand Cru. Could he envisage not using new oak at all in the future? Frederic said it could be possible and he seemed wary of unclean elements that may lurk inside new barrels and affect the purity of wines. As such, the more classical, refined style of Pinot Noir suits Mugnier to the ground. I adored the subtlety, freshness and precision of these nascent 2012s that at their peak constitute some of the finest wines of the vintage. The following wines were all tasted from used barrels in September 2013.
Importer: Becky Wasserman Selection (Le Serbet) and through various US importers (see www.leserbet.com for full list.)Neal Martin30th December 2013
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Jacques-Frederic Mugnier
Precision and Beauty
Located the famous Château de Chambolle-Musigny, which has been owned by the Mugniers since the mid 19th century, Frédéric Mugnier took the hem at the family winery in 1985. Frédéric farms around 35 acres of vines, including plantings in some of Burgundy's most desirable crus, most notably the famous Les Amoureuses Premier Cru and Musigny Grand Cru. A notable recent addition to the portfolio is Clos de la Maréchale in Nuits-St-George, returned to the family stable after a 54 lease to Domaine Faiveley.
The winemaking is methodical and reasoned, reflecting Frédéric's training as an engineer - all fruit is destemmed before crushing, new oak is limited to 25% and all wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered. Bucking the trend somewhat, Frédéric has decided not to pursue organic or biodynamic certification. While pesticide and herbicide-free since the mid-1990s, the domaine take a pragmatic approach to vineyard management rather than a dogmatic one.
