2019 Michel Magnien Premier Cru Morey-Saint-Denis ‘Climats d’Or’
Côtes de Nuits, Burgundy
Regular price: $100
Pre Sale price: $75
Wine isn’t really mysterious and certainly not magical. Its botany, chemistry, agriculture, meteorology and geology, and therefore, is knowable and quantifiable. It’s not art, it’s science.
For the record, I don’t state the above facts in order to diminish wine or to rein in anyone’s enjoyment or enthusiasm, but rather, to put the ‘unknowns’ of wine in perspective. One can be an aficionado of wine without being a mystic.
Which brings me to Burgundy.
Burgundy is often described as the most mysterious of wine regions, and that despite centuries of studying and learning and understanding the subtleties of the interaction between the land, climate and vine, somehow it is still unfathomable, and the quality is due to some type of shamanistic ritual known only to a precious few devotees.
The reality is that Burgundy is perhaps the most easily understood and comprehensible wine region on the planet, precisely because it is so well demarcated. But unraveling the ‘mysteries’ of Burgundy requires more than merely knowing the grape (in this case, Pinot Noir), because Burgundy is divided (and subdivided) into 100 separate and singular appellations. Many of those appellations are then further subdivided into plots. And each plot, with its unique combination of soil, sunlight, exposure, slope, air, precipitation and drainage (among other variables), delivers a different message. But, those (structural) variables are known and quantifiable. Indeed, they are established and documented! Sites named as Grand Cru possess delineated attributes and must follow precise and published rules. Likewise for Premier Cru sites. Less precise but well understood rules exist for ‘village’ wines and ‘regional’ wines. It’s not at all mysterious but it does require attention and perhaps a studious nature. Which is perhaps why so many wine writers sum up Burgundy as enigmatic. Burgundy is complex, sure, and for that reason, often confusing, but not insoluble or inexplicable, but, rather, the complete opposite.
Now truthfully, I have failed to mention a few less precise variables. One can argue that good wine is mostly about ‘what’ (the grape), and ‘where’ (the place). Left behind then is the ‘how’, which includes harvesting schedule, sorting practices, fermentation procedures, post-fermentation treatments, aging and bottling (among others). All of those ‘hows’ have an effect on the outcome, the finished wine, and any of those might be precisely the same or completely different from the neighboring winery growing the same grape from the same place. Ergo, perhaps, a different outcome.
All of the above is important, especially in the context of this wine. Domaine Michel Magnien is a relative newcomer in the dynastic world of Burgundy. The estate is now managed by Frederick Magnien, merely the fifth generation to till the soil, grow the grapes and make the wine. Since 2008, the estate has been certified organic and farmed according to biodynamic principles. Additionally Frederick uses no new oak in the cellar, preferring to raise and age his wines in old barrels and/or amphora, so as not to flavor the wines. The wine is from a Premier cru site, which speaks to exposure, soil composition and yields, and gives a solid indication of the quality of the grapes.
Morey-Saint-Denis is located in the center of the Cote de Nuits, between Gevrey-Chambertin and Chambolle-Musigny. Wine has been produced here from at least the 10th century, but it’s been somewhat overlooked, perhaps due to the fame of their closest neighbors. This wine is typical to the appellation, rich and full, dense and masculine. A vintage such as 2019, with its warm and dry summer, resulted in enviable ripeness, allowing for wine that can be consumed while young, while still maintaining enough structure should one choose to age the wine.
This wine is a blockbuster, in a Burgundian fashion. Deeply flavored, with generous dark cherry, herbs and umami hints, it’s not California-concentrated, and shows scant sweetness, but is richly satisfying. Aged completely in amphora, the wine is round, pliable and silky smooth. Luxurious rather than bombastic, this is a wine that will delight the Burgundy aficionado and inform the neophyte. (PW)