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2002 Domaine Jacques Frederic Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny ‘Les Fuées’ 1er Cru

$1,499.00
  • Producer
    J.F Mugnier
  • Vintage
    2002
  • Grape Variety
    Pinot Noir
  • Region
    Burgundy
  • Sub Region
    Chambolle Musigny
  • Size
    Bottle
SKU: JFMUGFUES02EC

The Château de Chambolle-Musigny in the Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier has been in the Mugnier family since 1863. Admittedly at one point they had to fight a court case to prove that their house was the Château de Chambolle, as somebody else was (erroneously) claiming the honour. From 1950 the vineyards in Chambolle were contracted out to Faiveley (to 1977) and then Bruno Clair (to 1984), the latter selling the wine in bulk. In 1985 Frédéric Mugnier, the 5th generation of the family on the property, took over, though he combined running the family domaine with his job as an airline pilot until 1998. Now he concentrates solely on the domaine, where consistency has improved as a result, and from 2004 has also taken back the Nuits St Georges Clos de la Maréchale vineyard, on lease to Faiveley since 1950. The Domaine is the second largest owner of le Musigny. Part was planted in 1948 and the remainder in 1962, so this is now an old vine cuvée thoughout. Just 20-25% new wood is used in this ethereal wine which is as sumptuous as any example of Musigny, despite Frédéric’s understated handling.

The vines are run almost organically – no herbicides since 1991, no pesticides since 1997 and now only two treatments a year (against mildew) which are not organic. Frédéric is not an enthusiast for biodynamics however. A hint as to his philosophy appears on his website where he draws a parallel between the mature Glenn Gould finding ‘too much piano playing’ in his early work and the overworked winemaking evident in some Burgundy today.

The grapes are sorted diligently by the pickers before coming to the cellar in small cases. 100% stalks are removed and the whole berries are then conveyed into vats. The wines are bottled after a second winter in wood without fining or filtration. The wines are rarely deep in colour but are brilliantly fragrant in bouquet and notably persistent on the finish.

Tasting Notes

93 Points Allen Meadows
A gorgeously perfumed and beautifully fresh array of highly spiced red and dark berry fruit aromas that are still mostly if not completely primary are trimmed in notes of plum, floral, anise and Asian-style tea scents. There is a beguiling sense of underlying tension to the strikingly elegant and refined middle weight flavors that also possess the hallmark minerality of a fine Fuées, all wrapped in a saline, complex and focused finale that delivers terrific persistence. This really lovely effort is close to its full maturity though for my taste I would be inclined to continue to hold for another 2 to 4 years first.

2002 Domaine Jacques Frederic Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny ‘Les Fuées’ 1er Cru