I adore J.-F. Mugnier’s wines (as do most people). They have a core of enjoyability rarely seen in Burgundy. Joie de vivre is a good way to describe the sensation evoked by these wines, although they are so much more than plain and simple hedonistic pleasures.
Mugnier made very hedonistic 2015s, and I was therefore very eager to taste his 2018s, as he seems to have nailed making the most also from warmer vintages in recent years.
But let’s jump to the tasting, conducted by François Moriamez, Fred Mugnier’s competent assistant, and followed by a pleasant talk with Mugnier in his office in the main building.
Tasting the 2018s at Domaine Mugnier
Let’s face it: 2018 is a good, but also terribly diverse, vintage style- and quality-wise, with the best Chambolles being brilliant, whereas the worst are on the dense and hot side.
The 2018 vintage is, however, very successful at Mugnier. Even the hailstorms the estate endured in Premeaux can’t shake the confidence of the 2018 wines here.
The Chambolle wines are blindingly good, with tremendous liveliness and freshness, and while my expectations were high, the wines exceeded them – truly vins d’émotion, with so many layers of hedonistic enjoyment.
While 2018 is quite a hot vintage at some estates, Mugnier has kept his cool with this year – as he did in 2015 – showing the beautiful, refined side of the vintage.
The Mugnier wines are made with a light hand, and this suits the vintage very well, as extraction in a weighty vintage like this could easily lead to non-Burgundian monsters.
The first things I would like to compliment are the balance and the expression of terroir – the wines are very transparent, and while it’s early, they seem to offer all the qualities I look for in Mugnier wines: pleasure, a refined, individual expression of terroir and a delicate complexity.
J.-F. Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny 2018
The Chambolle village offers vividly delicate and deep fruit – weighty and expressive for a Mugnier village. The expression of terroir is quite cool and distinct, with a fine layer of Chambolle minerality – a very sensual wine with its silky texture. This is hedonistic in best sense of the word.
(Drink from 2029) – Fine (90 – 92p) – Tasted 13/11/2019
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- A true vin d’émotion – a Burgundy of passion
- A truly hedonistic wine – lively and enjoyable
- A vivacious wine for pure indulgance
- A Vin Vif - fresh, energetic and with a light appearance