Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2001 750ml

Frédéric Mugnier's first word for his 2001s, written while the vats were still warm, was "aristocratic", and this Bonnes-Mares never amounts to more than 1,500 bottles a year.

The Mugnier holding in Bonnes-Mares is a thin ribbon of 36 ares running the full height of the slope, where Chambolle-Musigny meets Morey-Saint-Denis. Half of it was planted in 1988, the remainder in 1961 and 1980, and the parcel gives between 900 and 1,500 bottles a year. The domaine places the wine between the two villages: the Morey side lends frankness, solidity and an earthy streak, while Chambolle's red fruit is joined by mineral notes and, at times, a hint of undergrowth.

Mugnier's own diary of 2001 reads like a nervous September. The skies stayed overcast in the first days of the month and many growers were worried, but the domaine had spent much of a hot August removing surplus bunches, and the dry coolness of September limited sugar while, in his words, preserving a finesse and aromatic richness that mattered more. At the end of fermentation he recorded deep colour, energy, no heaviness and a deep, layered nose. In May 2003 he called 2001 a return to a more classic, restrained, more Burgundian style after the exuberance of 2000, with better acidity, ripe round tannins and a sustained, dynamic finish: a wine for long keeping, yet already expressive and without austerity.

Frédéric Mugnier, formerly an engineer and airline pilot according to Japanese importer Luc Corporation, took full charge of the estate in 1985; industrial fertilisers went in 1987, weed-killers in 1990, insecticides in 1996. He refuses a sorting table and teaches each picker to leave behind anything they would not eat. Luc Corporation describes full destemming, wood vats and stainless steel, around 17 months in barrel and only 15 to 20 percent new oak, which it credits for the restrained colour and silky texture of the wines.

In the glass

Richard Jennings (RJonWine.com, December 2003, as quoted by CellarTracker) rated the 2001 94+ and found a rose-petal nose, a mid-palate of roses and lightly spiced red fruit, a light body with good underlying tannins and a good finish. The producer's own description of the cuvée points to red fruit with mineral and undergrowth notes and more solidity than its other Chambolle wines. Allen Meadows and Stephen Tanzer also reviewed this vintage, but their texts are subscriber-only.

When to open

The domaine asks for a minimum of 5 to 10 years in bottle; at twenty-five this 2001 sits well inside what Mugnier called long keeping. Our suggestion: serve at 16 °C, decanting only for sediment.

At the table

The domaine's own advice: Bonnes-Mares can take more powerful dishes than other Chambolle wines, such as meat in sauce and game.

Quick facts

Provenance

Sourced from the Japanese importer.

Sources: Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier (website, tech sheet, vintage notes); Luc Corporation (Japanese importer); label; RJonWine.com (R. Jennings) as quoted by CellarTracker; Wine Grocery; Bouchon