2021 Frédéric Magnien 'Aux Mazoyères' Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

“Frédéric Magnien is widely regarded as one of the shrewdest and sharpest young winemakers working in the Côte d’Or today.” – Inside Burgundy

Well done Op! You’ve found your way to the good stuff. A few cases snuck in of a fairy-tale Grand Cru by the same grower and vintage as our feature today. It’s stuff that dreams are made of… for an impression of what the upper echelon of the most heralded wine region is all about, at a “relative” bargain, too.

It’s nearly impossible to find a great Grand Cru red from the Côte de Nuits under $200 these days.

Some top $1,000 depending on who grew and/or made it.

And this is a super rare and cool one from the heart of Gevrey. Essentially a Charmes-Chambertin, from the famed vineyard named after its telltale charming allure, it’s labeled as an Aux Mazoyères because it comes from the concentric Grand Cru Mazoyères-Chambertin, within Charmes-Chambertin allowed to be labeled either way. And that’s barely scratching the surface of the subtle complexities of fine and rare Burgundy. Check this piece out for a deeper dive. Exotic, ha!

Oh, and the wine?

The subtle genius of the aromas of raspberries and lavender enchant from the get-go. Medium to full-bodied with dense, refined tannins that are polished, and oh-so attractive. It’s powerful, while restrained with elegance, and poise. The finish persistently reminds you of how precious this place is on a planet overflowing with great Pinot Noir vineyards, this is ground zero for the best of the best.

When Vinous remarked a decade ago that “Fréd Magnien, who seems to have been making wine forever but is still only 38 years old, continues to take his wines to ever-higher levels” they did not see wines THIS GOOD coming.

Per Burgundy specialist Master of Wine Jasper Morris of Inside Burgundy, “Frédéric Magnien is widely regarded as one of the shrewdest and sharpest young winemakers working in the Côte d’Or today. His father Michel Magnien is a well-respected vigneron who produces wine in his own right, as well as being responsible for the vineyard management of Maison Louis Latour. Frédéric Magnien is the fifth generation of his family in Morey-St-Denis. Having worked with his father after wine school, and then traveled to work with Pinot producers in California and Australia, Frédéric rejoined his father in 1993 and two years later created his own négociant label, which has proved one of the recent success stories in Burgundy.”

Finally, we get to what awaits in the bottle, from a classic vintage already reputed for the purity and clarity of its wines all over Burgundy, whites, and reds. The translucent alluring ruby is followed by an intriguing bouquet that includes tart red and black fruits, sappy flowers, toasted spice, wood smoke, and scorched earth. Silky, medium-bodied, and impeccably balanced on the palate, with nicely tucked acidity behind ample sweet fruit, it has lithe yet firm tannins and an intense yet elegant finish. It’s a haunting red that’s terrific today, yet we suspect it will continue to improve over the next decade.

Like all things fine, and finite in life, this will soon be a distant memory, make sure you snag some!