Domaine Michel Magnien has evolved into a Burgundy producer of individual style and philosophy from their cellars located in the village of Morey-Saint-Denis. Michel Magnien was born in 1946 and worked alongside his father Bernard from a young age. The Magniens sold their grapes to the local cooperative until 1993 when his son Frédéric joined the family business and persuaded his father to bottle the entire harvest themselves under their own domaine label. Frédéric also began experimenting with organic practices in the late 1990s which led him to go even further by practicing biodynamics. The entire estate was certified biodynamic by Demeter in 2015. Frédéric has also evolved the style of the wines and today élevage takes place in used oak barrels and clay jars as he does not seek a new oak influence in his wines.
The domaine’s 18 hectares are spread across the villages of Morey-Saint-Denis, Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, and Vosne Romanée, with holdings in several premier cru and grand cru vineyards, including grand crus Clos de la Roche, Clos Saint-Denis, and Charmes-Chambertin. The biodynamic method aims at revitalizing and at intensifying the organic life in the vine root environment . This process has the effect of giving more life to the soil, increasing the vine’s ability to reveal the true expression of its Burgundian terroir. Frédéric’s hand-turned terracotta jars (amphora) are aromatically neutral and have been used in the partial ageing of wines ever since the exceptional 2015 vintage. This vessel ensures that a more appetising organic wine results – a wine that respects the purity of the fruit and the truth of its soil. The average age of the vines is 50 years. Soils are mainly calcareous clay. The manually-harvested Pinot Noir grapes are partially destemmed at various percentages depending on the site and vintage. Fermentation is spontaneous with natural yeasts. The wines are bottled without fining or filtration.
Burgundy, France
Cullen –
Good value Burgundy
Good value Burgundy