JACQUES-FREDERIC MUGNIER NUITS-SAINT-GEORGES 1ER CRU CLOS DE LA MARECHALE ROUGE 2022

The historic Domaine Mugnier, established in the 1880s, showcases the distinctive terroir of their prized Clos de la Maréchale vineyard. This 9.55-hectare east-facing Premier Cru sits alongside the route nationale between Comblanchien and Premeaux, featuring limestone-clay soils studded with oolithic limestone pebbles. Some vines date back to the 1910s, planted by Frédéric's ancestors. After a 54-year lease to Domaine Faiveley ended in 2004, winemaker Frédéric Mugnier reclaimed this family treasure. The domaine practices sustainable viticulture, eschewing industrial fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides, with Frédéric's engineering background informing his thoughtful, minimal-intervention approach.

This exceptional 2022 Pinot Noir embodies Mugnier's pursuit of pure terroir expression. The wine undergoes gentle processing with 100% de-stemmed fruit and ambient yeast fermentation in open wooden vats, followed by 18 months in barrel with just 15% new oak. Additional three months in stainless steel tanks before bottling ensures remarkable clarity and elegance. The palate reveals a silky texture carrying bright red cherry and wild strawberry notes, complemented by subtle forest floor, crushed rose petals, and hints of baking spice. The wine's precise mineral backbone and vibrant acidity promise excellent aging potential while remaining approachable in its youth.

Burghound Score: (92) This is the ripest wine in the range yet the dark berry fruit and distinctly earth-suffused nose remains nicely fresh. The succulent, round and caressing but punchy medium-bodied flavors deliver solid length on the mildly warm and rustic finale that is both firm and complex. Some patience will be necessary. This is also very good.