Musigny 2016 mugnier

Cellar Favorite: 2016 Domaine J-F Mugnier Musigny Vieilles Vignes

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy

Neal Martin, Dec 2023

Frédéric Mugnier caused a few ripples when, tired of witnessing his Grand Crus martyred not long after bottling in restaurants around Beaune, he decided to withhold his Musigny Vieilles Vignes until he deemed it had several years’ bottle age. I wish more growers would follow his lead.

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Ten Years On: Burgundy 2013

France: Burgundy, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured

Neal Martin, Oct 2023

Ten years on, how are the 2013 Burgundies shaping up? Revisiting a random set of wines born in a challenging season, as always, shows there are gems to be found if you know where to look.

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Cellar Favorite: 2005 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet Les Vergers 1er Cru

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy

Neal Martin, Sep 2023

At an evening meal in Tokyo, I had the pleasure of tasting the excellent 2005 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Vergers 1er Cru from Jean-Marc Pillot. This was poured from magnum.

Chablis flowers copy

Where Art Thou Chablis? - Chablis 2021 & 2022

France: Burgundy, featured

Neal Martin, Sep 2023

Chablis is wrestling with an identity crisis as it confronts warmer growing seasons. Today, what do you expect from a glass of Chablis? This report delves into the 2021 and 2022 vintages that could both claim to represent contemporary Chablis.

Dauvenay alogite 2011

Cellar Favorite: 2011 Domaine d'Auvenay Bourgogne Aligoté Sous Chatelet

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy

Neal Martin, Sep 2023

Let’s get the elephant out of the room. The secondary market price for this “humble” Aligoté is around £3,000 per bottle. That is absurd. That is unbelievable. But that is reality. Someone out there is prepared to pay that amount of money for this wine, motivated by the fact that it was crafted by Lalou Bize-Leroy or perhaps motivated by pecuniary gains.

Pf 1998 copy2

Cellar Favorite: Domaine Jean-Marie Guffens Mature Pouilly-Fuissé

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy

Neal Martin, Aug 2023

I have been drinking and enjoying Jean-Marie Guffens’ wines for a quarter-century now. With his larger-than-life personality and tendency to utter the utterable, Guffens might not be everyone’s cup of tea. What cannot be denied is that he has the magic touch when it comes to making wine, and over the last two or three years, the demand for back vintages has dramatically increased.

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Moving On Up: Mâconnais 2021 & 2022

France: Burgundy, featured

Neal Martin, Aug 2023

The Mâconnais has come far over the last two decades. No longer a wine to rinse your glass, the Mâconnais now proudly boasts a clutch of newly-promoted Premier Crus. But readers should note that quality extends further than these, albeit in differing styles, in the 2021 and 2022 vintages.

Cf may302023

Cellar Favorite: 2015 Domaine Y. Clerget Meursault Les Chevalières

cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy

Antonio Galloni, May 2023

Sometime in the fall of 2016, I started hearing the buzz about Thibaud Clerget taking over his family’s domaine, thanks in large part to Damien Ravion, who worked at the time at Bistro de l’Hotel before leaving to start L’Expression, his restaurant in Beaune. A few days later, there I was, in the cellar with Clerget tasting the 2015s from barrel. The quality of the wines was immediately apparent, as was Clerget’s potential.

Morey monts luisants line up copy

Burgundy Focus 4: Ponsot’s Clos de la Roche & Morey Monts Luisants 1934-2019

France: Burgundy, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured

Neal Martin, May 2023

To celebrate 150 years of ownership, last May the Ponsot family hosted an extraordinary double vertical of their Clos de la Roche and white Monts Luisants back to the 1930s. This in-depth report examines the roles various family members have played in creating Burgundy as we know it today and reveals some ethereal wines.

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Burgundy Focus 3: Mugnier’s Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1er Cru 2007-1980

France: Burgundy, Verticals & Retrospectives, featured

Neal Martin, May 2023

This unique vertical of Frédéric Mugnier’s Musigny Grand Cru offered a chance to examine one of Burgundy’s most sought-after wines back to vintages that predate his arrival. In this instance, going back through time was not unlike witnessing someone unlearning their skill and experience.