Wine Advisor
Henri Magnien, Ruchottes Chambertin Grand Cru 2020
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2020 Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru is more high-toned on the nose than its peers, perhaps slightly later picked, showing dark berry fruit, hints of bay leaf and a very subtle licorice trait. There's fine delineation, though it's not as complex as its peers. The palate is well-balanced with fine tannins. The acidity is well-judged, with a bright, energetic, linear finish. Tightly coiled at the moment, this demands several years in bottle and time to shave its hard corners. Wow. What a wine! Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting.
Reviewed by: William Kelley
The 2020 Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru may even surpass its 2019 predecessor at maturity! Mingling aromas of wild berries and plums with hints of forest floor, rose petals and blood orange, it's full-bodied, concentrated and seamless, with velvety tannins and an elegant, sensual profile, concluding with a long, perfumed finish.
About the Producer
The Henri Magnien wines are currently made by the dynamic young Charles Magnien, a winemaker pushing boundaries within this classic Domaine. "Charles Magnien took the helm at this enviable six-hectare Domaine in Gevrey-Chambertin in 2009, and his seemingly boundless ambition is already bearing dividends. Friends with the likes of Cyrielle Rousseau, Maxime Cheurlin and Guillaume Rouget, Magnien is part of the Côte de Nuits' dynamic younger generation, but there is substance here as well as style—manifested in a renovated and well-appointed winery and, he tells me, ambitious work in the vines." The Henri Magnien wines are also unique in the Pinot Noir clone they work with. Theirs is a particularly old clonal selection, lovingly referred to as 'Pinot Noir Magnien'. Unique to their Domaine, it lends itself to a particularly intense expression of Pinot with a distinctive spicy kick
