Wine Advisor
Jacques Frederic Mugnier, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru 2016
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Aromas of sweet red berries, cherries and grilled meats mingle with nuances of spices, dark chocolate and peony in a complex bouquet, introducing the 2016 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru, a full-bodied, dense and layered wine that's broad-shouldered, rich and dramatic, with a deep, succulent core of fruit and a long, precise finish. It was wide open when I tasted it, and it will be fascinating to compare with the 2015 and 2016 renditions of Mugnier's Bonnes Mares in a few years time to see if the latter remains more extravagant than the former.
About the Producer
Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier is a Burgundian wine producer based in Chambolle-Musigny. It is particularly well-known for its Musigny Grand Cru wine which is regarded as a benchmark for that vineyard. While the estate is most closely associated with Pinot Noir wines from Chambolle-Musigny, it has 10 hectares (25 acres) of vineyards in Nuits-Saint-Georges as well. The Château de Chambolle-Musigny has been owned by the Mugnier family since 1863. From 1950, as there was no winemaker in the family, the vineyards were contracted out to Faiveley and Bruno Clair, with the latter selling the wine in bulk. Between 1985 and 2004, Frédéric Mugnier was able to take back the vineyards as leases expired. On top of the Musigny Grand Cru, Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier makes a wine from the Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru vineyard, as well as two premier cru wines, Les Fuées and Les Amoureuses, and a village-level wine. From the Nuits-Saint-Georges holdings, Mugnier makes a Clos des Fourches premier cru wine, and a red and a white premier cru from the Clos de la Maréchale vineyard, which is a monopole of the domaine. Vineyards are farmed without herbicides or pesticides and just two mildew treatments per year. Grapes are de-stemmed and whole berries are fermented in old open wooden vats. After around 16 months in oak, wines are bottled without fining and filtration.
