INTRODUCTION
This is the fifth ‘En Primeur’ offer of the wines of Domaine Stéphane Magnien by Corney & Barrow Hong Kong and Singapore.
Stéphane has been in charge of the family domaine since 2008 but, as he often says, his father is never far away. He likes to take advice from the ‘elders’. Yes, humility is one of Stéphane’s many character traits. He is also passionate about terroir expression, always aiming to let the land shine through his hands-off winemaking. He believes great wines are made in the vineyard and therefore pays a lot of attention the vines and the soil, protecting them both. He wants to preserve this heritage, to pass it to the next generation in better condition that he received it. 2021 was a heart (and back) breaker but I can confirm his wines are delicious, having tasted them in April 2022. I just wish that more had been made (no Morey Monts-Luisants in 2021) and that we had more to offer. I strongly suggest you buy some for your collection.
Thibaut Mathieu
Managing Director, Corney & Barrow Asia
THE DOMAINE
Domaine Stéphane Magnien is located in Morey-Saint-Denis. The range is very exciting, covering the village, premier cru and grand cru tiers of Morey-Saint-Denis.
There are some village and premier cru wines of the next-door neighbour Chambolle-Musigny. There is as well a Charmes-Chambertin. 80% of the vineyards are in the commune of Morey-Saint-Denis.
Founded in 1847 by Victor Magnien, the domaine’s holdings cover 4.4 hectares, with an average vine age of around 50 years. There is a high proportion of Pinot Tordu, a clone of Pinot Noir producing particularly small berries.
Stéphane is the fourth generation to run the estate, the family having started to make wine at the beginning of the 1900s. The chai is in the family house, dating back from the 18th century. Jean-Paul Magnien, Stéphane’s father, was the first to bottle the wines under the family name, rather than selling them to negociants. Stéphane took over in 2008, which was his first solo vintage.
VITICULTURE AND WINEMAKING
The domaine’s vineyard work is carried out by hand. Strict green harvesting helps to control yields and maintain concentration. The grapes are sorted in the vineyard at harvest time. Pesticides and herbicides are avoided. Historically all the work of ploughing was done by horse although in the late ‘80s, small tractors were introduced. A living soil is very much a priority here, as is a deep root network.
Winemaking is traditional and minimal-intervention. All grapes are destemmed with the exception of the Aligoté. Fermentation lasts about two weeks using wild yeast, in stainless steel tanks. This is Stéphane’s only nod to modernism: after taking over from his father, he replaced the 50 year-old oak tanks with stainless steel ones.
Stéphane looks for elegance, a sense of fruit and terroir expression. He does not force extraction. The reds are aged in barrel for up to two years, in “new” barrels (by which Stéphane actually means one-to-five year-old barrels!) for the first year and in “used” ones afterwards. It can be inferred that new oak use is minimal! The village wines see 15% of “new” oak, the premiers crus about 20% and the grands crus about 35%. The wines are bottled without filtration and fining.
THE WINES
THE 2021 VINTAGE
The domaine sadly lost 50% of its crop in 2021, due mainly to the devastating three nights of frost in April.
The scene was set by a mild and sunny winter. The high temperatures of mid-March (25°C) led to rapid budbreak at month-end. At this stage, the vines were almost on a par with the very early seasons of 2019 and 2020.
However, temperatures then fell dramatically, to -8°C in places, for almost 11 hours. The best that could be done was, with almost painful symbolism, to light candles (‘bougies’) in the vineyards, to fractionally raise the temperature of the immediate vicinity.
Following the frost, vine growth slowed dramatically amid cool, rainy conditions in April and May. The rhythm only properly resumed amid warmer spells in June. These were erratic however, interspersed with storms. A short heatwave from 15th to 19th June kick-started flowering, which was completed rapidly (in barely a week), with the bunch closure stage reached around mid-July.
July was gloomy and wet, bringing a malevolent surge of mildew pressure. The terrible twins of powdery mildew (oidium) and downy mildew were a nagging threat, requiring constant vineyard treatments.
The second half of August saw the long-awaited re-emergence of the sun, along with a significant rise in temperatures. Things were finally looking up: this run of clement weather lasted throughout the first half of September, allowing the ripening process to catch up.
Picking was inevitably a compromise between descending acidities, creeping ripeness and the simmering threat of rot and mildew. Some rain around harvest served to further lower the acidities. Harvest took place around a month later than in 2020.
The grapes were relatively small, with a high skin-to-juice ratio, resulting in wines of texture. Thanks to their high levels of malic acid, there is a nice tangy freshness to the wines.
Bottling at the domaine started in December 2022.
COTEAUX BOURGUIGNONS ‘PURE PINOT’
This is a 0.5 hectare holding, producing a pleasantly juicy, herbaceous, early-drinking style. The plot is in the Morey-Saint-Denis village appellation and used to be blended into the Passetoutgrain. Two thirds Gamay, one third Pinot Noir. Half is in old oak, half in stainless steel. Bright and raspberry fruited, with pretty perfume and crunchy fruit. A wine of purity and perfume, with bright acidity.
Corney & Barrow Score 17
Recommended drinking from 2023–2027
MOREY-SAINT-DENIS GRAINS FINS
This is made from two gravelly limestone parcels in the lieu-dit Les Crais Gillon, both located towards the bottom of the slope near the road. The vines are 12-14 years old. Sweet dark cherry fruit, again with a fabulous purity of red and black fruit.
Corney & Barrow Score 17+
Recommended drinking from 2024 – 2029
MOREY-SAINT-DENIS VIEILLES VIGNES
The vines here are nearly 60 years old, growing on clay-heavy soils. This comes from two parcels, on either side of the Route Nationale. Deeper, darker fruit, with chalky tannins and fresh acidity. A great example of Morey-Saint-Denis. Long and focused on the finish.
Corney & Barrow Score 17-17.5
Recommended drinking from 2024 – 2029
CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY VIEILLES VIGNES
This 0.26 ha holding, in Les Athets, at the bottom of the village, was planted in 1902 and 1903, before the creation of the appellation system. Around 15% of the original plantings remain: these are ungrafted, on their own roots. Although not tasted this year, due to the very small quantities made, this tends to be a brightly red-fruited wine with supple tannins.
CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY 1ER CRU LES SENTIERS
This 0.42 ha holding is just below Bonnes-Mares. The vines are 60 years old on average. Airy aromas of violets, peonies and roses. A delicately spicy, sappy palate of fine raspberry fruit, with gently fruit-coated tannins.
Corney & Barrow Score 18
Recommended drinking from 2024 – 2029
MOREY-SAINT-DENIS 1ER CRU CUVÉE AUX PETITES NOIX
This is named after the walnut trees which must have grown nearby in the past. It is a blend of three premiers crus in the centre of the village, Mont Luisants, Les Gruenchers and Clos Baulet, which have a high clay content, making for a powerful style of wine, which is moderated by the 20% whole-bunch vinification, the only wine for which Stéphane employs this method.
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5
Recommended drinking from 2024 – 2030
MOREY-SAINT-DENIS 1ER CRU LES FACONNIERES
This is a 0.6 hectare plot situated below Clos de la Roche. These are poor, dusty, free-draining soils whose vines average 48 years of age (two thirds is 80 years old). “A super premier cru”, according to Stéphane. Darkly berried, with the fine tannic structure of Morey, rather majestic.
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5+
Recommended drinking from 2024 – 2030
CLOS SAINT-DENIS GRAND CRU
The vineyard from which the village of Morey-Saint-Denis takes its name, Clos-Saint-Denis has a subsoil of friable limestone. The domaine has 0.32 hectares. Very small millerand berries here. Dark and ferrous, with steely, stony minerality and racy acidity. A thrilling wine of linear drive. This receives 12 months of oak ageing.
Corney & Barrow Score 18+
Recommended drinking from 2027 – 2039
CHARMES-CHAMBERTIN GRAND CRU
A mere 0.19 hectares, located in Mazoyères-Chambertin, although this has always been labelled Charmes-Chambertin, as is permitted. The average vine age here is nearly 40 years. This is poised between dark and red berries, with soaring spices on the nose offsetting an impressively structured palate of chalky, fruit-coated tannins. Sappy and focused on the long finish. A wine of stature and ageing potential. It will be given 12 months of oak ageing.
Corney & Barrow Score 18
Recommended drinking from 2027 – 2039