2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Champerrier, Domaine Henri Magnien
£64.75
(£57.50 per bottle)
Save 11% on a case of 6 bottles
6 in stock
Description
Champerrier is a red-soil vineyard on the northern, Brochon side of Gevrey, lying where the slope begins to soften, downhill from the First Growths. Vine-age averages 60 years, and the wine aged 50% in new barrels, with 50% in barrels which held one previous vintage. 10% whole bunches went into the vat, giving a wine of bright, rich purple colour, with exceptionally fresh aromas. Palate shows rich concentration of fresh fruit, with charm, fine length and a sweet finish (for drinking 2022-2028+).
Brand
Brand
Domaine Henri Magnien
Clients with long memories will recall that we shipped wines from this estate in the mid-1980s – when Henri, the grandfather of Charles Magnien, who now runs the estate, was in charge. The Domaine has extraordinary vineyard-holdings on the Côte Saint-Jacques. This is a hillside of Gevrey-Chambertin First Growths, above the village, which narrowly missed classification as Grands Crus, in the 1930s.
Since taking over the reins, Charles has been determinedly bringing it back up to the level which made his grand-father’s wines exceptional. Charles makes a point of preserving and propagating the “Pinot Noir Magnien”, whose existence dates from 1850, giving grapes with thick skins, and only small amounts of juice. Working closely with his cooper, he has developed his own, lightly-fired but long-time-toasted oak barrels, with the object of eliminating the vanilla or coffee aromas which may come with heavier toasting. “I search to produce fine wine, not tannic wine – wine you can drink young, and keep if you want,” says Charles. He is a new star in Gevrey-Chambertin, whose wines we were the first to re-introduce to UK Burgundy-lovers in 2018, with the 2016 vintage.