2005 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Clos de la Maréchale- France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru (8/14/2020)
Decanted for 45 minutes. Opaque darker ruby. Nose of fulsome violets, spicy fine earth, saline, sharp cherry, iron particles. Layers of jeweled dark berry, enmeshed dirt, ferric notes, and waves of rolling plum on the satin-textured palate. Freshening acidity and firm, fine-grained tannin leading to a long finish of red and black fruit gripped by earth and iron. Crags of Nuits relieved by what seemed to be the elegant presence of Chambolle. So much going on with this wine. (93 pts.)
By chance I opened up the 12 last night. A touch foursquare when opened but unfurled a bit after four hours in decanter. Begging for 5 more years of slumber.
These are NSGs made by a Chambolle master. Cherry and a touch of smoke is how I’d describe the Marechale.
Nice descriptors. He is indeed a master. Met M. Mugnier once at the domaine and he was very gracious. I have collected the Marechale and his Chambolle Fuees.
Agree re. the 2005, this has turned out so well and actually drinks nicely now, unlike many still-reticent 2005s. From barrel and just after bottling, the 2015 of this particular wine was a dead-ringer for the 2005, by the way!
I appreciate your very informed comments, on this and in general. I had not expected the wine to be so open, and am glad to have selected one of the few 05’s showing well at the moment. Will look for the 2015!
I sampled the 2006 a few months ago and enjoyed it very much. If you have a bunch, it might be worth the plunge. Good to know the 2010 is showing well.
Given how charming the Marechale '05 is, I reckon it could be surprisingly fun to drink already.
It is funny to think that, tasting Mugnier’s 2005 reds and Coche’s 2005s whites, one would arrive at an entirely unrepresentative impression of the vintage. The question is, is that because they did everything right, or because many other producers did everything wrong?
Absolutely. The potential was clearly there, as evidenced by the great wines that were made by the likes of Coche and Mugnier; but equally, I think a lot of that potential was wasted. Tasting 2005s today, the wines often feel more like the vintage that marks the end of the long 1990s rather than the beginning of something new.
You know, I sometimes wonder if '05 has some '86 Bordeaux vibes… Certainly, as you say, that can’t be what '05 Burgundy giants were pushing towards, but if the result would eventually be elegant giants in middle/older age, I’d be fascinated (and less aggrieved than most, I suppose).
So far, we are seeing a lot of fat and / or oxidized whites, and a lot of rather oaky, extracted reds; to the extent that the vintage’s reputation is increasingly made by the exceptions to the rule…
