Frédéric Magnien

The history of Frédéric Magnien

Born in May 1969 in the heart of the Côte de Nuits, Frédéric Magnien is the fifth generation of his family to grow wine grapes in Morey-Saint-Denis. The Magniens have tended vines in the village since the 19th century; his grandfather Bernard and then his father Michel patiently assembled holdings in some of the Côte de Nuits’ finest climats. From 1987 to 1991, Frédéric learned the trade alongside his father at Domaine Michel Magnien. To broaden his horizons, he then headed to California, where he worked with Josh Jensen at Domaine Calera, and on to Australia, where he worked with Gary Farr at Bannockburn Vineyard. Returning for the 1993 harvest, he enrolled at the University of Burgundy and graduated with a qualification as an enology technician.

He was also the one who persuaded his father to bottle the entire family harvest, much of which had previously gone to the cooperative. Then, in September 1995, he made one of the most important decisions of his life: founding a company under his own name as a négociant and winemaker. His aim was clear: to distinguish the work of the grape grower from that of the winemaker and showcase the growers’ efforts. Because he does not own the vines, Frédéric Magnien plays an essential advisory role for his partners, working with them throughout the year. This approach allows him to select old-vine plots in some of Burgundy’s most prestigious appellations and purchase exceptionally high-quality grapes, harvested at optimal ripeness by his own teams. Since 1996, every stage of winemaking has followed lunar cycles, and the house committed to organic farming in 2008, obtaining certifications beginning in 2012.

Frédéric Magnien’s terroirs and vines

The house’s strength lies in the breadth and quality of its vineyard plots. Frédéric Magnien vinifies around forty climats across the Côte de Nuits, from Fixin to Nuits-Saint-Georges via Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Flagey-Echézeaux and Vosne-Romanée, with a few notable ventures into the Côte de Beaune at Corton, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Saint-Romain. It is rare to see so many different climats vinified under one name, making this range a veritable map of Burgundy’s vineyards in wine form.

The selection criteria remain constant: old vines, generally over forty years old, grown on clay-limestone soils cultivated without pesticides or insecticides. Frédéric Magnien has made the bold choice to embrace biodynamics, a holistic approach that goes beyond maintaining soil life, as organic farming does, to stimulate it and revitalize the terroirs. It relies on specific preparations and takes lunar phases into account, since the Moon has a strong influence on liquids, particularly the sap of the vines. This method strengthens the plants’ vitality and resilience by improving exchanges between the soil and roots, encouraging deep rooting and a more faithful expression of each climat. His teams tend the vines themselves throughout the season and harvest the grapes by hand, safeguarding their quality from vineyard plot to vat.

Frédéric Magnien’s winemaking

The grapes are harvested by hand, swiftly brought to the cellars in Morey-Saint-Denis and carefully sorted. The Pinot Noir is partially destemmed, with the proportion varying by site and vintage; Frédéric Magnien retains only perfectly ripe stems that can integrate into the wine without adding vegetal bitterness. Fermentations are carried out with minimal intervention and respect for the fruit, and every stage of winemaking has followed lunar cycles since 1996. Each climat is vinified separately to preserve its distinct identity.

Aging is the house’s most recognizable signature. Beginning with the exceptional 2015 vintage, Frédéric Magnien introduced ceramics into his cellars. Aromatically neutral, a stoneware amphora or jar allows micro-oxygenation without imparting woody notes, producing wines that are more approachable, crystalline and true to both the purity of the fruit and the character of the terroir. This aging complements traditional aging in older barrels, which refines the cuvées’ mineral identity. This balance between wood and ceramics, now applied across the range, gives the wines a distinctive liveliness and character, far removed from the excessive oak influence that has sometimes marked the region.

Frédéric Magnien’s cuvées

The regional appellations offer a remarkable introduction. Bourgogne Pinot Noir delivers vibrant fruit and a supple structure, making it immediately appealing. Bourgogne Graviers, from gravelly soils, is tauter and more mineral, with well-defined aromas. Bourgogne Chardonnay emphasizes lemony freshness and purity in an easy-drinking style. Finally, Côte de Nuits Croix Violette is a denser Pinot Noir marked by black fruit and a hint of flowers, with the house’s characteristic precision in winemaking.

The Fixin wines mark the northern end of the Côte de Nuits. The village-level Fixin is a robust, forthright wine with black fruit and spice notes and a solid tannic foundation. Fixin Crais de Chêne, from a stonier lieu-dit, offers greater finesse and minerality, with a more graceful finish. These two cuvées offer excellent value and an introduction to the Magnien style.

The village-level Gevrey-Chambertin wines form a small collection in their own right. Les Jeunes Rois, from the lower slope, yields a fleshy, inviting wine. Les Seuvrées stands out for its density and forest-floor notes, with firm but well-rounded tannins. Aux Champs-Chenys, next to the grands crus, offers greater depth and a spicy structure. Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes, a blend of old-vine plots, captures the best of the appellation in a powerful, distinguished style.

The Gevrey-Chambertin premiers crus take things up a notch. Petite Chapelle, next to Chapelle-Chambertin, stands out for its structure and aromas of black cherry and licorice, alongside mineral notes. Lavaut-Saint-Jacques, in the Lavaux valley, brings remarkable high-altitude freshness and saline elegance, with considerable aging potential.

The village-level Morey-Saint-Denis wines reflect the family’s home village. Les Herbuottes yields a supple, fragrant wine with red fruit and sweet spice notes. Les Larrets, a lieu-dit high on the slope, is tauter and more mineral. Morey-Saint-Denis Blanc is a genuine rarity, with whites accounting for barely 5% of the village’s production: blended from Monts Luisants, Les Larrets and Les Herbuottes, it amounts to only a few barrels and offers white peach, melon and hints of nougat on a creamy palate.

The Morey-Saint-Denis premiers crus illustrate the village’s diversity. Les Ruchots, next to Clos de Tart, offers finesse and fragrance, with silky tannins. Les Blanchards emphasizes freshness and precise red fruit. Clos Sorbè, below the village, brings density and chalky minerality. Delicate Clos Baulet charms with its floral elegance and finely etched structure. Four complementary expressions of a single appellation.

The Chambolle-Musigny wines represent the pinnacle of finesse in the range. Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes sets the tone with its floral notes and silky texture. Among the premiers crus, Les Feusselottes combines concentration and delicacy; Les Sentiers, next to Bonnes-Mares, reveals remarkable complexity; Les Baudes pairs density with scents of rose and violet; Les Borniques, a tiny climat near Musigny, offers an airy character and purity; Les Fuées is intense and structured; and Les Charmes Vieilles Vignes displays remarkable velvety texture and length.

The Vosne-Romanée wines bring spice and sensuality. Aux Champs Perdrix, from the heights above the village, is a taut, fine and fragrant wine with a graceful structure. Vosne-Romanée Vieilles Vignes is deeper and fleshier, expressing the appellation’s characteristic spice and floral notes, with ripe tannins and a lingering finish.

The Nuits-Saint-Georges wines mark the southern end of the Côte de Nuits. Nuits-Saint-Georges Vieilles Vignes is powerful and firmly structured, with black fruit and leather notes. Les Longecourts, a lieu-dit on the plain, offers a softer, fruitier profile. Among the premiers crus, Les Damodes, on the Vosne-Romanée side, brings finesse and fragrance, while Les Saint-Georges, considered the appellation’s finest climat, offers dense substance, an imposing structure and exceptional aging potential.

The Côte de Beaune whites complete the range. Saint-Romain, from this high-altitude village, emphasizes saline tension and fresh fruit. Puligny-Montrachet displays floral and citrus elegance, with a focused, distinguished structure. Meursault Les Peutes Vignes brings greater volume and roundness, with white fruit, hazelnut and fresh butter notes, without ever losing its freshness.

The red grands crus stand at the pinnacle of the house’s range. Chambertin, the king of Gevrey wines, combines power, majesty and seemingly endless length, with black fruit, spice and forest-floor notes. Its historic neighbor, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, adds a floral dimension and remarkably fine tannins, with a symphony of rose and violet. Charmes-Chambertin charms with its generosity and immediate appeal, while the two single-parcel cuvées, Charmes-Chambertin Aux Charmes and Charmes-Chambertin Aux Mazoyères, offer contrasting expressions: the first softer and more floral, the second earthier, deeper and more mineral. Bonnes-Mares, spanning Chambolle and Morey, marries the power of red soils with Chambolle’s delicate finesse. Clos de Vougeot, the Côte de Nuits’ largest historic walled vineyard, offers a full-bodied, firmly structured wine with noble tannins. Finally, Echézeaux is the most seductive, brimming with lively red fruit, sweet spice and freshness, with remarkably silky tannins.

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru: the only white grand cru in the range, it comes from the limestone slopes of the Corton hill, on high-altitude marl soils. Powerful without being heavy, it combines ripe white fruit, almond, sweet spice and deep saline minerality. Its structure and tension give it exceptional aging potential, amply rewarding several years in the cellar before you open it with a fine fish dish or poultry in sauce.