Special selection by wine industry heavyweight "Monsieur TN"
This is a special selection of wines recommended by Monsieur TN of FIC WINE.
Monsieur TN is a veteran of the wine industry with over 40 years of experience. He has held key positions at a number of importers, including as brand manager for a famous Champagne house. He is involved in importing world-famous wines, including those from Bordeaux and Burgundy, to Japan. His hobbies include learning how to cook under Michelin-star chefs and going on gourmet tours.
This time, we will be looking at the Morey Saint Denis Premier Cru Climat d'Or, the signature cuvée from Domaine Michel Magnen, who has been a long-time friend of Monsieur TN for over 20 years.
From Monsieur TN to you all
Magnen's home base, Morey-Saint-Denis, is known for having the most Premier Cru (first-class vineyards) in the Côte d'Or, a region packed with Burgundy's finest vineyards. The rankings of Burgundy's wine regions, which have been determined over a long history, are well-founded and the tastes and differences are also special.
However, since Morey-Saint-Denis has many Premier Cru wines and they are not inexpensive, it is true that many producers are struggling because their quality is not being recognized.
Michel Magnen's son and winemaker, Frédéric, came up with the idea of making up for this shortcoming with an "assemblage (blend)". He wanted to blend multiple Premier Cru wines to accurately express the characteristics of the year and the Morey-Saint-Denis vineyards, while also keeping the selling price down. This was the "Climat d'Or".
Please try Frederick's masterpiece.
Brand: Domaine Michel Magnien
Product: Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru Climats d'Or
Vintage: 2018
Color: Red
Origin: France / Burgundy
Capacity: 750ml
AOC: Morey Saint-Denis Premier Cru
Grape variety: Pinot Noir
*Up to 9 bottles of other wines can be sent together for free.
COMMENT
Based in the village of Morey-Saint-Denis, this domaine owns 18 hectares in the Côte de Nuits. Frédéric, the fifth generation owner, has been proactively implementing biodynamic farming methods and improving the quality of his wines with his own unique methods, such as using wooden barrels and terracotta jars for aging. He is highly regarded by other winemakers and is one of the leading winemakers in the Côte de Nuits today.
The name of this cuvée, "Clima d'Or," comes from the way the grape leaves turn golden in the autumn sun. This special cuvée is made by blending grapes from four first-class vineyards selected by the owner, Frederic, to express the harmonious flavor that is characteristic of Morey-Saint-Denis.
WINEMAKING
Grapes are hand-picked and carefully selected. The bunches are not crushed and are soaked at low temperature before fermentation. The juice is moved by a gravity system and fermented with natural yeast. Since the 2016 vintage, about 30-50% of the wine has been aged in unglazed earthenware jars called "jars," and the rest has been aged in wooden barrels. Pigeage is done by hand before aging in wooden barrels.