J.F. Mugnier

Viewing wine as a mouthpiece for nature has long since ceased to be a rarity among the top producers in Burgundy. In recent decades, the most legendary winemakers have proudly embraced the mantle of organic or biodynamic producers. With this method, however, some deliver a quality that few can match. One of those producers is Frédéric Mugnier.

Frédéric's domain, named after his father Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier, is located around Nuits Saint-Georges and has flourished since 1984 under his leadership. It is striking that Mugnier says he knew nothing about the production process when he took over the family estate, since he spent most of his working life as a mechanic for an oil company. Yet he has managed to bring some downright legendary vintages to the market.

Mugnier owes part of his success to his philosophy: one of subtraction. In culinary terminology, this means that each ingredient is expressed in its purest and most refined form, with as few unnecessary additives as possible. For Mugnier, this means letting nature do its job. Preserving as much as possible the natural flora and fauna of the vineyard. Ensuring that the grape echoes the unique complexity of the soil in which it grows. Minimizing pesticides and unnecessary additives.

It is well known that this method has resulted in some fantastic wines. This also applies to the magnums that will be available at the auction in June. For example, Sylvie's has several bottles of 2006 Musigny in its catalog this round (lot 1510, 1511), also in magnum format (lot 1517, 1518). According to David Schildknecht, this vintage is a great example of how Mugnier's approach pays off:

“Cassis, blackberry, licorice, vanilla, smoky black tea, and lily perfume wafting from the glass of Chateau de Chambolle's 2006 Musigny seduce the senses. The sheer sappy, palate-staining bittersweet fruit concentration here is remarkable, with the wine's strong undertone of wet stone seemingly acting as a sounding board. This displays an uncanny combination of sheer density with reverberative, vibrant energy and buoyancy that are consistent with the best wines of this vintage.” - (95-96)/100, David Schildknecht, The Wine Advocate


According to Mugnier, anyone who opens this bottle, or one of the other vintages that will be auctioned in June, would do well to forget all background information about its production process. According to him, the focus should be on the clean purity of the wine and nature, not on the winemaker himself. Like many wine lovers, he expresses his ideas in art metaphors:


“The winemaker is not an artist, but there are similarities. Just thinking of dance. If you look at a dancer and think, "Wow, she must have spent days of hard work!" then I think she has failed. It should look easy, it should look perfectly natural. You should just see the beauty, not the hard work behind it.”


J.F. Mugnier: lots 1348, 1353, 1360, 1510, 1511, 1512, 1516, 1517
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