2010 Dominique Mugneret Romanee St. Vivant

Dominique Mugneret is a 19-acre estate based in Vosne-Romanee. It was founded in 1935 when Marcel Mugneret created Domaine Marcel Mugneret. As it was passed from father to son, the estate became Domaine Denis Mugneret and then, in the late 1990s when Dominique Mugneret took over, the estate’s name was changed to reflect the new generation at the helm. Today the estate makes wine from 13 Cote de Nuits appellations. It has a Grand Cru parcels in Echezeaux and Romanee-St.-Vivant, and Premier Crus in Nuits St. Georges. There are also village wines. Some 3,125 cases are produced annually.

Romanee-Saint-Vivant is a 23-acre Grand Cru vineyard just on the northern edge of the commune of Vosne-Romanee in the Cote de Nuits. The vineyard faces east, has a gentle incline and an elevation of 250 to 265 meters. The soil is clay and limestone. Principal producers of Romanee-Saint-Vivant are Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, with 13.23 acres; Leroy, with 2.48 acres; and Domaine de Corton-Grancey/Louis Latour, with 1.9 acres.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.