2003 Michel Magnien Clos de la Roche

Domaine Michel Magnien has a long and somewhat complicated history typical of the family domaines of Burgundy. Michel Magnien is a fourth-generation producer who worked for decades with his father, sometimes as a tenant farmer. Today his son Frederic, who also has his own domaine, is part of the business, along with Dominique, Michel’s wife. Domaine Michel Magnien owns about 25 acres of Grand Cru, Premier Cru and Villages vineyards and it is based in Morey Saint Denis. There are important parcels in Gevrey-Chambertin, Les Cazetiers, Morey Saint Denis, Clos de la Roche and Clos Saint Denis. Robert M. Parker Jr. has noted that the wines of Michel Magnien possess “a good deal of charm and character.”

Clos de la Roche is a 41-acre Grand Cru vineyard in the Morey St.-Denis appellation in the Cotes de Nuits, in northern Burgundy. The tiny village of Morey St.-Denis is just south of Gevrey-Chambertin and Clos de Roche is considered the appellation’s most superior Grand Cru. The vineyard’s elevation ranges from 270 to 300 meters, and its soil is extremely rocky with excellent drainage. The soil is largely limestone, and in some places it is barely a foot deep. Writer Clive Coates calls Clos de Roche “the classiest of the Morey Grand Crus.” The largest landholders are Ponsot with 8.35 acres; Dujac, 4.88 acres; and Armand Rousseau, 3.7 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.