1999 Michel Magnien Charmes-Chambertin

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.”

Charmes-Chambertin is a 78-acre Grand Cru vineyard in Gevrey-Chambertin that traditionally includes the acreage of nearby Mazoyeres-Chambertin. For nearly 200 years the growers of Mazoyeres have been legally allowed to sell their wines under the more famous name of Charmes-Chambertin, and virtually all of them do. Charmes-Chambertin is the largest of the Gevrey-Chambertin Grand Crus, and it generally has an excellent reputation. The slope of the vineyard is gentle and the surface soil poor. But producers including Joseph Roty, Christian Serafin, Domaine Dujac, Faiveley and Joseph Drouhin are acclaimed for their Charmes Chambertin. Principal landholders are Camus, with 14.75 acres; Perrot-Minot, 4 acres; and Armand Rousseau, 3.5 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.