Domaine Henri Magnien

It is always very exciting to come across new domaines bursting at the seams with potential, and just as they begin to blossom. Tucked away at the top of Gevrey-Chambertin, we have found another in the shape of the rapidly evolving estate of young Charles Magnien, who has completed the construction of a jaw-dropping new cuverie – gouged out of the stone of Gevrey, just below the vineyard of Cazetiers! This is a true Gevrey domaine with six hectares of vines only in Gevrey. There are various village plots, most of which are blended, four Premier Crus and an excellent parcel of 0.4 hectares of the beautiful Grand Cru Ruchottes-Chambertin. There are plenty of old vines, some over 100 years old, although the estate’s average is around 45/50 years. Work in the vineyards is thorough and moving ever closer to a fully organic approach with many organic treatments already being used. When the harvest is brought in, all the bunches are destemmed apart from a selection of the best ones from the four 1ers Crus, which are vinified as whole clusters to produce just one barrel of a special cuvée called Carac Terres. New oak varies from 25% for village wines, 50% for the 1ers Crus up to 100% for the Ruchottes and Carac Terres. Pigeage (pumping down) is kept to a minimum with a preference for remontage (pumping over) to keep the extraction as light as possible. There are no pumps in the cuverie, and the bunches are moved around by gravity to keep the berries whole as long as possible, which is better for fragrance and tannin. The gentle extraction during vinification is a key element here, highlighting rather than overpowering the vibrant minerality of the 1ers and Grand Crus.