Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier, Chambolle - Musigny, Les Fuées 2015

92-94 / 100 Robert Parker
The 2015 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées has long been the "dark horse" of the domaine and Frédéric and I concurred that this is an underrated premier cru, that here probably lies in the shadow of Les Amoureuses. It has a very harmonious, understated bouquet with slightly earthy red berry fruit that begin to open in the glass, revealing blackberry and briary scents that are gentle and detailed. The palate is medium-bodied with a pinch of spice on the entry. It feels cohesive in the mouth and comes across reassuringly "classic" in style, blackberry and pomegranate towards the long and poised finish. First things first... A tête-à-tête about the 2015 growing season, perchance the minutiae of Musigny? The attributes of Les Amoureuses versus Bonnes-Mares? No. “Frédéric...that’s a nice hi-fi you got,” I remark upon entering his office, “tell me about it.” Thereupon two audiophiles embark upon a discussion about his music system, the former engineer explaining the importance of speaker leads whose AC current flows in one direction, why vinyl is king, etc... In fact, following the tasting he invites me in for a listen and I would, had I not a pressing appointment. I wonder what he would play? He looks like a JS Bach man to me, then again, perhaps he likes a bit of Kanye in the morning. Once music talk had finished, it was time to troop down to his cellar to taste through his 2015 and some of his 2014s, passing Loulou, owner of La Dilettante restaurant on the way (how nice to see some mature vintages on their way to diners, of course, something the domaine is proactively encouraging but withholding the release of their Musigny Vieilles Vignes that lasts for about 3 nanoseconds on wine lists before being preyed upon by label hunters). “Spring was very dry until the end of July,” Frédéric told me. “Some of the vines suffered from drought, although it does not show much in the wines since it was early. Bonnes Mares is sensitive to that. There was some oïdium pressure but we had no damage from it. It was important when you applied the [anti-powdery mildew] powder. There was one day with adequate conditions to do it - a Sunday, and so you had to be flexible. There was no oïdium on the grapes though. We started picking on 8 September, on the Tuesday and finished the following Monday. The fruit was perfectly healthy and therefore no sorting was necessary, just a few bunches with a little sunburn. These can sometimes take a long time to sort out but I de-stemmed first and then used a vibrating sorting table, kind of reversing the process, which is more efficient to get rid of any burnt berries. Everything in 2015 was de-stemmed. I prefer to rack before it's too cold but everything was running a bit late this year, so nothing has been racked yet [this was late November].” I tasted from used barrels rather than new. This was one of many visits where it was absolutely crucial to spend time with the winemaker, not only to obtain insight behind the wines, but afford them time to open. Since none of them had been racked, you had to factor in that they were even more reticent and closed than their peers, at a time of year when barrel samples do go into a kind of “hibernation”. However, there is not doubt that they all exhibited wondrous delineation and transparency, each so reflective of their terroirs, some achievement given the warmth of the growing season. I always have a penchant for the two premier crus: Les Fuées and Les Amoureuses, the former often being over-looked. I’ve never been a huge fan of the Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru from Mugnier, the Musigny Vieilles Vignes often some leagues ahead. What I discerned here was an intellectual aspect to Mugnier’s 2015s. These are not as sensual as Christophe Roumier’s next door, and eschew the density of de Vogüé. They will be wines that deserve contemplation before enjoying their sheer deliciousness, as I am sure Frédéric will do whilst listening to his hi-fi in his office.
228, The Wine Advocate

17 / 20 Jancis Robinson
Much more intense than the village wine. Lots of sweetness but with a medicinal note too. No reduction here. Very fine tannins. Great polish and depth. Like a very muscular ballet dancer.
https://www.jancisrobinson.com/tastings/search?keywords=Mu..

93 / 100 Allen Meadow
A more elegant array is composed by notes of airy black cherry, violet and plum where additional breadth is present in the form of spice and lavender nuances. The sleek, rich and well-detailed flavors exude evident minerality that carries over to the balanced, clean and dry-in-the-best-sense finish that flashes a hint of youthful austerity. Lovely.
https://www.burghound.com/tnsearch/index.php?id=265547