Frédéric Magnien learned winemaking from his father Michel before heading out in the early 90s to stage with Josh Jensen at Calera and Bannockburn Vineyard in Australia. When he returned to Morey-Saint-Denis in 1995, he didn't just join the family domaine—he started his own négociant operation, with a twist.

While most négociants are glorified grape (and finished wine) buyers, Magnien works his partner growers’ vineyards throughout the season. His teams do the pruning. His teams do the picking. Only older vines farmed to his organic standards make the cut.

For 15 years, he's been quietly making this Crémant as a side project. The math shouldn't work—Côte de Nuits fruit generally costs too much to make sense in sparkling wine. But when you're already working with growers in Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée, and Flagey-Echezeaux for your reds, and they have a few rows they can spare, suddenly you're making Blanc de Noirs from limestone-clay terroirs that are warmer, and offer better phenolic ripeness at lower brix than is possible in Champagne.

The result: 100% Pinot Noir, méthode Champenoise, aged four months on the lees with just 4g/L dosage. The wine pulses with notes of wild strawberries, buttered toast, white pepper, and citrus zest—the kinds of flavors that you have to pay $60+ to find in one glass of Champagne.

Why You'll Love It

• Côte de Nuits terroir at Crémant prices: This is villages-level fruit from Burgundy's most prestigious communes, where land costs make sparkling wine production nearly unheard of. This is the exception to the rule, allocated for a reason.
  

• Red wine concentration in sparkling form: Vines pruned for 45-50 HL/HA yields instead of Champagne's 100+ means better flavor development and structure. This drinks like serious wine, not party bubbles, which is why our Master Somm said “The quality for the price here is staggering.”
  

• Hard-won Allocation: After 15 years of primarily restaurant distribution, we finally secured bottles of Magnien's passion project. When word gets out that you can buy sparkling Vosne-Romanée, Chambolle-Musigny, and Morey-St.-Denis for $29, this won't last.

How to Serve It

• Chill to 46-48°F and serve in white wine glasses to appreciate the aromatics.
  

• Drink now through 2027—the wine is singing right now but will hold.
  

• The Pinot Noir structure means this works through an entire meal. Try it with roasted chicken with morels, or grilled steelhead.