With five generations of winemaking in his blood, négociant-extraordinaire Frédéric Magnien was never content to rest on his family’s laurels. After apprenticeships in his native Burgundy, he set out to broaden his horizons under the guidance of California’s Josh Jensen of Calera then in the company of Australia’s Garry Farr of Bannockburn. Upon his return, he garnered a degree in oenology from the University of Dijon then founded his own Maison de Négoce in 1995. What started as an endeavor with only twenty-one barrels of wine now produces over a thousand. Magnien uses only natural yeasts for fermentation in cement tanks then ages the wine in neutral French oak. His wine is bottled without fining or filtration and this particular result is perfect example of the Vosne appellation’s purity and class.

 

This Vosne-Romanée Les Champs Perdrix exhibits a pale ruby core with garnet reflections on the rim. The nose offers aromas of pure, clean elegance with wild strawberry, fresh cherries, red plum and pomegranate intricately laced with wet roses, tree moss, forest floor, black wild mushrooms, wet clay and a touch of exotic spices. The medium-bodied palate offers a velveteen mouthfeel with seamless tannins and perfectly balanced acidity. Confirming the aromatics, the complex flavor profile further reveals a bounty of wild red berries driven by forest floor, dew-kissed red flowers and wet savory herbs. I highly recommend waiting a minimum of 2-3 years to enjoy this bottle. Although it is delicious now, you will only derive a small amount of the potential it will undoubtedly reveal around the year 2020. If you simply cannot wait, open without decanting and allow the wine to breath for an hour before enjoying at cellar temperature in large Burgundy stems. However, your patience will be greatly rewarded if you can keep this gem hidden in a cold dark spot for at least a few years. I promise you will be happy you did.