Domaine Stéphane Magnien Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Aux Petites Noix 2024

Domaine Stéphane Magnien Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Aux Petites Noix brings two premier cru plots together under one label.

Clos-Baulet and Les Gruenchers add up to well under half a hectare of deep clay planted in the 1970s; fifteen to twenty per cent whole bunches go into the vat, with a fifth new wood over twelve months.

Colour is dense with a violet cast, the palate complex and smooth, the finish drawn out. Serve at 16-18°C with braised beef cheek, a mushroom pie or mature Cheddar.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.

Type: Red Wine
Style: Medium to full-bodied, Dry
Grape Varietal: Pinot Noir
Tastes Like: A premier cru red Burgundy: Pinot Noir combining structure and perfume, the classic Morey-Saint-Denis balance
Alcohol Percentage: 13%
Closure: Cork
Size: 750mL
Appellation: Morey-Saint-Denis Premier Cru AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, France's protected designation of origin; premier cru is the second-highest of Burgundy's four vineyard ranks)
Region: Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France
Terroir: Two premier cru plots, Clos Baulet and Les Gruenchers, together well under half a hectare of deep clay planted in the 1970s
Aging: Fifteen to twenty per cent whole bunches in the vat, then twelve months in French oak with a fifth new wood
Serving Temperature: 16-18℃

Domaine Stéphane Magnien is a small family estate in Morey-Saint-Denis, in Burgundy's Côte de Nuits, with its cellar in the 18th-century family house just behind the village church. Stéphane is the fourth generation, after Victor, Félix and his father Jean-Paul. Félix made the wine but sold it to négociants (merchant houses); Jean-Paul was the first to bottle it under the family name, and Stéphane took over in 2008 after several years working alongside him. The domaine is tiny, under five hectares across village, premier cru and grand cru sites in Morey-Saint-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny and Gevrey-Chambertin, and many of the vines are old, a good share of them the small-berried Pinot Tordu. The vineyards are ploughed and no herbicides are used, the wines are fermented with natural yeasts, and they are bottled without fining or filtration.

Aux Petites Noix, named after walnut trees, combines two premier cru plots, Clos Baulet and Les Gruenchers, which together make up well under half a hectare of deep clay planted in the 1970s. In 2024 some of the grapes went into the vat as whole bunches, unusual for a domaine that destems most of its fruit. This is the newest release and one for the cellar.

Bistro: Crumbed tripe with garlic mayonnaise (tablier de sapeur)
Beef: Braised beef cheeks with mash
Pies: Mushroom and thyme pie
Pork: Pork belly with apple and cider

Trou du Cru: A small Burgundian washed-rind cheese in the Époisses style
Soumaintrain: A gentler washed-rind cheese from northern Burgundy
Saint-Marcellin: Soft and runny, from near Lyon, a bouchon favourite
Cheddar (mature): Firm and savoury, it stands up to the wine's structure

Tablier de Sapeur (Lyon-Style Crumbed Tripe with Sauce Gribiche)

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 800g honeycomb tripe, already cleaned and cooked (ask your butcher; if raw, simmer in salted water with an onion and bay leaf for 3 hours, then cool)
• Marinade: 250mL dry white wine, 2 tbsp Dijon mustard, juice of 1 lemon, 1 tbsp olive oil, pepper
• 75g plain flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 120g dried breadcrumbs
• 60g butter and 2 tbsp olive oil
• Sauce gribiche: 2 hard-boiled eggs, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, 150mL olive oil, 1 tbsp each chopped cornichons, capers, parsley and tarragon, salt and pepper
• Lemon wedges and boiled potatoes to serve

Instructions:

1. Cut the tripe into 4 large pieces, about the size of your hand. Mix the marinade ingredients, add the tripe, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
2. For the gribiche, mash the egg yolks with the mustard and vinegar, then slowly whisk in the oil. Finely chop the egg whites and stir in with the cornichons, capers and herbs. Season.
3. Drain the tripe and pat dry. Dip each piece in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, pressing to coat well.
4. Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and fry the tripe for 4-5 minutes each side, until deep golden and crisp.
5. Serve hot with the sauce gribiche, lemon wedges and potatoes.

Tablier de sapeur, the sapper's apron, is one of the best-known dishes of Lyon's bouchons, its name taken from the leather aprons once worn by army engineers. Crisp, savoury and served with a tangy herb sauce, it calls for a red with freshness and structure, and Lyon's long tradition of drinking Burgundy makes a Morey-Saint-Denis premier cru a fitting partner.