Domaine Stéphane Magnien Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Monts Luisants 2020

Domaine Stéphane Magnien Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Monts Luisants is a red from the steep slope above and west of Clos de la Roche.

Just 0.15 hectares of shallow, stony ground high on the hillside, ploughed by hand and horse; a year in cask with twenty per cent new wood, a brief rest in tank, then bottling without fining.

Mocha and red fruit on the nose, silky tannins and well-judged wood across the palate. Serve at 16-18°C with roast veal, wild mushrooms or a board of aged cheeses.

*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-bodied, Dry
Grape Varietal: Pinot Noir
Tastes Like: A premier cru red Burgundy with some bottle age: Pinot Noir with silky tannins
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: Les Monts Luisants: just 0.15 hectares of shallow, stony ground on the steep slope above and west of Clos de la Roche, ploughed by hand
Aging: A year in French oak casks with twenty per cent new wood, a brief rest in tank, then bottled without fining
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.

The family's Monts Luisants is a plot of just 0.15 hectares, high on the steep slope above Clos de la Roche, so small and stony that it is worked by hand. With so few vines, only a very small amount is made. The 2020 has a few years of bottle age and is drinking well now.

Veal: Veal paupiettes braised with mushrooms
Mushrooms: Wild mushrooms on brioche with a fried egg
Poultry: Roast guinea fowl with sage
Pork: Pork rack with a mustard crust

Soumaintrain: A gentle washed-rind cheese from northern Burgundy, soft enough for a silky premier cru
Délice de Bourgogne: A rich Burgundian triple-cream
Abondance: A supple, nutty Alpine cheese
Mimolette (aged): Firm and savoury, a good contrast with a lighter red

Paupiettes de Veau aux Champignons (Stuffed Veal Rolls Braised with Mushrooms)

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 8 thin veal escalopes (about 80g each), flattened between baking paper
• Stuffing: 250g pork sausage mince, 1 French shallot, finely chopped, 2 tbsp chopped parsley, 2 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs, 1 egg yolk, salt and pepper
• 8 thin slices speck or streaky bacon
• 30g butter and 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 brown onion and 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 250g button mushrooms, halved
• 125mL dry white wine
• 250mL chicken or veal stock
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay, parsley)
• Kitchen string

Instructions:

1. Mix the stuffing ingredients. Lay out the escalopes, season, and put a spoonful of stuffing in the centre of each. Roll up, wrap each in a slice of speck and tie with string.
2. Heat the butter and oil in a casserole and brown the paupiettes all over. Remove.
3. Add the onion and carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes more. Stir in the tomato paste, then the wine, and let it bubble for 2 minutes.
4. Return the paupiettes, add the stock and bouquet garni, cover and simmer gently for 40-45 minutes, turning once.
5. Lift out the paupiettes and remove the string. Reduce the sauce until slightly thickened, season and pour over. Serve with mashed potatoes or buttered rice.

Paupiettes de veau are a much-loved French family dish, sold ready-tied at every butcher in Burgundy and gently braised at home on weekends. The tender veal and mushroom sauce are delicate and savoury, a good setting for the silky texture of a premier cru Pinot Noir with a few years in bottle.