Domaine Stéphane Magnien Morey-Saint-Denis Vieilles Vignes 2024

Domaine Stéphane Magnien Morey-Saint-Denis Vieilles Vignes draws on the oldest village plots the family farms in the commune.

Clos-Solon and Les Cognées sit on a seam of heavier clay, planted between 1950 and 1970; twelve months in barrel, a tenth of it new, is followed by a short rest in stainless steel before an unfined bottling.

Darker in tone, with ripe cherry, proper structure and a savoury edge. Decant, serve at 16-18°C and match it with lamb, game birds or a wedge of Époisses.

*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 classic village red Burgundy: Pinot Noir with the extra depth of old vines
Alcohol Percentage: 13%
Closure: Cork
Size: 750mL
Appellation: Morey-Saint-Denis AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, France's protected designation of origin, here at village level, the rank above Burgundy's regional wines)
Region: Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France
Terroir: Clos Solon and Les Cognées, the family's oldest village plots, on a seam of heavier clay, planted between 1950 and 1970
Aging: Twelve months in French oak barrels, a tenth of them new, then a short rest in stainless steel before an unfined bottling
Serving Temperature: 16-18℃ (decant before serving)

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.

This Vieilles Vignes comes from the family's two oldest village plots in Morey-Saint-Denis, Clos Solon and Les Cognées, where a seam of heavier clay gives a darker, more structured wine than the domaine's Grains Fins. Only a tenth of the barrels are new. The 2024 is the newest release and benefits from decanting when young.

Pork: Ham in a Chablis and cream sauce
Lamb: Lamb cutlets with flageolet beans
Game birds: Roast quail wrapped in vine leaves and bacon
Vegetarian: Leek and Gruyère tart

Époisses: Burgundy's famous washed-rind cheese, and a pairing suggested for this wine
Charolais: A firm goat's milk cheese from southern Burgundy
Cantal Entre-Deux: Medium-aged and tangy, from the Auvergne
Beaufort: Rich and firm, a good match for an old-vine red

Jambon à la Chablisienne (Ham in a Chablis and Cream Sauce)

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 4 thick slices good-quality cooked ham on the bone (about 180g each)
• 40g butter
• 3 French shallots, finely chopped
• 250mL Chablis or other dry Chardonnay
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 250mL chicken or veal stock
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 juniper berries, crushed
• 200mL thickened cream
• Salt, pepper and chopped parsley
• Buttered spinach and mashed potatoes to serve

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180℃. Lay the ham slices, slightly overlapping, in a buttered baking dish.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan and cook the shallots for 3 minutes until soft. Add the wine and juniper and boil until reduced by half.
3. Stir in the flour, then the stock and tomato paste, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring.
4. Add the cream and simmer for 5 minutes more, until the sauce coats a spoon. Strain, season and pour over the ham.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes, until the ham is hot through. Scatter with parsley and serve with spinach and mash.

Jambon à la chablisienne is a traditional dish from Chablis, at the northern tip of Burgundy, where ham is gently baked in a sauce made with the local white wine. The savoury ham and creamy sauce are mild enough for a red with gentle tannins, and an old-vine village Morey-Saint-Denis brings enough depth to balance the cream.