2009 - Musigny Grand Cru, Jacques-Frederic Mugnier

The 2009 Musigny is a huge, structured wine within the context of the domaine. Big, tannins support a highly expressive core of dark fruit, smoke and licorice. This is a decidedly powerful, almost extreme style of Musigny that will require considerable patience to settle down. An explosive, mineral-drenched finish lingers on the palate. The 2009 is flat-out dazzling. Wow. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2039. Frederic Mugnier insists that his 2009s will outlive his 2010s. Tasting these 2009s from bottle, it hard to argue with that view. A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet, various American importers, including: Martin Scott Wines, Little Neck, NY; tel. (516) 327-0808; Veritas Imports, Beverly Hills, CA; tel. (310) 205-3803; Toepfer Imports LLC, CO; tel. (303) 818-7640

This is more closed up initially than I expected from this hot vintage, certainly not as open or exuberant as the 2015. But with coaxing a spicy nose emerges. On the palate it is round, generous and harmonious and becomes more so with air. The wine has lots of everything, red and black fruit and evident structure. More elegant certainly than most 2009s, this eventually develops spicy, earthy and mineral notes. This is a great wine already and will only get better.

Not racked. Not much on nose. But massive sweetness on the palate – quite different from the delicate austerity of de Vogüé and confident delayed explosion of Roumier. Very come hither at first though quite tight on the palate. Rather more ‘made’ than the casual Roumier version. Even a little raw. Exciting and explosive but quite drying on the finish. Maximum 20% new oak even for this. (JR)