2006 Domaine J-F Mugnier Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru "Clos de Marechale"

“The Clos de la Maréchale continues to get better with every passing year that the vineyard management is in the hands of Monsieur Mugnier, and the 2006 will be a very worthy successor to the lovely 2005. The nose on the ’06 is deep and very refined for a young Nuits premier cru, as it offers up notes of red and black cherries, dark berries, a bit of espresso, refined soil tones, smoke, a touch of gamebird and raw cocoa. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, suave and polished, with a seamless palate impression, fine mid-palate depth, fine-grained tannins and excellent length and grip on the long and tangy finish. Really a first class bottle of wine in the making.” (11/2007)

“Excellent vigorous youthful colour, the fruit on the nose is very pure too and still young, red and purple in style. A wealth of juicy plum fruit with floral overtones, and then quite a raft of firm tannins but here the fruit will win easily. Food wine. Frédéric has changed his mind several times about this vintage. However, he quite likes the personality of the unpolished tannins.” (06/2018)

“Saturated red-ruby color. Pure, vibrant nose features smoky black cherry. Rich, sweet and pure, with superb energy to the flavors of black and red cherry and minerals. Impressively dense, broad wine, finishing with excellent lingering perfume and solid spine for aging. In comparison to this wine, the 2005 version seems a bit easier. (ST)” (03/2009)

“Beautiful fresh raspberry flavors appear with tannins showing a density and dryness, but the essential is the perfume and the freshness. While it is not a big wine, it does have a solid core of dense fruit, but the end is light, with just a hint of tannin. (RV)” (10/2009)

“Representing the third Mugnier estate-bottling of this monopole (long leased to Faiveley), the 2006 Nuits-St.-Georges Clos De La Marechale boasts deep, sweet black raspberry and dark cherry fruit tinged with vanilla; a plusher texture and at the same time greater clarity to nuances of peat, crushed stone, fruit pit, and mineral salts than exhibited by the 2005; and a long, soothing, yet refreshing finish. I suspect this will be worth following for the better part of a decade. It received 20% new wood, incidentally, no differently from Mugnier's other (including his grand-) crus. He vinified nine separate lots from this site's more than 20 acres, culling a portion (mostly from young vines) during the final assemblage to inform a second wine, which I have not tasted. (DS)” (12/2009)

“A somber but really very pretty nose combines soft spice elements with those of earth, plum and violet. There is impressive richness, volume and copious dry extract to the medium-bodied flavors that are still firm and serious yet the grippy finish is not especially austere or rigid. In particular I like the complexity here and while 2006 is not an elegant vintage for this wine, it still delivers solid quality plus there is more development to come for those who have the patience.” (11/2022)