LeDomduVin: Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Clos Vougeot Grand Cru 2018

 

Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg 

Clos Vougeot Grand Cru 2018

Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg was established in 1933 by Jeanne Gibourg and André Mugneret.

Their only son, Georges Mugneret, gradually expanded the estate holdings through successive plot purchases in parallel to his career as an ophthalmologist. This led to the creation of a second Domaine: Domaine Georges Mugneret.

Georges met his wife Jacqueline in 1958 while serving in Algeria. Upon returning to France, they married and had two daughters, Marie-Christine and Marie-Andrée.

After Georges passed away in 1988, Marie-Christine resigned from her position as a chemist to specialize in Oenology. She took over the family business with her mother. Several years later, Marie-Andrée joined them after obtaining her diploma in Oenology from the Université de Bourgogne in Dijon.

In 2009, Domaines Mugneret-Gibourg and Georges Mugneret were combined to create Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg. The same year, Jacqueline retired, and today, the estate is managed by the two sisters, Marie-Christine and Marie-Andrée. Each has two daughters (the fourth generation) who are also involved in the Domaine.

The estate spans over 8 hectares (nearly 20 acres) across nine different appellations, producing between 20,000 and 30,000 bottles of exquisite wines from Bourgogne to the Grand Crus.

The vineyards are carefully tended with respect to the environment and minimal intervention, adopting sustainable methods that enhance each plot's unique terroir expression.

All grapes are harvested by hand and thoroughly selected before de-stemming. In the cellar, the wines are fermented in tanks and aged for about 18 months in varying amounts of new oak, ranging from 10% for village wines to 70% for Grand Crus.

This Clos Vougeot is from the first parcel bought by Georges Mugneret in 1953.

The vines are planted in pebbly and gravelly soil with very low clay content, allowing them to establish deep roots easily. The resulting wine balances the power and finesse of Ruchottes-Chambertin with the elegance of Echezeaux, yet it has the most significant aging potential among these three Grands Crus.

Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Clos Vougeot Grand Cru 2018

The wine is a deep garnet color in the glass. The nose is fragrant and complex, showcasing floral and ripe cherry fruit notes alongside earthy and woody aromas. The palate is generous, rich, ample, and smooth, demonstrating an excellent balance between the fruit, the acidity, the integrated tannins, and a long lingering finish. While enjoyable now, it has strong aging potential and will improve with a few more years, rewarding those with the patience to wait.

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

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For info on their official website at https://www.mugneret-gibourg.com/fr/

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LeDomduVin: Back in action with a Quatuor

Back in action with a Quatuor

It has been a few weeks since I posted my last post. So now I have to catch up on sharing with you some of the bottles I opened these past few weeks, starting with this quatuor. 

Dom Perignon Plenitude 2 (P2) Vintage 2004

I promised myself I would write an article about Dom Perignon. I started but never finished it, yet tasting the P2 2004 reminded me why I should finish it. The regular Dom Perignon is usually pretty good, depending on the vintage, but overall, it is persistently enjoyable.  However, P2 (Plenitude 2) is a distinct step above the regular Dom Perignon. Rich, generous, unctuous, complex, and long-lasting, it has become one of my favorite Champagnes lately.  While it may not be as outstanding as the 2002 vintage, it could benefit from a touch more freshness to elevate it further.  Still, I love it.     

Pavillon Blanc du Chateau Margaux 2018

I must admit, I prefer the reds from Chateaux Margaux. Pavillon Blanc is usually good in its youth. A year or two after bottling, past that period, it becomes disjointed (in my opinion and to my palate).  So, I selected this bottle for that dinner with hesitation. Mostly to confirm my apprehension, to be frank. And I was right, it showed very poorly.  As one colleague said that night: "It tastes like diluted lemon juice with weird acidity and a bitter end!" I couldn't have described it better. I even decided not to pour it that night and poured the bottle of Domaine Leflaive instead.      

Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles 2017

I'm very fond of and sentimentally attached to Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles, as it was the first bottle of white burgundy I opened when I started working as a young Sommelier in London in 1997. Coming from Bordeaux, most of the bottles of white wines I had opened previously while working in restaurants in Bordeaux were mostly Bordeaux whites, not Burgundy. Even when I worked in Alsace and the Loire Valley, or even Paris, I never really had the opportunity to open or taste a white burgundy. It was only when I moved to London that I faced this opportunity. 

In 1997, I worked at Monte's Club on Sloan Street with two of my mentors, Yves Sauboua and Tim McLaughlin-Green, who taught me a lot during our years together. The wine list was filled with gems, notorious producers, and carefully selected bottles amongst the best from their respective appellations. 

Domaine Leflaive is unquestionably one of the best producers in the Puligny-Montrachet area. One of the members was having lunch in the club's restaurant (operated by Alain Ducasse team at the time) and ordered a bottle. It was a 1992 vintage, if I remember well. My Head Sommelier, Tim, asked me to get it from the cellar. I remember the excitement and the awe it procured me.       

I presented the bottle to the host and his guests, opened it before them, poured myself a little in a glass to taste it and ensure its quality, and then decanted it before serving it. The sensations and emotions that went through my body while tasting it were incredible.  I had never felt that way tasting a white wine.  Smooth, generous, ample, layered, complex, yet fresh, graceful, and elegant, with a lot of minerality. Almost a sense of purity and generosity with that glycerine effect coating the palate. Finely toasted and buttery, with apple and yellow stone fruits, white flowers, and stony minerality, magnificently expanding from the refreshing attack to the lingering seamless finish. What a wine! It was almost magical for a young Sommelier like me to experience such a great white Burgundy for the first time.    

27 years later, enjoyable and joyful images of this memory still come to mind whenever I open a bottle of this delectable wine. Although not the best vintage I ever tasted, the 2017 was still excellent and pleased the guests that night. As I often said, Domaine Leflaive never makes bad wines, even in lesser vintages!        

Olivier Bernstein Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru 2016

I'm not too familiar with Olivier Bernstein wines. I bought a few of his wines in the last 3 years and like them very much. Olivier Bernstein only crafts wines from old vines between 40, 60, and even 80 years of age, yielding wines of outstanding quality resulting from careful plot selection, meticulous work in the vineyards, avoiding chemical treatments, adhering to "lutte raisonnée" (or reasoned intervention) only when necessary, minimizing unnecessary practices in the vineyards and the cellar. Although acting as a Negociant, Olivier and his team take most responsibilities in the vineyards and at the cellar, attentive to the needs at every step of the winemaking procedure, from the vine to the finished bottle.  And this Mazis-Chambertin is an excellent example of Olivier's talent and dedication to great winemaking.  Loved it.  

Cheers! Santé! 

Dom 

@ledomduvin #ledomduvin #wine #vin #vino #wein @domperignonofficial #domperignon @chateaumargaux #pavillonblanc #pavillonblancduchateaumargaux @domaineleflaive #domaineleflaive @olivier.bernstein #olivierbernstein #tastingnotes #sommelier #sommelierlife #sommlife #ilovemyjob #wineyearly #lovewine

Unless stated otherwise, all rights reserved ©LeDomduVin 2024, on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, drawings, illustrations, collages, visuals, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).

LeDomduVin: Fürst Masterclass with Sebastian Fürst presented by Bachmair Wines

Fürst Masterclass with Sebastian Fürst 

presented by Bachmair Wines 

at HKGTA Town Club

Thank you to Sebastian Fürst and Karl Bachmair (@karlbachmair), as well as the team of Town Club (@hkgtatownclub), for this Masterclass on the delicious wines of Fürst (Weingut Rudolf Fürst), Germany’s greatest Pinot Noir winemaking family. 

Sebastian delighted us with an eye-opening, very detailed masterclass and tasting, where we had the pleasure to taste 11 wines (8 Pinot Noir or  Spätburgunder if you prefer + 2 Chardonnay and 1 Riesling). 

We also had the chance to have a few sommeliers and other wine people from the Hong Kong restaurant scene, including Reeze Choi (@reeze_the_sommbie), whose pertinent questions about winemaking helped us to better understand some of the winemaking processes of Fürst wines. 

I felt very honored to meet him as Reeze is one of the top sommeliers in the world (Founder of @somms_philosophy, 3rd of ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2023, and 2nd of ASI Best Sommelier of Asia & Oceania 2018) and now making his own wine in Japan. 

In 2023, Reeze Choi and Kenneth Lee, under Project 933, produced about 890 bottles of Sauvignon and Semillon blend and 300 bottles of Chardonnay in Miyoshi, Hiroshima (Japan), with Yokomachi-san of Vinoble Vineyards and Winery. 

Thank you again to Sebastian (and Karl) for this wonderful masterclass. It was a pleasure meeting and talking with you and, more significantly, tasting your wines. 

Cheers! Santé! 😁👍🍷

Dom 

@ledomduvin #ledomduvin #wine #vin #vino #wein #sommelier #sommelierlife #sommlife #masterclass #tasting #weingutfurst #sebastianfurst #sebastianfürst #karlbachmair #reezechoi #ilovemyjob #wineyearly

Unless stated otherwise, all rights reserved ©LeDomduVin 2024, on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, drawings, illustrations, collages, visuals, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).

LeDomduVin: Bacchus Tasting 11.11.2024 (2)

Bacchus Tasting 11.11.2024 

Thank you, Roland (@rolls64), for inviting me to this tasting at @bacchuswinerestaurant with some wines from @imperatricewine 

Tasting these wines under the sun, on the Bacchus terrace, with some BBQ food, oysters, salmon, and cheeses, was a really fun and enjoyable experience!

It was also a good occasion to catch up with some sommeliers and other wine people from the Hong Kong restaurant scene. Loved it. 

Roland Tram (@rolls64) 

Sébastien Chevalier (@sebchev10)

Aiolos To (@aiolos.to)

Roger Chan

Kevin Davy (@sommelierathome)

Andrii Stetsiuk (@andriistet)

Pierre-Marie Pattieu MS (@pmp_sommeliers_masterclass)

Jean-Baptiste Copot

Claire Wang (@saichodrinks)

And a few others, but I forgot their names... 😅😅😅😅

There were too many wines to mention them all. Yet, the pictures highlight my favorite among those tasted that day. 

Cheers! Santé! 😁👍🍷

Dom 

@ledomduvin #ledomduvin #wine #vin #vino #wein #tasting #sommelier #sommelierlife #sommlife #ilovemyjob #wineyearly #lovewine

Unless stated otherwise, all rights reserved ©LeDomduVin 2024, on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, drawings, illustrations, collages, visuals, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).

LeDomduVin: Bacchus Tasting 11.11.2024 (1)

Bacchus Tasting 11.11.2024 

Thank you, Roland (@rolls64), for inviting me to this tasting at @bacchuswinerestaurant with some wines from @imperatricewine 

Tasting these wines under the sun on Bacchus's terrasse with BBQ food, oysters, salmon, and cheese was a really fun and enjoyable experience!

It was also a good occasion to catch up with some sommeliers and other wine people from the Hong Kong restaurant scene. Loved it. 

Roland Tram (@rolls64) 

Sébastien Chevalier (@sebchev10)

Aiolos To (@aiolos.to)

Roger Chan

Kevin Davy (@sommelierathome)

Andrii Stetsiuk (@andriistet)

Pierre-Marie Pattieu MS (@pmp_sommeliers_masterclass)

Jean-Baptiste Copot

Claire Wang (@saichodrinks)

And a few others, but I forgot their names... 😅😅😅😅

There were too many wines to mention them all. Yet, the pictures highlight my favorite among those tasted that day. 

Cheers! Santé! 😁👍🍷

Dom 

@ledomduvin #ledomduvin #wine #vin #vino #wein #tasting  #sommelier #sommelierlife #sommlife #ilovemyjob #wineyearly #lovewine @bacchuswinerestaurant #bacchus @imperatricewine #limperatrice

Unless stated otherwise, all rights reserved ©LeDomduVin 2024, on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, drawings, illustrations, collages, visuals, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).