2004 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru

Freddy Mugnier harvested early in 2005, beginning in Nuits-Saint-Georges before the ban de vendange because the grapes were already ripe (sugars reached 14% in part of the Clos de la Marechale). Mugnier, who does not normally pick late, told me that "the clones we've chosen in the last 20 years [that is, in Burgundy as a region] will not respond well to global warming. The 777 may be the most widely used clone but it's far too precocious, which can be a problem in warmer summers." He offered the opinion that "our children may be as critical of the clones we planted as we were about the clones our parents selected." Mugnier describes 2005 as "almost too smooth. The wines are not yet particularly complex because no one element yet stands out. Perfection can be boring." Mugnier did not include any stems in the 2005 vinifications but told me he regretted this and actually did use some whole clusters in 2006. Incidentally, Mugnier was one of a few winemakers to tell me that he is delaying punching down the cap until the fermentations get well underway, because early pigeage requires a lot of energy and crushes the berries and stresses the grape skins (Mugnier's destemmer only crushes about 20% of the grapes). "Everything interesting is in the skin walls, and we need to preserve their integrity and release these components slowly," he said. (The far more common practice is frequent punchdowns early in vinification, as a majority of winemakers believe that extraction in the presence of alcohol risks introducing harsher tannins. But those who are reconsidering this strategy-not just Mugnier but Dominique Lafon and Etienne de Montille as well-number among the more thoughtful vignerons I visit each year.) The 2005s had been racked just before my visit, following mostly late malos. (A Becky Wasserman selection; importers include Martin-Scott Wines, Ltd., Lake Success, NY) Also recommended: Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos des Fourches (86).

Just when you think you have a good grasp on a particular vintage, or on how it should have been handled by winemakers, it's time for a visit to Freddy Mugnier, who can be counted on to take a contrarian approach. Mugnier harvested early in 2004, beginning the day before the ban and carrying out little in the way of triage, except in his hailed-on parcels in Amoureuses and Bonnes-Mares. "The grapes were evenly ripe and perfectly healthy, with the highest sugars ever at this estate," he told me. The malos here were no later than usual (ending between March and July of 2005), and the wines had been racked a couple weeks before my visit. "I make every wine in the cellar exactly the same way, regardless of the vintage," Mugnier told me. "I have come to this approach progressively over time. I realized in 2003 that it was better not to change much about a vintage. The few things I changed in 2003 I regret having changed, even though the grapes were so unusual. It's better to trust the balance of nature than to attempt to compensate for what you think is missing. "