2018 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru

"After the 2003 vintage I said that I would never pick in August," winemaker Frédéric Mugnier tells me with a smirk on his face, recalling the year harvesters began on 1 September. "Well, I guess I have changed that view!" My conversation with Mugnier is consistently one of the most enlightening and candid during my visits and his comments symbolize the seachange of opinion towards the growing season and the timing of the harvest with global warming now accepted as a real phenomenon. "The vines suffered from drought because there was no rain from July. I picked Bonnes Mares on 28 August. There were three parts of the harvest. The Bonnes-Mares was followed by the other wines in Chambolle-Musigny from 1 to 3 September and then I waited until the 8 September to pick the Clos de Maréchale that had been hit by hail twice in July. Two hailstorms affected our vineyard in Nuits-Saint-Georges and both were very static and didn’t move much. The hail stones were small but they fell for around 30 minutes." Mugnier pointed out that his vines now seem to be achieving higher acidity levels since the 2015 vintage. "The vines have adapted since that vintage," he opined. "They now achieve lower pH levels naturally." As is customary I tasted through the 2018s from barrel and 2017s in bottle, plus the 2013 Musigny Vieilles Vignes, due for release, sectioned off for a Cellar Favorite." Contrary to status, as usual I prefer his Les Amoureuses to the Bonnes-Mares, understand why he serves the Grand Cru first (though a recent bottle of 2010 Bonnes-Mares proved how it can produce a great wine in a benevolent growing season.) The crown jewel, his Musigny Vieilles Vignes, was completely entrancing although like previous vintages, Mugnier will not release it until he feels it is ready.