2002 Chambolle-Musigny Les Borniques 1er Cru

Frederic Magnien told me he used a "semi-white wine vinification" to make a number of his reds in 2003.After eliminating some of the larger grapes, he did a shorter extraction, finishing the sugar fermentations at cool temperatures in floating-top stainless steel tanks, off the skins.He also reduced the percentage of new oak in 2003-to 30% to 50% for his grand crus.These wines were a bit easier to taste than the less-evolved young 2003s from the family estate, as Magnien chilled the estate cellar to 10oC in the summer of 2004, while keeping his negociant facility at 13o or 14o.Magnien makes an alarming number of wines under his negociant label, and I asked him to show me a selection of the more interesting cuvees. (A Peter Vezan selection, imported by North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA; Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; and Dionysos Imports, Lorton, VA)

This year I tasted two sets of wines made by Frederic Magnien: the negociant bottlings he offers under his own label, and the wines of the family domain, Michel Magnien.In 2002, Magnien carried out long fermentations (the wines spent 21 to 23 days on their skins), explaining that the result was "a lot of tannins enrobed by the extra fat of the vintage."He finished the sugar fermentations after the wines had been taken off the skins. Some wines finished in stainless steel tanks, some in barrels, on their lees, with batonnage he said, "it was like making white wines."The 2002s of both Maison Frederic Magnien and Domaine Michel Magnien were still on their lees, unracked, in early November.(A Peter Vezan selection, imported by North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA; Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; and Import!, Madison, WI)