drouhin balson

Our wines

Musigny Grand Cru

Musigny

Grand Cru

Service

  • Cellaring

    Optimal consumption: 15 to 20 years

    Ageing potential: 30 years

  • Tasting temperature

    16-18°C (61-65°F)

Grape variety

Pinot Noir

Vineyard

Producing commune: Chambolle-Musigny.

Site: Musigny is located on a chalky terrace overlooking Clos Vougeot; it is between two small valleys, the  « combe » of Chambolle and the « combe » of Orveaux.

History & tradition: a true pioneer of vine growing in this area was a certain Mucius who owned vineyard on this hillside in Gallo-Roman times. It is really in the early Middle Ages, with the help of the monks, that Musigny rose to the rank it now occupies.

Soil: on a mild incline, with a due east exposure. The brown soil is chalky, strewn with some pebbles and not too clayey.

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Tasting

by Véronique Boss-Drouhin

Musigny is remarkable for its great purity of colour. The aromas are reminiscent of violet and fruit stone when the wine is young. After eight to ten years, these aromas become very refined and complex: fallen leaves, damp earth, moss and hints of fur or leather. The tasting sensations are incomparable in terms of finesse and harmony. The tannins are elegant, although very much alive. Silk and velvet match the liveliness of the acidity. The lingering aftertaste is dominated by hints of rare, exotic woods as well as candied cherry.

Vintage

The vagaries of the 2021 vintage have greatly affected yields, resulting in one of the smallest harvests Burgundy has ever seen. The reds are harmonious and elegant, with lower alcohol concentrations compared to previous vintages. It is a vintage with a rather Burgundian style showing fruitiness and a lot of freshness.

Vintage review

Viticulture

Throughout its 100-hectare (247 acres) estate, Maison Joseph Drouhin has adopted organic viticulture practices since the late 1980s and biodynamic viticulture since the 1990s. Our credo is to provide  « natural answers to natural problems ». All our practices show the greatest respect for the soil, the vine, and the environment. Our deliberately low production yields allow our grapes to reveal the precise expression of each terroir.

Winemaking

Harvest: grapes harvested by hands in open-work crates. If necessary, a careful sorting is proceeded.

Vinification: whole crop harvest of 20 to 50% depending on the vintage. In accordance with the terroir and the profile of the vintage, we do 2 to 3 weeks of fermentation and maceration in small open vats, marked by punching of the cap and pumping-over. The yeasts are indigenous (natural). Pressing in a vertical press. Separation of the ends of the presses based on tasting.

Ageing:  in oak barrels including 30% of new barrels.
The ageing lasts between 16 to 20 months.

Origin of the wood: oak grown in French high forest.

Throughout the ageing process, decisions are taken only after careful tasting evaluation. The data obtained is completed through technical analysis. As with every other Joseph Drouhin wine, absolute priority is given to the true expression of terroir and character of the vintage.