2009 Chambolle-Musigny, Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier, Burgundy

Pinot Noir is probably the most frustrating and, at times, infuriating wine grape in the world. However, when it is successful, it can produce some of the most sublime wines known to man. This thin-skinned grape, which grows in small, tight bunches, performs well on well-drained, deepish limestone-based subsoils. It is more susceptible than other varieties to overcropping - concentration and varietal character disappear rapidly if yields are excessive, and yields as little as 25hl/ha are the norm for some climats of Burgundy's Côte d'Or.

The region is home to some of the world's finest Grand Cru and Premier Cru wines, commonly called 'Burgundies'. Made from Pinot Noir, the reds are dry and full-bodied with silky tannins. Conversely, using Chardonnay to produce whites helps generate elegant, complex, and citrussy wines with fresh butter and toast notes.

Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier is based at the Château de Chambolle-Musigny, which has been in the Mugnier family since 1863. Frédéric Mugnier – the fifth generation of the family on the property – took over in 1985. As of 2004, he has reclaimed the Nuits-St Georges Clos de la Maréchale vineyard, which had been on lease to Faiveley since 1950.