2009 Nuits-St Georges Rouge, Clos de la Maréchale, 1er Cru, 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.

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.