“Morey-Saint-Denis is indeed agog with fine vineyards… If you don’t know anything about the producer or the vintage or even Burgundy itself, Morey-Saint-Denis is one of the safest blind bets you can place.” – Matt Kramer, Making Sense of Burgundy

If you’re a middle child, you can sympathize with being overlooked.

So it is with Morey-Saint-Denis. One of the greatest villages in the Côte de Nuits, but often passed over for the more famous Gevrey-Chambertin to the north and Chambolle-Musigny to the south.

Today, we want to fix this. A sumptuous satiny example of Morey’s greatness – for a STUNNING 45% OFF!

Domaine Michel Magnien is a visionary producer. But let’s talk about what’s in the bottle first. If you aren’t familiar with Morey-Saint-Denis, imagine a wine that combines the structure of Gevrey with the perfume of Chambolle, balanced and complete, renown for its firm but supple texture.

Their Climats d’Or isn’t a single vineyard, but a blend of five of the best Premier Cru climats, or single-sites, within the village (three of which abut Grand Crus). Think of it as the greatest hits of the region’s best sites – a portrait of the whole village from a grower who also farms three of its Grand Crus.

The Magniens have farmed Morey-Saint-Denis for five generations. But it wasn’t until 1993 that Frédéric Magnien first convinced his father, Michel, to stop selling their grapes and to let him make wine instead. They have since become one of the appellations most distinctive estates – in a single generation.

Distinctive because their style of winemaking disregards flashy new oak flavors, and focuses on terroir. As Burghound reports, “I’ve mentioned this before, but it bears repeating that Magnien has become arguably the leading specialist in Burgundy in the use of amphorae and jarres (the difference is essentially one of size) during the élevage. Others, such as Dujac, Pousse d’Or and Jean-Marie Fourrier, are experimenting with them as well though Magnien has made them an essential part of his approach. For example, many of these offerings were raised with significant proportions of amphorae that averaged around 50% with the rest in traditional wooden casks. Magnien believes the amphorae better preserve the freshness and they obviously do not mark the wines with toast or vanilla characteristics.”

As the word ‘Domaine’ in the wine’s name suggests, they own the vineyards, meticulously caring for their old vines through Biodynamic farming. With an average age of 50-years-old, yields are naturally limited, and the fruit is concentrated and highly perfumed. The vintage 2023 was a little variable for some producers, but here the old vines shine through.

When you first pop the cork, it’s obvious that this is a serious wine. Initially wound up and a little funky, like a moody teenager, it’ll need a good decant an hour of two to properly wake up. But man, is the payoff worth it! This medium-full bodied killer is loaded with cherry, lavender, tilled earth, violets, wild herbs, exotic spices… the complexity goes on and on. It’s firm and structured on entry, but glides across the palate with a satiny finesse, finishing ultra-long and with a touch of toastiness.

For LESS THAN A BENJAMIN, it could stand toe-to-toe with many Grand Crus.

Savor it slowly. No need to thank us for introducing you to your new favorite village in Burgundy.