Henri Magnien Gevrey-Chambertin 2023 1.5L

88 BH

90 VM

88-90 JM

Notes:

The 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Village comes from seven parcels in the lower sectors of the appellation. It is more detailed and exuberant than the Côte de Nuits-Village, with a pretty nose and more attack. The palate is medium-bodied with finely spun tannins. It's beautifully balanced with very well-judged acidity. This feels tensile with a lovely hint of bitter orange on the finish. It is recommended. Vinous Media / Neal Martin 90

A clean fresh pale purple. Pleasing, stylish raspberry and fresh strawberry fruit, medium bodied, not too concentrated, with a slight harshness at the back. Tightly wound for the moment. Drink from 2027-2031. Tasted Nov 2024. Jasper Morris 88-90

A subtle but not invisible application of wood is present on the spicy red and dark pinot aromas that are cut with earth and spice wisps. There is excellent detail and verve to the attractively textured if again, not especially dense, flavors that also conclude in a lightly austere, balanced and lingering finale. This could use better depth so a few years of bottle aging should help. Burghound 88

Producer: Domaine Henri Magnien is a small family estate based in Gevrey-Chambertin, with the Magnien family's roots in the village extending back several centuries. The modern domaine was established by Henri Magnien in 1987 and is now run by Charles Magnien, representing the family's twelfth generation. The estate farms approximately six hectares, with an important concentration of holdings around Gevrey's Côte Saint-Jacques. Charles has also worked to preserve the family's own selection of Pinot Noir, known as Pinot Noir Magnien, which has been propagated within the family since the 19th century. His approach emphasizes moderate extraction and carefully judged oak rather than heavily structured winemaking.
Vineyard: The village Gevrey-Chambertin is assembled from seven parcels within the commune of Gevrey-Chambertin, giving the domaine a broader cross-section of the appellation rather than the expression of a single climat. The parcels are situated primarily in the lower portions of the village vineyard area, where the soils generally become deeper than those found higher on the limestone slope. Gevrey-Chambertin lies at the northern end of the Côte de Nuits, where the vineyards are shaped by a complex mixture of limestone-derived material, marl, clay, gravel, and alluvial deposits carried from the Combe de Lavaux. The proportions and depth of these materials change considerably across the commune, which is one reason assembling several parcels can provide a particularly representative village-level expression. Magnien’s holdings are concentrated in Gevrey-Chambertin, and this cuvée brings together fruit from those individual village sites before the domaine’s Premier Cru and Grand Cru parcels are bottled separately.
Winemaking: The 2023 was matured for approximately 12 months in French oak barrels, with around 25% new oak reported for the cuvée. Charles Magnien's broader cellar philosophy favors moderate extraction, and his barrel program has been developed with an emphasis on avoiding strongly toasted oak signatures that could obscure the fruit. For the 2023 village Gevrey, Burghound specifically noted that the oak was perceptible but restrained. The resulting wine is medium-bodied and structured around fine tannins and fresh acidity rather than extraction alone.
Technical Details: Gevrey-Chambertin AOC; Côte de Nuits, Côte-d'Or, Burgundy, France; 2023 vintage; red Burgundy; 100% Pinot Noir; fruit sourced from multiple village parcels; approximately 12 months in French oak; approximately 25% new oak; 1.5-liter magnum format. Published listings for the 2023 report 13–13.5% ABV, with the magnum listing specifically showing 13.5% ABV. The 1.5L format is documented for this exact 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin bottling, so the magnum designation is correct.
Food Pairing: Roast duck, duck breast with cherries, roast chicken, pork tenderloin, veal chops, beef tenderloin, mushroom dishes, lentils with sausage, coq au vin, and moderately aged cheeses such as Comté. The combination of Pinot Noir fruit, fresh acidity, fine tannins and moderate oak makes Gevrey-Chambertin particularly versatile with roasted poultry, mushrooms and meats that have enough richness to meet the wine without overwhelming it.