An Age-worthy Burgundy Grand Cru with a Nuanced Bouquet

Domaine Jacques Prieur was established in the Meursault appellation of Burgundy in 1865, and now extends over many different vine parcels in prestigious appellations, including Clos Vougeot, Chambertin, Corton Charlemagne, Montrachet and Musigny. The most cherished of the estate's vineyards includes 9 Grands Cru and 14 Premiers Cru parcels scattered across the Cote de Nuits in the North and the Cote de Beaune further South. Founded by Jacques Prieur, the domaine was acquired by the Labruyere family in 1988 and is today managed by Jean-Pierre Labruyere, Edouard Labruyere and Martin Prieur. The combined efforts of the two families at Domaine Jacques Prieur have resulted in the creation of a beautiful portfolio of wines, offering authentic expressions of the Burgundy style and the rich mosaic of microclimates and soil types to be found in the Cote d'Or. The Musigny Grand Cru 2012 from Domaine Jacques Prieur is a single-varietal Pinot Noir, whose fruit is harvested from the famous Grand Cru Musigny appellation, considered one of the greatest terroirs for the Pinot Noir varietal. The 25-hectare vineyard is located on a hillside that overlooks the Clos de Vougeout Grand Cru in the village of Chambolle-Musigny. The vines are planted in very thin soils of small stones, with optimal drainage. After the manual harvest, the grapes are sorted and destemmed. The must rests on the skins for 23 hours before fermentation. The wines are matured in oak barrels for a total of 16 months.

The Musigny Grand Cru 2010 from Domaine Jacques Prieur displays a bright red-ruby color with medium intensity in the glass. The aromatic bouquet is adorned with frangrances of redcurrants, black raspberries and creme de cassis, along with nuances of graphite, licorice, pepper, worn leather, tobacco and truffle. On the palate, this Burgundy Grand Cru presents a medium body with a very rich texture and a distinctly round style. On the finish, a fine minerality reveals itself, following seductively sauve tannins. A Burgundy red to keep for 10 years minimum, promising a graceful evolution in the bottle.

Wine Advocate-Parker :
The 2012 Musigny Grand Cru comes from Prieur's 0.77-hectare parcel located in the southern section of the grand cru close to Clos de Vougeot. This year it deigned the world with 9 barrels of which seven were new. It clearly has the most sophisticated, complex bouquet of the domaine's reds in 2012 adorned with blackberry, raspberry leaf, creme de cassis, minerals and incense. The palate is medium-bodied with fine delineation. This has a firm backbone that lends this Musigny a sense of masculinity and sternness, a 2012 that demands you come back in 2022. Very focused with fine mineralite on the finish, this should be cellared away for a number of years. Finally, there is the small matter (literally) of what to my knowledge is one of the most elusive wines in Burgundy.

Domaine Jacques Prieur : Montrachet Grand cru 2011