Côte de Nuits Villages Clos de Magny 2023 Domaine Lecheneaut

The Côte de Nuits Villages Le Clos de Magny 2023 from Domaine Lécheneaut is the most accessible and generously fruited cuvée from this domaine, and one of the finest introductions to the Côte de Nuits for anyone seeking precise, honest Pinot Noir without the price constraints of Premier Cru vineyards. Le Clos de Magny is one of the most recognized and sought-after lieux-dits in the Côte de Nuits Villages appellation, shared among several benchmark growers including Domaine Lécheneaut, which brings the same rigour and exacting standards here as to every wine in its range. The nose opens with morello cherry, dense plum, violets, wild thyme and elegant oak spice. Flavours of vanilla, spice and smoke mingle with black cherry and blackberry fruit in a wine that is rich yet linear, with silky tannins and a persistent, spiced finish.

Terroir and vineyard

Le Clos de Magny stands among the most emblematic lieux-dits of Côte de Nuits Villages, a discrete appellation grouping the northernmost and southernmost communes of the Côte de Nuits. Planted on the brown argilo-calcareous soils characteristic of the Côte de Nuits, with a substantial proportion of fine calcareous scree over compact bedrock, this terroir benefits from east-facing exposure and moderate altitude, conferring natural freshness and mineral tension. These calcareous, stony soils are well-drained and naturally mineral-rich, precisely the source of the precision, fruit and lovely linearity that distinguishes Le Clos de Magny among all the lieux-dits of the appellation. The domaine's winemaking follows its philosophy faithfully: hand-harvested fruit, partial destemming according to vintage, fermentation with indigenous yeasts, gentle extraction through punchdowns and pumpovers, and ageing of 15 to 18 months in oak casks with a third renewed as new wood annually, guided throughout by the pursuit of aromatic finesse.

Tasting profile

The robe is a purple-red with intense, sometimes mauve-tinged reflections, bright and luminous. The nose shows immediate expressiveness and complexity for this appellation level: aromas of dried morello cherry, dense plum and blackberry emerge generously, accompanied by violets, wild thyme and elegant spice from the ageing. Notes of rose and liquorice appear with aeration. On the palate, flavours of vanilla, spice and smoke mingle with black cherry and blackberry fruit in an ensemble that is rich yet beautifully linear. The tannins have a silky texture and are well-integrated, fresh acidity brings tension and length, and the finish is fruited, spiced and persistent, with a length that far exceeds its appellation rank. A wine of immediate pleasure and real character, accessible now and capable of lovely development over five to eight years.

The domaine

Domaine Lécheneaut was founded in Nuits-Saint-Georges in the late 1950s by Fernand Lécheneaut. In 1986, his sons Philippe and Vincent took over, expanding the domaine to 10 hectares across 18 appellations and modernizing its facilities. Since 2017, Jules Lécheneaut, the third generation, has joined to ensure continuity of this heritage. The wines consistently display great precision in their ageing and winemaking. Prices have remained reasonable, making this an excellent reference point in the Côte de Nuits.

Food pairing

This Côte de Nuits Villages Le Clos de Magny pairs beautifully with beef burgundy simmered slowly, coq au vin, duck breast with cherry sauce, rabbit with mustard, fine country terrine, or aged cheeses such as Époisses or Brillat-Savarin. Served between 15 and 16°C with a gentle 30-minute decant, it will reveal all the fruited generosity and mineral precision of a Pinot Noir from the Côte de Nuits signed by one of the appellation's most principled domaines.