HISTORY As a négociant, Magnien differentiates himself in that he works closely with his partner vine growers throughout the year, selecting mostly older-vine parcels that are cared for to his exacting standards and by his own vineyard teams. His teams also pick the grapes at harvest, a further qualitative step. (Most négociants buy juice, not grapes.) Most of the vineyards Magnien works with are either certified organic or in the process of conversion — yet all vineyards are cared for according to organic principles. (Labels as of the 2022 vintage help clarify these differences. A full, round sun on a label means a wine that is certified organic; a half-sun means a vineyard that is cared for organically but that is not certified.)
In the cellar, grapes are usually destemmed and always fermented on indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled tanks. Magnien typically ages his wines in a combination of older François Frères oak barrels and terracotta containers, either small “eggs” or traditional amphora, ranging in size from 320L to 750L. This allows his wines to reflect more purity of fruit and terroir character, Magnen maintains. All wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered according to the lunar cycle, and with limited added sulfites.
VINEYARDS & WINEMAKING
Above the village proper, ‘Lavaux Saint-Jacques’ faces southeast at the mouth of the Gevrey combe, or valley. Vines here feed directly from Burgundy’s mother rock of limestone, a few inches from the surface. One of Gevrey’s more noble and structured premier crus.
