Reviews

Lucien Le Moine

Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2016

Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru

The largest Grand Cru in the Côte-de-Nuits, at 125 acres, Clos de Vougeot possesses differing soil structures and expositions and, notably, a large number of growers. The top of the vineyard features soils of pebbly limestone, which become marl further down the slope, and finally more alluival at the 23 bottom. Notoriously variable, from the best producers Clos de Vougeot produces generous, complex wines that can stand alongside any Grand Cru Burgundies.

Lucien Le Moine

Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2016

Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru

Mounir thinks of Bonnes-Mares as the ambassador of all the Côte d’Or – taste 15 wines from the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits, and when you come to Bonnes-Mares it will have all the fruit, tannin, sweetness, and spice of the wines you just tasted. Because of its multi-dimensional power and beauty, Bonnes-Mares has become one of if not the signature wine from Lucien Le Moine.

Lucien Le Moine

Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru 2016

Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru

The Mazis-Chambertin parcel used by Lucien Le Moine lies in poor clay soils, from the highest part of the vineyard where there is only 4 inches of soil. Mounir likes to say that the sun almost touches the roots. As a result, this wine has powerful, jammy, almost barbecue flavor and a lot of smokiness (some will attribute this to oak, but it is the natural character of the site). There is an animal side to the wine that at Lucien Le Moine is tempered by an extended aging which brings out notably a red currant character. In addition, with bottle age the fruit becomes more apparent.

Lucien Le Moine

Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2016

Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

As the name suggests, wines from this vineyard are full of charm - beautiful aromatics and weight. Mounir looks for the “charm” in Charmes-Chambertin - a wine with sweetness, fruit, spice, chocolate notes. He feels it is at its best when it is attractive and approachable.

Lucien Le Moine

Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru 2016

Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru

Latricières is often thought of as a “sturdy” Gevrey-Chambertin Grand Cru, Le Moine’s 2014 has an overtly elegant side that comes through, surprising and exceptionally promising.

Lucien Le Moine

Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru 2016

Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru

Griotte-Chambertin is one of the most elusive Grand Crus in Burgundy; it’s the smallest Grand Cru in Gevrey at only 3 hectares in size. The vineyard faces north-east, which means the vines are not fully exposed to the morning sunshine - this contributes to the fresher, less masculine style of its wines.

Lucien Le Moine

Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru 2016

Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

A vineyard sitting between Mazis-Chambertin and Chambertin, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze is on the same limestone as Montrachet - you can almost think of it as a wine from Chassagne, a white wine with red color. It has almost an essence on the palate, it is supple, long, and without a lot of body or tannin. A sublime wine.

Lucien Le Moine

Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2016

Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

Clos de la Roche lies on an easterly-exposed slope at the northern end of Morey-Saint-Denis, divided by the road leading to Gevrey-Chambertin, and shares some of the nuances associated with the grands crus of the commune. It is divided into eight parcels totalling 41.75 acres.

Lucien Le Moine

Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2016

Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru

The soils of Clos Saint Denis are very drained, and the fruit achieves a lot of ripeness and flavor Mounir calls this a humiliating wine, because your first impression is of a wine that is full of earthy, dirty notes, but when it emerges after time to breathe, or with age, it displays sweet red fruits and a sweet finish. The soil here is rich in iron and phosphorous, giving this wine a contrast between dirty and sweet.

Lucien Le Moine

Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru “Les Amoureuses” 2016

Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru “Les Amoureuses”

This esteemed vineyard bordering Musigny and Clos de Vougeot regularly produces one of Lucien Le Moine’s most celebrated wines. Mounir says that the vineyard parcel from which his wine comes from has roots that go deep into the rocks, and the wine can be described as one with a lot of minerality, but with very little tannin or acidity, and notably a character of a very limited attack that draws out to an incredibly persistent finish.

Lucien Le Moine

Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru “Les Hauts Doix” 2016

Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru “Les Hauts Doix”

Les Haut Doix is a small vineyard between Les Charmes and Les Amoureuses. It sits within Les Amoureuses before the road to Les Charmes, but the wines show more acidity and fresh fruit than Les Amoureuses. It is crisper, less spicy, with fruit that is less ripe in character than Les Amoureuses. There is less drainage in this vineyard, and the soil is more viscous.

Lucien Le Moine

Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru “Les Baudes”

Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru “Les Baudes”

Lying just under Bonnes-Mares, Les Baudes shows a more structured and powerful side of Chambolle-Musigny.

Lucien Le Moine

Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru “Les Genavrières” 2016

Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru “Les Genavrières”

The 1er Cru Genavrières is located on the highest part of the Clos de la Roche vineyard. The wine has both the body of the Clos de la Roche and the finesse of this high part of Morey St Denis. The vines here were once exclusively white, but have gradually been taken over by Pinot Noir. The site is very rocky, with a visibly high content of limestone in the soils.

Lucien Le Moine

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru “Estournelles-Saint-Jacques” 2016

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru “Estournelles-Saint-Jacques”

Estournelles St Jacques sits just above Lavaut St Jacques, a five acre vineyard at the top of the slope. Mounir Saouma describes this wine by staying it is in character between Les Cazetiers, which is fine and subtle, and Lavaut St Jacques, which is more powerful and tannic. Estournelles St Jacques has a beautiful balance, and a lovely weight that also displays subtlety.

Lucien Le Moine

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru “Les Cazetiers” 2016

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru “Les Cazetiers”

Les Cazetiers is a 21 acre vineyard that faces almost due east. Always one of Lucien Le Moine’s exciting wines, it combines fantastic definition and complexity. Mounir Saouma explains that the vines he uses are nearly 100 years old, and there is tremendous subtlety, spiciness and elegance. It is the essence of Gevrey without the body, all finesse.

Lucien Le Moine

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru “Lavaut Saint-Jacques” 2016

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru “Lavaut Saint-Jacques”

Estournelles St Jacques sits just above Lavaut St Jacques, a five acre vineyard at the top of the slope. Mounir Saouma describes this wine by staying it is in character between Les Cazetiers, which is fine and subtle, and Lavaut St Jacques, which is more powerful and tannic. Estournelles St Jacques has a beautiful balance, and a lovely weight that also displays subtlety.

Lucien Le Moine

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru “Aux Combottes” 2016

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru “Aux Combottes”

Lucien Le Moine

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru “Les Champeaux” 2016

Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru “Les Champeaux”

Lucien Le Moine

Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru “Les Vaucrains” 2017

Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru “Les Vaucrains”

The commune of Nuits-Saint-Georges is the southernmost commune of the Côte de Nuits, and includes, from a viticultural standpoint, the small adjoining commune of Prémeaux-Prissey. There are 431 acres of vineyards which take this appellation at the village level, of which 29 are in Prémeaux. Of the 1er Cru vineyards, numbering 36, 28 vineyards occupy 248 acres in Nuits-Saint-Georges; the remaining eight, in Prémeaux, cover 104 acres. The Les Vaucrains is a vineyard of 15 acres lying upslope at 260-280 meters in the south part of Prémeaux.

Lucien Le Moine

Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru “Les Vaucrains” 2016

Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru “Les Vaucrains”

The commune of Nuits-Saint-Georges is the southernmost commune of the Côte de Nuits, and includes, from a viticultural standpoint, the small adjoining commune of Prémeaux-Prissey. There are 431 acres of vineyards which take this appellation at the village level, of which 29 are in Prémeaux. Of the 1er Cru vineyards, numbering 36, 28 vineyards occupy 248 acres in Nuits-Saint-Georges; the remaining eight, in Prémeaux, cover 104 acres. The Les Vaucrains is a vineyard of 15 acres lying upslope at 260-280 meters in the south part of Prémeaux.