
Overview
- Surface area: 10.86 ha
- Annual production: 300 ha
- Owners: 17
Musigny (Le Musigny) is a Grand Cru Appellation in the Village of Chambolle-Musigny in the Côte de Nuits in the Côte d’Or in Burgundy, France.
History & Etymology
- Obscure, but it is said that Musigny came into existence in the 11th century when Pierre Gros donated his ‘Champ de Musigné’ to the monks at Cîteaux. The name is well-documented in local archives from the 1500’s. [2]
Geography & Climate
- Location: [2]
- Lies in the southern portion of Chambolle-Musigny, on the ‘tongue’ of the appellation reaching into the Combe d’Orveaux.
- The vineyard is tripartite:
- Les Combe d’Orveaux (.61 ha) is the lower, smaller section bordering Les Echézeaux
- .61 ha were incorporated in 1929; another .16 ha were added in 1989.
- Owned by Domaine Jacques Prieur
- Les Petits Musigny (4.20 ha) is the middle section which extends to the wall of Clos de Vougeot at the level of the Château
- Owned by Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé.
- Les Musigny (5.90 ha) is the most northern section.
- Les Combe d’Orveaux (.61 ha) is the lower, smaller section bordering Les Echézeaux
- Terroir: [2]
- Altitude ranges from 262-283 meters in Les Petits Musigny to 270-305 in Musigny.
- Slope is 12% in upper sectors of both parts; lower in bottom sector
- These inclines cause soil erosion, so the soil is carefully collected and returned.
- Soils vary by location:
- In general, Musigny’s soils have a significant proportion of stones (+20%) & contain red clays that are particular to this vineyard.
- Upper section (and qualitatively superior) near Chambolle have deep and composed soils of marnes calcaire (a friable, oolitic limestone and degraded fossil material.
- This soil type is what impart Musigny’s hallmark finesse.
- The underlying rock is Ostrea acuminata
- Lower down in Musigny Bas and indeed in Les Amoureuses, the rock is largely hard, white Comblanchien limestone.
- These lower sectors are shallower (~30 cm deep) and have more clay and less active limestone.
- Lies on several north-south faults which separate geologies (usually where the ground slopes.
- One is located at the limit between Musigny and the brush, with Comblanchien limestone above the vineyard
- Another is ~1/3 of the way up the road, near where the slope becomes steeper.
- Separates the marls to the east from the Comblanchien limestone to the west.
- Slope is 12% in upper sectors of both parts; lower in bottom sector
- Altitude ranges from 262-283 meters in Les Petits Musigny to 270-305 in Musigny.
Style of Wine
Styles of wine are dry red wines from Pinot Noir, and dry white wines from Chardonnay (the AOC does allow Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris blended in even though this is rarely done).
- Musigny Blanc: highly individual, sui generis, full & robust, and noticeably phenolic in character.
- Not to be compared to grand crus of Corton-Charlemagne or Puligny-Montrachet.
- Musigny Rouge: Delicacy, finesse, & subtlety, with ‘velvet’ and ‘silk’ as most common descriptors
- Young Musigny: red currant, fraises des bois, raspberry & even white chocolate
- Aged Musigny: game, sous-bois, wild tea-rose and violets
Notable Domaines
- de Vogüé (6.46 ha Pinot; .65 ha Chardonnay)
- Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier (1.14 ha)
- Prieur (.76 ha)
- Joseph Drouhin (.68 ha)
- Leroy (.27 ha)
- Louis Jadot (.17 ha)
- Domaine Roumier (.10 ha)
- Joseph Faiveley (.03 ha)
Food & Culture
- Write about the food and culture of this region as it relates to wine.
Sources
Please cite where you found the information for this article. We recommend Easybib.com.
[1] Coates, Clive. Wines of Burgundy. University Presses of California, 2008.
[2] Norman, Remington. Grand Cru ; The Great Wines of Burgundy Through the Perspective of Its Finest Vineyards. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 2011.