Champagne Alsace Loire Valley Burgundy Rhône Provence Languedoc Roussillon Southwest Bordeaux

france: burgundy

Domaine Lucien Muzard et Fils, Côte de Beaune

Lucien retired back in '95 and handed over the reins to sons Claude and Hervé. Lucien had put together a remarkable string of vineyards in Santenay (with tiny lots in Chassagne rouge territory and in Pommard). The acreage totaled close to forty, but Lucien sold all the wine from those fine old-vine parcels to négociants. Claude and Hervé put an end to that. They quickly made their mark with their domaine bottlings, and today excellent reviews can be found from every important Burgundy critic known to American readers.

Claude resembles Mel Gibson, with something of a strapping physicality, while bespectacled Hervé has an erudite air. They complement each other well, and they consider themselves a part of a distinguished tradition of wine-making that has existed in this proud village for centuries (the Muzard family traces its lineage in Santenay back to 1645). Their wines emphasize fruit and terroir, with new oak playing no more than a supporting role. Typical for Santenay, roughly 95% of Claude and Hervé's production is in red wine.

The wines are fabulous. Behind their rich black-red fruit, Santenay's streak of iron, soil, and minerality runs deep, and each wine is true to its origins—thus the elegantly perfumed Maladière, the rustic, spicy (and quintessentially Santenay) Clos Faubard, and the darkly full-flavored Gravières. "At least among American fanciers of red Burgundy you almost never hear much about Santenay," Matt Kramer writes in his book, Making Sense of Burgundy, adding: "This is odd, if only because it is the source of some exceedingly good red wines." In the December '03 issue of England's Decanter Magazine, Master of Wine Clive Coates wrote, "Brothers Claude and Hervé have been in charge for a decade or so, during which they have established this 21ha domaine as arguably the best in the village—against fierce competition."

Domaine Muzard's wines are among the finest values to be found from the Côte d'Or.