Domaine Henri Magnien - Fixin 'Clos Francois Thurot Monopole' 2024

Charles Magnien’s family has been in Gevrey Chambertin since 1656, making Charles the twelfth generation at the helm. They have seven hectares of vines in some key vineyards: the grand cru Ruchottes, and premiers crus Lavaut Saint Jacques, Cazetiers and Champeaux. Charles also recently added a hectare further south in the grand cru of Corton and a premier cru in Aloxe-Corton in the Côte de Beaune.

The Magnien holdings in the famous Gevrey vineyards garner most of the attention and understandably so--but equally significant for them is their very old and special Pinot Noir vines. In 1850, the family discovered a unique Pinot Noir mutation in their vineyards. It even came to be named “Pinot Magnien” after the family. Pinot Magnien fruit from vines over 100 years old is part of not only their Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes cuvée but also their premier cru Cazetiers. Whenever a vine needs to be replaced anywhere on the estate, it’s done with a massale selection from their Pinot Magnien. Fruit from vines adapted so closely to their specific terroir and climate over generations can yield the most compelling of wines.

Charles is an innovator. He took over from his father in 2009 and immediately began investing his energy and efforts in the vineyards. He follows organic farming practices (though will use a non-organic treatment when necessary). He bought two new tractors and started working with a higher canopy. He is experimenting with different techniques to combat frost. One is a giant fan blowing hot air over the vineyard; another is a coil running along the trellis wires to warm attached canes when the temperature drops too low. In 2018, Charles built a new cellar, giving him more space to work and allowing him to age the wines longer.

In the cellar, Charles does cold macerations for seven to ten days, then spontaneous fermentations in stainless steel tanks. Some vintages are destemmed completely, while others will include up to 40% of stems if they have ripened correctly (the exception being the “4 Carac’terres” that is made exclusively with whole clusters). As for barrels, Charles cares more about the origin of the oak than about barrel age. He does not want to make oaky wines but does care about oak’s ability to introduce some oxygen into them. The barrels in rotation in the cellar are generally new to two years old.

Charles is the first in the Magnien family to bottle their whole range, rather than selling off fruit or wine. Jasper Morris MW states in his book Inside Burgundy that Charles “makes a very good range of wines, with an exceptional Cazetiers.”

William Kelley of the Wine Advocate writes “Charles Magnien continues his rapid ascent through the Burgundian firmament.” With well over ten vintages under his belt, he has led the Henri Magnien wines to be recognized as some of the best in Gevrey-Chambertin.

2024 will be a true Burgundy vintage, a beautiful nod to history and terroir, a far cry from
the concentration you may have experienced over the last 10 years with wines produced
under global warming conditions. This is pure Pinot Noir, fresh, elegant, and delicate.
Sensuality is the first thing that comes to mind when tasting it. The natural balance of this new production promises good aging potential. Unlike other vintages, we did not seek freshness (varietal aromas) during vinification as it was naturally present. The challenge was to extract the interesting elements without any bitterness, paying particular attention to the mid-palate to ensure it lived up to your expectations. The precision and quality of our new winery allowed us to achieve the quintessence in 2024 thanks to longer, lower-temperature fermentations. 

The powers that be have decided to migrate the 32 hectares of Brochon to the Fixin
appellation from the 2024 vintage onwards.

For those seeking finesse, freshness and lively red fruit aromas, this wine delivers the goods. Don't miss on this wine. Entry level range of Magnien wines always impress.

"The pinker side of ruby, with a very perfumed bouquet, floral, roses, good tension, only just enough fruit through the middle. A touch of youthful bitters, before the raspberry fruit returns behind. Drink from 2028-2032. Tasted Nov 2025." - 88 Points, Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy.

Producer: Henri Magnien

Country: France

Region: Burgundy

Varietal: Pinot Noir

Appellation: Fixin

Vintage: 2024

Size: 750ml