2016 Domaine Frédéric Magnien Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru

(these vines are not organically farmed, and this wine has a relatively high pH, but Magnien never corrects the acidity here or in any of his other wines; just 24 hectoliters per hectare produced; vinified with 30% whole clusters): Moderately saturated medium red. Aromas of red cherry and menthol lifted by a note of rose petal. Plush, fat and ripe, showing none of the herbal nuances frequently displayed by young Clos Vougeot but also missing a bit of inner-mouth tension. Magnien told me he finds this wine a bit exotic, "like a wine made outside Burgundy," and it's certainly different from his normal style. Quite concentrated but not hugely tannic. This rather wild wine should give pleasure relatively early, at least in the context of this grand cru. These vines average about 40 years of age, but a good percentage of them were planted after the severe winter frost of 1985.