For many years, one of the most beautiful sites in Nuits-Saint-Georges wasn’t making a wine that truly reflected its soul.

That site was Clos de la Maréchale, the southernmost Premier Cru in the village, and the only one under the care of Frédéric Mugnier. For decades, Mugnier had leased the vineyard to Faiveley, who made a perfectly respectable version of the wine — structured, firm, and very much in the style of Nuits as we’ve come to expect it. But when the lease finally ended in 2004, Mugnier took back the reins and began to show what this vineyard could truly be.

The difference was immediate. Instead of emphasizing muscle and tannin, Mugnier drew out the vineyard’s elegance, perfume, and subtlety. He always maintained that Clos de la Maréchale was a special site — one that had more in common with Chambolle-Musigny than the rest of Nuits. And when you taste the wine, it’s hard to disagree.

The 2022 is a perfect example. It has all the clarity and finesse we associate with Mugnier — floral, supple, finely grained — but anchored by a slightly deeper register that speaks to the southern position of the site. It’s unmistakably Nuits, but filtered through a Chambolle lens: graceful, lifted, and composed.

That duality is what makes this wine so compelling. It reminds us that terroir isn’t a set of rigid borders, but a spectrum — and that within a single appellation, surprises are always possible. Clos de la Maréchale is one of those surprises, and Mugnier is its perfect interpreter.

Jacques-Frederic Mugnier Nuits-St.-Georges 1er Cru Clos de la Marechale 2022 - $149.99 
" The 2022 Nuits Saint-Georges Clos de la Maréchale 1er Cru has a cohesive, nicely poised bouquet with a mixture of red and black fruit alongside hints of undergrowth. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and much more weight than the 2023 with insistent grip toward the lightly spiced finish. This will give a decade of drinking pleasure. 90 pts. " - Neal Martin (Vinous)