Domaine Stéphane Magnien

The domaine as you see it today was the work of three generations of wine-growers, and the fourth generation is on its way…

Although his parents were restaurateurs, grandfather Victor Magnien had an affinity for the life of a wine grower of his grandmother from Morey-Saint-Denis. He studied at another domaine in the village before marrying. With his wife he built up a domaine producing wines ranging from regional appellations to Grands Crus. At the same time he had to contend with the problems of the two world wars.

Felix, his only son, took over the business with his wife. Wine making was taking place in the cuverie but the entire production was sold through negociants. During this period the step tractor replaced the horse and the horizontal press replaced the vertical one. But the cellar is still empty...

Jean-Paul, the grandson, and his wife Marie-Odile begin selling wine directly whilst maintaining the traditional respect of origin appellations from the terroir to the wine. This doesn’t happen without major investment: on-going replacement of barrels; vats, bottling lines,.... and the need to find customers!

In order to continue the development of the domaine Stéphane (the fourth generation), started work in 2002. Whilst continuing to work in the spirit of his father, who had given the wines a world-wide reputation, he brings to the entreprise some technical Program: the envy to continue to produce fine wines, aromatic, typical of their climate, .. respecting, in their work, the richness and originality of the plot that we have the chance to work…

P.S.: In the autumn of 2002, his eldest sister, Christine, who has a degree in history, published her thesis tracing the lives of the wine growers in Gevrey-Chambertin between 1847-1952. This hundred year period represents the transition between the age of the self-sufficient peasant wine producer and the contemporary wine-grower running a modern business. This fascinating work is available from us at the cost of Euros38. (~340 pages)

Maintained for thirty years by our working the land, our vineyards have never been subjected to any herbicide harmful to the soil, permitting aeration, the very life of organisms. Moreover, the tilling obliges the vine’s roots to delve deep in the soil, bringing forth the site’s particular character.

The manual labor goes on during the harvest, the grapes being sorted on the vine. The winemaking is also done in the traditional way. The fermentation lasts a good two weeks, interspersed with punching down the cap and pumping over.

The wine is then placed in barrels in the cellar. In the ensuing months the second (Malo-lactic) fermentation takes place. The wine will stay another 12 to 18 months in barrel before being bottled and released.

In general, our wines are neither fined nor filtered. Our aim is to respect as far as possible the integrity of the wine, without rushing things.