Founded in 1863 by Frederic Mugnier, a liqueur-maker in Dijon, at the beginning of the 20th century the estate comprised almost twenty hectares spread over Chambolle-Musigny and Nuits-saint-Georges. It was run jointly with the liqueur factory by Frédéric’s sons and grandsons until 1949. Before the creation of appellations d’origine in 1878, the estate’s wines were sold under labels bearing only the words “Château Chambolle-Musigny”, following the example of Bordeaux.
In 1950, Jacques-Frédéric MUGNIER, Frédéric’s great-grandson born in 1923, sold the liquor business, which had been weakened by the war and economic difficulties, and leased the vineyard, which had been reduced through inheritance, to a major wine company in Nuits-Saint-Georges.
Jacques-Frédéric MUGNIER took over direct management of the Chambolle vines from 1978 until his death, and in 1985 Frédéric MUGNIER, Jacques-Frédéric’s son, took over full responsibility for the family estate.
The estate had once managed by Faiveley and Bruno Clair. In 2004, the domaine bought back and kept producing top quality Nuits Saint Georges Clos de la Marechale vineyard, which had been on lease to Faiveley since 1950.
Today, around Jocelyne and Frédéric Mugnier, the Domaine’s permanent team – Adeline, François, Fabien, Patrick, Guillaume, Alex, Maxime, Théo and Anaïs – is attentive to every detail, day after day, to ensure that nothing of nature’s best is lost, from the vine to the cellar and right up to your glass.
Domaine Jacques Frederic Mugnier is dedicated to practice sustainable viticulture. It uses a new insecticide that has been certified in 2008 for organic farming and viticulture. It has ceased to use industrial fertilisers since 1987, weed killers since 1990 and insecticides since 1996.
For the style of wines, grapes are de-stemmed and whole berries are fermented in old open wooden vats. After around 16 months in oak, wines are bottled without fining and filtration.
